José Manuel Bustamante is a partner and one of the members in charge of the EU and Antitrust Law and Dispute Resolution areas of Garrigues’ Santiago de Chile office.
He has extensive experience and is noted for his expertise in all areas of antitrust law, including investigations into practices and vertical and horizontal agreements, merger control, the design and implementation of compliance programs, contentious and non-contentious legal proceedings, advice on distribution, commercial policies and relations with competitors, among others. He is also active in matters related to financial regulation and regulated industries.
In dispute resolution, he has a strong track record in complex commercial and regulatory litigation and arbitration, both locally and internationally. He is an arbitrator on the panel of arbitrators of the Arbitration and Mediation Center of Santiago de Chile and a Member of the Working Groups at the Spanish and Ibero-American Arbitration Center in Madrid (CIIAM).
He holds a degree in law from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and an LLM from the University of Chicago (United States). He is a professor of Economic Law and Corporate Governance at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He is a member of the ICARE Legal Circle in Santiago.
Experience
José Manuel Bustamante has extensive experience in anti-trust matters, arbitration and litigation, as well as in compliance and corporate governance.
In the anti-trust practice area he has represented and advised clients in a wide range of industries including energy, mining, construction, infrastructure, telecommunications, retail, consumer affairs, medical supplies, supermarkets, financial services, cement, steel and foodstuffs, among others.
In connection with dispute resolution, he actively participates in national and international lawsuits and arbitrations in a wide range of areas, including commercial matters, corporate governance, energy, real estate and construction.
Before joining Garrigues as a partner, José Manuel was a partner at Barros Silva Varela & Vigil (2023-2026). He was formerly a partner at Bulnes, Urrutia & Bustamante (2011–2023) and at Urenda, Rencoret, Orrego & Dörr (2006–2011), where he was also an associate (1997–2005). He was a foreign associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton at the New York Office (2002–2003).
He is fluent in Spanish and English.
Academic background
- Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (1997).
- Admitted to practice law by the Supreme Court of Chile (1997).
- Master of Laws (LL.M.), University of Chicago (2002).
Teaching activity
- Professor of Corporate Governance, Master’s Degree in Business Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile since 2011.
- Professor of Economic Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile since 2019.
- Professor of the Postgraduate Diploma in Antitrust Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile since 2024.
- Professor of Corporate Governance, Academia Mujeres Empresarias (BOW Programa Alta Dirección) since 2023.
Memberships
- Member of the Working Groups at the Spanish and Ibero-American Arbitration Center in Madrid (CIIAM) since 2025.
- Member of the ICARE Legal Circle since 2024.
- Member of the panel of arbitrators of the Arbitration and Mediation Center of Santiago A.G. since 2014.
- Member of the Antitrust Program's Advisory Board, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile since 2015.
- Member of the Antitrust Board of the Chilean Bar Association since 2012.
- Member of the ABA Antitrust Law Section since 2023.
- On the list of international arbitrators of the National and International Arbitration Center of the Lima Chamber of Commerce, 2019-2020.
- Professor of Anti-trust Law, Universidad de Los Andes, 2005 – 2012.
- Ethics Judge, Ethics Tribunal, Chilean Bar Association from 2015 – 2023.
Distinctions
- Chambers and Partners:
Competition/Antitrust - The Legal 500:
Competition and Antitrust - Leaders League:
Competition: Antitrust; Competition: Merger Control; Arbitration; Dispute Resolution: Civil and Commercial Litigation; Compliance. - Best Lawyers
Publications
- Chile, Law and Practice, Merger Control, Chambers Global Practice Guides (2018).
- Dispute Resolution Review: Chilean Chapter, Law Business Research, Coautor (2013).
- Getting the Deal Through, Vertical Agreements: Chilean Chapter, Law Business Research, Coautor (2012).
- Cartels & Leniency, Chilean chapter, The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Cartels & Leniency published by Global Legal Group Ltd, London, Co-author (2010).
- Recent developments in Chilean antitrust law regarding regulated industries, Competition Law International, Journal of the Antitrust and Trade Law Section of the IBA (2009).
- “La resolución del Tribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia respecto del proyecto de fusión de Falabella y D&S” (The decision by the Antitrust Tribunal on the Falabella and D&S merger plan), Sentencias Destacadas: una mirada desde la perspectiva de las políticas públicas. Libertad y Desarrollo, Co-author (2008).
- Trends in Chilean Antitrust Law, The Antitrust Review of the Americas, Global Competition Review (2007).
- Competencia Desleal: Inducción al incumplimiento de contratos y ejercicio de acciones judiciales abusivas (Unfair Competition: Inducement to breach of contract and abusive exercise of legal actions), Cuadernos de Extensión Jurídica de la Universidad de Los Andes, Co-author (2007).