Practice area

Corporate Law

Incorporation, amendment and reorganization of companies, commercial contracts and corporate governance.

What this area covers

  • Incorporation of all types of companies
  • Corporate regularization
  • Mergers, acquisitions and corporate reorganizations
  • Amendment, conversion, dissolution and liquidation of all types of companies
  • Bylaws amendments
  • Drafting and review of commercial deeds and contracts
  • Capital increases and reductions
  • Legal opinions
  • Purchase, sale, lease, loan-for-use and usufruct of businesses
  • Arbitration in company liquidations
  • Due diligence
  • Shareholders' meetings support (minutes, boards, powers of attorney)

Frequently asked questions

Which type of company suits me best to get started?

It depends on how many of you there are, whether new partners will join, and how you want control split. An SpA, a limited liability company and a sole-owner EIRL can all be incorporated online and free of charge through the registry created by Law 20.659, so the real decision is not the paperwork but the by-laws — that is the part that is expensive to change later.

What happens if a partner wants to leave the company?

The by-laws decide. If they say nothing, the exit is resolved by transferring the partner's shares or rights and formalising that transfer, and in some company types it also requires the other partners' consent. This is the scenario worth writing down when the company is set up and everyone agrees — not once they no longer do.

Do I need a written contract with my suppliers, or is a verbal agreement enough?

A verbal agreement is binding; the problem is not validity but proof. Whoever alleges something must prove it (art. 1698 of the Civil Code), and in commercial matters the law limits witness evidence. Emails, purchase orders and accepted invoices help; a signed contract saves you from reconstructing what was agreed once there is already a dispute.

This is general information about Chilean law, not advice on a specific case: deadlines and requirements change with the facts.

Other practice areas

Need counsel in Corporate Law?

Tell us what happened and we will tell you whether we can help and how. Santiago and Valparaíso, Monday to Friday.