Medellín, capital of Colombia’s mountainous Antioquia province, is second only to Bogotá in terms of population (2.6m) and economic importance. Significantly, the region’s diverse industrial base — which encompasses its dominant textiles, electricity, food processing, and automobile industries, among others — contributes approximately 14.5% to the country’s GDP.

Alongside its traditional industries, Medellín is increasingly recognised as a tech hub for Colombia and the wider Latin America market. This is underscored by its designation as a Special District of Science, Technology, and Innovation, a status it achieved in 2021, becoming the first city in Colombia to do so. In May 2024, Google Cloud highlighted the city’s growing attraction for both start-ups and established technology companies when it launched an office in the city. Overall, according to figures published by Corporation Ruta-N, Medellín supports over 1200 tech companies.

The city’s diverse and dynamic economy is reflected in its thriving legal environment, which continues to welcome new players, with two major global brands entering the local rankings for 2025. Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas launched its Medellín office in October 2020; the pandemic initially hampered growth but it is now beginning to gain traction. Additionally, Mazars en Colombia’s local platform has markedly stepped up its activity of late.

Among the more longstanding market participants, Medellín is home to a sizeable group of mid-sized, regional firms, with Contexto Legal Abogados, Estudio Siete Legal Abogados, Suma Legal, Serrano Martínez CMA and UH Abogados all recognised as key players — many of which are also represented in Colombia’s national practice rankings.

The market is also mature enough to support several sector-focused industry specialists such as insurance boutiques Tamayo Jaramillo & Asociados and Londoño & Arango Abogados; dispute resolution firm Arrubla Devis Asociados; and public law outfit Ariza & Marin. Further, micro-boutique Alvarez Zuluaga Consultores Legales is recognised for the strong local profile of administrative and constitutional law specialist Luis Fernando Alvarez Jaramillo.

Moreover, as the recent success of Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas and Mazars en Colombia’s respective Medellín branches demonstrate, the city also provides opportunities for growth for large-scale, national heavyweights, with Gómez-Pinzón Abogados, OlarteMoure, and Posse Herrera Ruiz all based in the city.

Six-lawyer strong micro-boutique Alvarez Zuluaga Consultores Legales maintains a broad service offering, despite its compact size. Primarily recognised for its dispute resolution capability, the Medellin-based firm handles a range of administrative law, infrastructure, public law and TMT-related matters. Enjoying close relationships with both corporate and public sector clients, the practice added 11 new names to its roster during 2023/24, including Transelca and Universidad de Medellín. Founding partner Luis Fernando Álvarez Jaramillo is a former president of the Consejo del Estado and has steered the practice since its establishment in 1976; he recently represented Ovo Technologies in a patent dispute against military weapons manufacturer, Indumil, as well as the Ministry of National Defence, and the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce. The two-partner group also includes Geneva-based Luisa Fernanda Álvarez Zuluaga, whose focus takes in dispute resolution, intellectual property, and privacy and data protection.

From its Medellín headquarters, Ariza & Marin fields nationally recognised practices in projects, public law, litigation and insurance. Predominantly focused on contentious work, the group also handles infrastructure development in the roads, energy and sanitation spheres, among other areas. Firm co-founder Carolina Ariza contributes extensive expertise in public law and dispute resolution, where she represents local, national and multinational clients in contentious matters, with a focus on public project-related cases. Among Ariza’s recent highlights, she represented highway concessionaire, Desarrollo Vial al Mar, in administrative litigation concerning its alleged responsibility for a mass movement affecting local inhabitants’ homes. Fellow co-founder Camilo Marín specialises in public and private infrastructure projects and dispute resolution; he represented road consortium, Consorcio Vías del Centro, in legal proceedings related to disasters caused by heavy rainfall. The firm also benefits from the experience of senior associate Luis Felipe Estrada, who leads the insurance unit; senior counsel Tomás Cuartas Orrego, who serves as litigation co-ordinator; and administrative law-focused intermediate associate, María Paz Restrepo.

Dispute resolution stalwart Arrubla Devis Asociados houses a prominent arbitration offering, while its litigation team is considered among the leading practices in Colombia. Founded in Medellín in 1988, the firm additionally maintains a thriving Bogotá platform and — while its home city remains its official headquarters — its key partners are split between the two offices. Medellín remains the base of founding partner Jaime Alberto Arrubla Paucar, who is a former President of the Supreme Court of Justice; he acted alongside Rafael McCausland  (who is based in Bogotá) to represent Marina Park in litigation against the Colombian State concerning the illegal revocation of a maritime concession. The Medellín practice also draws on litigation head Gustavo Amaya Yepes; associate director Sebastián Montoya, who is noted for dispute resolution and corporate work; and associate director Cristina Arrubla, who handles judicial and arbitral disputes. In Bogotá Jaime Esteban Arrubla Devis is recommended for civil and administrative litigation. In April 2024, associate director Carolina Boada left to go freelance.

Medellín-based boutique B&O Abogados strikes the right note with clients for its ‘highly personalised support’. Founded in 2010, the firm handles a range of compliance and transactional matters, with a marked emphasis on corporate and tax law. Other substantive practice areas include intellectual property, foreign exchange law, and family estate planning. Firm co-founder Juan David Ocampo heads the corporate and commercial departments and handled several sizeable M&A transactions during 2023/24. Maria Mercedes Bermúdez — who co-founded the firm together with Ocampo — fronts the tax group, where she routinely advises on regulatory compliance, tax planning and transactional tax, including corporate reorganisations. In September 2023, Juan David Lalinde was elevated to the partnership; he splits his time between tax and corporate work. The team is further supported by intermediate associate Catalina Moreno, who advises on commercial law and tax matters.

Headquartered in Medellín, with an additional office in Bogotá, CMC Abogados is recognised for its focus on the aviation sector, where it counts Delta Airlines, Gol Airlines and Atlas Air among its key clients. The group is also well versed in advising companies in the technology and real estate industries, while its service offering spans corporate, labour law, tax and exchange regulations, among others. Key contacts in Medellín include Marcela Palacio Botero, who spearheads the contractual and tax law areas, and Mónica Arango Espinal, who leads the corporate, foreign exchange law and consumer rights units; together, they advised TBL Live on a significant corporate acquisition. The Medellín group also includes Camilo Trujillo Millán, who steers the labour and migration teams. Rounding out the four-partner leadership group is Bogotá-based  Alfonso Plana Boden, who specialises in aviation finance. At associate level, the firm draws on seniors Jairo Fierro Garzón (aviation, and corporate and commercial law) and Daniela Acosta Baena (litigation, data protection and consumer rights).

Founded in Medellín in 2005, Contexto Legal S.A. remains wholly-based in its home market, where it ranks among the largest single-site firms in the city. As a full-service practice, it covers the full range of regulatory, transactional and contentious matters, while it serves an equally comprehensive spread of clients from its regional platform, including multinationals such as Evonik and Ferrovial, along with local heavyweight, Grupo Argos. Managing partner Guillermo Villegas Ortega leads the corporate department and additionally handles labour and immigration law; he advises Evonik Colombia on day-to-day corporate matters. Other division heads include Andrés Márquez and recently promoted (October 2023) partner Maria Carolina Vieira, who co-lead the IP and competition teams; Federico Escobar, who steers the tax, estate planning and international groups; Melissa Echeverri, who oversees the labour and social security area; and restructuring and insolvency head, Juan Luis Escobar. Additional senior contacts are consultant partner Gustavo Cruz, and associate directors Felipe Restrepo (litigation and real estate) and Marcela García (tax, international trade and foreign investment).

Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas initially opened the doors to its Medellín office in October 2020 but — due to the pandemic — it was a subdued launch. The firm has made substantive efforts to grow its Medellín business of late, particularly looking to attract clients in the energy and natural resources, infrastructure, TMT and transport, and food and consumption sectors. Currently, it counts Puerto Antioquia, CI Conserba and Colombiana Kimberly Clark Colpapel among its local clients, while its work is concentrated in the corporate, tax, and foreign exchange areas. Of course, the Medellín team is additionally distinguished by its ability to draw on the firm’s wider national and international platform. Ernesto López is the key partner on the ground and focuses on tax and M&A; he recently represented Minera El Roble before the national tax authority (DIAN) in an administrative proceeding. Other Medellín-based contacts include projects partner Pablo Jaramillo, who splits his time between Bogotá and Medellín; and intermediate associate Pedro Santamaría, who is noted for tax work.

Established in 2006, Estudio Siete Legal Abogados has been a feature of the local market for nearly two decades. The single-site Medellín outfit maintains a wide-ranging service offering but it is chiefly focused on corporate and commercial, labour and employment, and aviation law. The mid-sized practice houses six partners, including Liliana Velásquez Escobar, who leads the firm’s signature aviation group and advises Colombian and foreign aircraft owners on financing and leasing matters. Additionally, Luis Carlos Jaramillo, Hernán Montoya Montoya Echeverri and Maria Clara Saldarriaga Bustamante are noted for labour and social security law; Juan Pablo Molina Álvarez is the key contact for tax; and Sergio Yepes Restrepo specialises in insurance disputes, including judicial and arbitral proceedings. In April 2023, Carlos Alejandro Duque Restrepo left to establish his own practice.

A one-partner micro-boutique, Giraldo Angel Asociados specialises in tax, and corporate and commercial work. From its Medellín base, the group acts for a diverse mix of family-owned businesses and national and foreign companies — including clients operating beond the wider Andino region. The firm is additionally distinguished by its alliance with accountants Concepto Contable, which equips it to provide multidisciplinary advice on tax matters. Firm founder Maria Isabel Giraldo Ángel has a focus on corporate and commercial work, including arbitration. The group also draws on several associates, including Juliana Montoya Santa, who handles tax law; Diana White, who is noted for real estate and financial services; and Melissa Jaramillo-Lopera, who supports on compliance, IP, real estate and general commercial matters. In June 2023, senior associate Carolina Villa left for an in-house role at Savia Salud Eps.

Gómez-Pinzón Abogados’ Medellín branch may be staffed more leanly than its Bogotá headquarters but it maintains the wider firm’s multidisciplinary practice portfolio. With a ten-lawyer team on the ground locally — including one partner — the firm is well positioned to handle a wide scope of transactional, regulatory and contentious work, with a focus on the manufacturing, financial services, energy, infrastructure and real estate industries. Office head Adriana Moreno Márquez possesses a broad practice, which encompasses banking and finance, corporate transactions, infrastructure projects and compliance; she recently acted in tandem with the Bogotá office to advise Atlas Renewable and Isagen on an investment agreement. The Medellín team also draws on a capable band of associates, including senior Catalina Arango, who is a key contact for intellectual property; and junior Manuel Londoño, who supports on infrastructure and administrative law. The group can additionally leverage resources from the wider national firm for support in large-scale matters.

Heavily weighted towards contentious work, Londoño & Arango Abogados is a Medellín-based dispute resolution and insurance boutique with a reputation that extends beyond its home market. Traditionally recognised for its prominent insurance practice, the firm is increasingly involved in non-insurance disputes, which earned it a first-time inclusion as a firm to watch in the national litigation table during 2023/24. Co-founding partner Daniel Arango is ranked nationally for the strength of his insurance practice, where he handles dispute resolution and advisory work; he recently represented insurer Suramericana in a claim concerning a fire incident at the Playas hydroelectric power plant. Co-founding partner Maximiliano Londoño also specialises in insurance law, with extensive experience in cross-border issues. The nine-lawyer team also draws on insurance partner Agustín Londoño, as well as senior associates Cristina Aristizabal Johnson (civil liability, insurance, dispute resolution and legaltech) and Mauricio Moreno (civil liability, insurance and dispute resolution).

A growing force in Colombian tax law, Mazars en Colombia’s Medellín platform forms a key part of the global tax law and accountancy firm’s four-office national network. The Medellín team acts for an impressive roster of local clients, across a wide spectrum of industries, with representative names including Groupe SEB, ABA Tech and new client, Monticello Citrus. National department co-heads Andres Cortes Hernandez and Juan Esteban Sanin operate from all offices to varying degrees, but Sanin — as the lawyer in charge of the Antioquia region — is the key contact for Medellín. Among his recent matters, Sanin acted as monitoring agent to Avianca regarding its integration process with Viva Air. Other key names on the ground include senior manager Gina Marcela Ortiz, who is both a lawyer and a qualified public accountant; and senior manager Angela Patricia Hoyos.

Characterised by its ‘dynamism and the generation of innovative proposals’, the Medellín branch of IP powerhouse OlarteMoure has established itself as a key ally to local companies, particularly in the IP and technology areas. Few firms — either local or national — can rival its client roster, with the team acting for most of the most high-profile corporations headquartered in Medellín, including Grupo Nutresa, Cementos Argos and Suramericana. It also routinely represents business entities based outside of the region. María Clara Múnera manages the Medellín office and is recommended for her focus on patents, trade marks and copyrights; while she also contributes significant experience in corporate and contract law. Múnera acts as part of the cross-office team that provides ongoing advice Nutresa Group on global portfolio management. Also noted is litigation head Juan Felipe Acosta, who splits his time between Medellín and Bogotá; and Camilo Bernal, who serves as co-ordinator of the anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting department.

Posse Herrera Ruiz houses a thriving Medellín platform that — with 13 dedicated lawyers — stands as one the largest local offerings among the country’s national, full-service firms. With on-site lawyers providing support on a mix of corporate, projects, international trade, dispute resolution, IP, labour, and banking and finance matters, the group additionally stands out for its ability to team up with specialists from across its national offices. Key longstanding local clients include Nutresa, UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones and Consorcio CCC Ituango, while it also serves multinational clients from its Medellín hub. Infrastructure specialist Cristina Vásquez heads the Medellín practice and is acting as part of the cross-office team advising Odinsa on its negotiations with Macquarie Asset Management to create a platform for highway assets. The team also draws on dispute resolution expert Carolina Posada and international trade and tax partner Juan Camilo De Bedout — both of whom operate from Bogotá and Medellín. Other key contacts include customs and international trade director María Paula Sánchez and fintech and funds head Julián Aguirre, who was promoted to director in May 2023. Former associate Natalia Tobón left to go freelance in February 2024.

A new local force was created in October 2023, following the merger between Medellín’s Correa Merino Agudelo Abogados and Bogota-based corporate and competition boutique Serrano Martínez to form Serrano Martínez CMA. The combination of two entities with strong footholds in their respective local markets establishes a firm with strong national credentials and an improved capacity for large-scale matters, particularly in the corporate and M&A area, where both legacy practices had sizeable teams. It also maintains nationally recognised offerings in competition — where it ranks highly among Colombia’s leading firms — labour and employment, and real estate. Key names in Medellín include corporate and M&A co-head Camilo Merino, who recently acted as local counsel to the sole shareholder and founder of Endrock, and its subsidiary in Colombia, on the $17.1m sale of Endrock to Power Digital Marketing. Other recommended names operating from Medellín include real estate and litigation head Juan Esteban Agudelo, who is advising Almacenes Éxito on the expansion of the Centro Comercial Puerta del Norte shopping mall; labour and employment co-head Darío Ramírez; tax co-head Sebastián Correa Ruíz; associate director Sebastián Morales Agudelo (corporate and compliance); and senior associate Dayana Parra (labour and employment).

Business law-focused Suma Legal is a 19-lawyer strong boutique that acts as a ‘strategic ally to its partners’. Established in 2006, the firm is noted for its focus on insurance matters, where its ‘very good knowledge of the health area’ attracts praise from clients. Other significant areas of work include corporate and M&A, tax and trusts, labour and employment, real estate and dispute resolution. Founding partner Mauricio Ortega Jaramillo maintains a broad practice and brings three decades of experience in corporate and commercial law, dispute resolution and investment transactions to the table; he has recently undertaken work for Fundación Proantioquia, Universidad EAFIT and Avanto Tech. Other senior contacts include Carmela Rodriguez Jaramillo, who specialises in corporate, M&A, foreign investment and tax matters; and Mateo Peláez García, who heads the dispute resolution, insurance and real estate groups. The firm also draws on a deep bench of associates, including seniors Marcela Flórez Sierra (corporate, contractual and tax law), and José Daniel Porras (private, public and contractual law); and lawyer co-ordinator Alejandro Gómez Zapata (dispute resolution, real estate and trust law).

According to some, insurance and dispute resolution boutique Tamayo Jaramillo & Asociados fields ‘the best offering in terms of insurance law’. Founded in Medellín in 1980, the firm additionally leverages a well-staffed Bogotá platform and is nationally regarded as a destination practice for contentious insurance work. The team enjoys close links with local insurance heavyweight Suramericana, while it also acts for major multinational insurers and reinsurers from its Medellín headquarters, including HDI Seguros and Chubb Seguros Colombia. Founding partner Javier Tamayo Jaramillo is considered by many as a reference in the market for insurance law and recently represented Inversiones Techcolombia in a dispute against its insurer, Seguros Bolívar. Other recommended names include Carlos Andres Gonzales Galvís, who has a focus on complex insurance litigation; next-generation insurance specialists Laura Castaño Echeverri and Daniel Ossa Gómez; dispute resolution partner Luis Miguel Gómez; and Margarita Rosa Jaramillo, who handles fiscal liability and insurance. Rising star associate, Daniel Bedoya, is also noted.

Medellín-based UH Abogados ‘differs from other firms in putting the business and the company as a total priority’, according to clients. Founded in 2015, the three-partner practice has risen to become a force in both the local and national spheres, particularly for its robust showings in corporate and real estate law. It also brings to bear experience in the compliance, dispute resolution, insurance, IP, labour and tax areas, among others. Co-founding partners Carolina Uribe and Carlos Henao jointly lead the firm’s signature real estate and corporate teams. Among their recent matters, Uribe advised Crearcimientos Propiedad Raíz on the development of real estate projects in El Retiro and Medellín, while Henao advised Grupo Bios on its acquisition of shares in CI Antillana. On the contentious side, dispute resolution head Juan Bernardo Tascón handles judicial and arbitral proceedings, with a focus on civil liability, insurance and tax. A talented group of non-partners includes Daniela Vélez, who was promoted to associate director of the corporate and M&A practice in November 2023; senior associate Maria Adelaida Zapata, who is recommended for real estate law; associate Óscar Fernando Jiménez, who focuses on litigation; and associate Maria Clara Palacio, who supports on corporate work.