PPU

What PPU does

PPU is a full-service Ibero-American law firm created in 2015 through the merger of Chilean firm Philippi Irarrázaval Pulido & Brunner, Colombian firm Prietocarrizosa, and Spanish firm Uría Menéndez, expanded to Peru in 2016 via mergers with Ferrero Abogados and Delmar Ugarte, and most recently reinforced in 2026 through the integration of Contreras Velozo. The firm operates regional headquarters in Santiago (Chile), Bogotá (Colombia), and Lima (Peru), with a secondary Colombian office in Barranquilla and a Madrid presence through its core strategic alliance with Uría Menéndez (which extends the effective footprint to Portugal, London, and Brussels). PPU is led by Managing Partner Martín Acero and reports more than 80 partners alongside 80+ specialized professionals serving a client base of 80+ organizations, of which 80% are multinational corporations.

The firm delivers legal services across 27+ practice areas, including Corporate Law/M&A, Banking and Capital Markets, Mining/Energy/Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Project Development, Tax and International Trade, Dispute Resolution, Labor Law, Competition, IP, Insurance/Reinsurance, Real Estate, Public Law, Criminal Law/Compliance, Digital Law, TMT, Venture Capital & Tech, Family Law/Wealth Management, Water Rights, and ESG/Environmental Law, plus specialized international desks (Asian Desk since 2021, Brazilian Desk since 2022). Its internal technology layer is Proyecto One, an enterprise management and data system described as unique in Latin America that consolidates firm information and processes. Marquee engagements include advising Anglo American on its $5 billion copper joint venture with Codelco, Avianca on a $600 million notes offering and $150 million bond reopening, Grupo Nutresa on the Sura/Argos/IHC separation, CMPC on an ESG bond issuance, and Innergex on renewables project financing.

PPU's revenue model is professional services billing through hourly rates, fixed fees for specific matters, and success fees for transactional work, with rates varying by practice area, seniority, and matter complexity and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via partner-led relationships with corporate legal departments and management, supported by thought leadership through PPU Informa newsletters, LinkedIn/X/YouTube presence, legal publications, industry events, and a steady stream of Chambers & Partners, Latin Lawyer, LatinFinance, IFLR, ITR, and Legal 500 awards.

Name

PPU

Legal name

PPU

Website

https://ppulegal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

PPU is a full-service Ibero-American law firm founded in 2015, serving multinational corporations and Latin American multilatinas across more than 27 practice areas through regional offices in Chile, Colombia, and Peru, with European reach via Uría Menéndez.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: Professional legal services billing primarily through hourly rates, fixed fees for specific matters, and success fees for transactional work. Revenue derived from serving multinational corporations and leading regional companies across corporate law, M&A, banking, energy, and other practice areas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PPU is a full-service Ibero-American law firm providing comprehensive legal advisory, consulting, and transactional services across 27+ practice areas including corporate law, M&A, banking and finance, mining and energy, infrastructure, tax, labor law, competition law, intellectual property, and dispute resolution. The firm serves primarily multinational corporations and leading regional companies across Latin America, with strategic alliance to Uría Menéndez providing European coverage. Pricing is structured through hourly rates, fixed fees, and success-based fees.

Product overview

PPU is a full-service Latin American law firm offering comprehensive legal counsel across 27+ practice areas. The firm operates as a unified legal services platform with specialized desks (Asian Desk, Brazilian Desk) and knowledge services (PPU Informa) alongside core legal practices. Services span corporate/M&A, banking and finance, mining and energy, labor law, tax, litigation, compliance, intellectual property, and digital/technology law. The firm also provides a reporting channel for compliance matters and probono services. PPU serves clients through regional offices in Chile, Colombia, and Peru, with strategic alliance to Uría Menéndez for European coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Law and Mergers & Acquisitions (Derecho Corporativo / Fusiones y Adquisiciones)
• Banking, Finance and Capital Markets (Servicios Financieros, Mercado de Capitales y Derecho Bancario)
• Mining, Energy and Natural Resources Law (Derecho Minero, Energía y Recursos Naturales)
• Dispute Resolution (Derecho de Resolución de Conflictos)
• Tax Law and International Trade (Derecho Tributario y Comercio Internacional)
• Project Development and Infrastructure Law (Desarrollo de Proyectos y Derecho de Infraestructura)
• Labor Law (Derecho Laboral)
• Competition Law (Derecho Libre Competencia)
• Intellectual Property (Derecho de Propiedad Intelectual)
• Digital Law (Derecho Digital)
• Criminal Law and Compliance (Derecho Penal y Compliance)
• Corporate Criminal Law (Derecho Penal Corporativo)
• Venture Capital and Technology Law (Derecho Venture Capital y Tech)
• Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT)
• Real Estate and Urban Planning Law (Derecho Inmobiliario y Urbanístico)
• Land Acquisition and Management (Adquisición y Gestión de Tierras)
• Water Rights Law (Derecho de Recursos Hídricos)
• Sustainable Development and Environmental Law (Desarrollo Sostenible y Derecho Ambiental)
• Insurance and Reinsurance Law (Derecho de Seguros y Reaseguros)
• Public Law (Derecho Público)
• Family Law and Estate Management (Derecho de Familia y Gestión Patrimonial)
• Insolvency, Bankruptcy and Restructuring (Insolvencia, concursal y reestructuración)
• Fishing and Aquaculture Law (Derecho Pesca y Acuicultura)
• Aircraft Financing (Financiamiento de Aeronaves)
• Transfer Pricing (Precios de transferencia)
• Global Mobility
• Asian Desk
• Brazilian Desk
• Asian Investments (Inversiones Asiáticas)
• PPU Informa
• Canal de Denuncias (Whistleblowing Channel)

Quantifiable outcome

• Recognized as Regional South American Practice of the Year 2026 by Chambers & Partners
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Uría MenéndezcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Strategic alliance making PPU the Latin American partner firm of Uría Menéndez, one of Europe's most prestigious law firms. This alliance strengthens PPU's ability to provide legal advice with international reach, connecting to Uría Menéndez's offices in Spain, Portugal, London, and Brussels.
• World Law GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of prominent independent law firms providing members with comprehensive legal solutions across numerous jurisdictions worldwide.
• State Capital GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorldwide network of independent law firms enabling PPU to extend its global coverage and serve clients with cross-border needs.
• Uría Menéndez (Madrid Office)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresence in Madrid, Spain through Uría Menéndez's Plaza de Rodrigo Uría office, providing European market access for Latin American clients expanding into Europe.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Basham, Ringe y Correa: Major Mexican full-service law firm with comparable practice breadth in corporate, M&A, and regulatory. While primarily Mexican rather than Andean, it is a comparable Latin American full-service firm competing for cross-border LatAm enterprise mandates.
• Mattos Filho: Largest Brazilian full-service law firm, dominant in capital markets, M&A, and energy. Comparable to PPU in practice breadth and enterprise client base, but primarily serves the Brazilian market — the same corridor PPU's Brazilian Desk targets.

Direct peers

• CMS (Carey y Cía in Chile): Global law firm with strong Andean presence (formerly Carey Olaya). Directly comparable to PPU in cross-border M&A, project finance, and energy/mining practices across Chile, Colombia, and Peru.
• Brigard Urrutia: Leading Colombian full-service law firm frequently ranked alongside PPU in Chambers and Latin Lawyer for corporate/M&A, banking, and capital markets. Directly comparable in client base, practice breadth, and Colombian market leadership.
• Posse Herrera Ruiz: Top Colombian law firm with comparable full-service model spanning corporate, M&A, energy, mining, and dispute resolution. Frequently co-ranked with PPU in Colombian legal directories and serves a similar multinational enterprise client base.

Broad incumbents

• Garrigues: Largest Iberian law firm with deep LatAm practice and alliance model similar in spirit to PPU/Uría Menéndez. Comparable in client mix (multinational corporates) and cross-border transaction capability, but with broader geographic ownership.
• DLA Piper: Global law firm with strong Latin America platform (offices in multiple LatAm jurisdictions). Competes with PPU on cross-border M&A, technology, and venture capital mandates, particularly with multinational clients.
• Clifford Chance: Global magic circle firm with significant Latin America project finance, energy, and capital markets capability. Competes with PPU for the largest mining, energy, and infrastructure financings in the Andean region.
• Baker McKenzie: Global magic circle firm with one of the strongest Latin American practices, including in Colombia, Chile, and Peru. Competes with PPU for the largest enterprise mandates and cross-border M&A, but offers broader geographic ownership than PPU.
• White & Case: Global law firm with one of the deepest Latin America project finance and capital markets practices. Direct competitor to PPU on infrastructure, mining, and energy financing in the Andean region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ppulegal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ppulegal
• Facebookfacebook.com/PhilippiPrietocarrizosaFerreroDUYUria
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prietocarrizosa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PPU