Alfonso Silva
Partnerasilva@carey.cl
+56 2 2928 2232
Partner and head of Carey’s Corporate / TMT (Telecoms, Media & Technology) Group. His practice focuses on corporate and business law, financing, mergers and acquisitions and, specially, on all the regulatory and transactional aspects related to the telecommunications, media and technology industry, including the Telecom law and other regulations, concessions, licenses and permits, and state contracts. Mr. Silva has been appointed representative and/or board member of several multinational companies operating in Chile, including banks.
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
- WOM, the second largest mobile telecommunications provider in Chile, and several of its related entities in Chile, Norway and Luxemburg, on its voluntary reorganization proceeding under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, filed in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, which included the negotiation and execution of a senior secured debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, for up to USD210 million, granted by JPMorgan Chase Bank.
- Enel on the reorganization of its companies held in Chile, including the merger of Enel Green Power Latin America, Chilean subsidiary of renewable energy, into Enel Chile, Chilean subsidiary holding conventional energy assets, together with a tender offer of the latter over Enel Generación Chile.
- Endesa Chile on the sale of its 20% stake in GNL Quintero to Enagás Chile, for USD197 million.
- WOM on all the corporate, regulatory and antitrust aspects related to its mobile telephone and data transmission operations in Chile.
- BT Group (British Telecoms) on day-to-day and regulatory aspects related to its activities in Chile, including electronic signature queries, applications for telecoms concessions and amendments of the same, analysis of contracts for the provision of several services, advice on legal interception and data retention matters.
- WOM on all the aspects related to its administrative challenge of the technical rule issued by the Undersecretary of Telecommunications (Subtel) in connection with the frequency band requirements to be fulfilled by all handsets to be commercialized in Chile, its certification process and publicity requirements.
- Motorola Mobility on the process of certification of several handset models to be operated and commercialized in Chile.
- Renxo on the regulatory aspects related to the operation of its mobile online gaming and complementary services in Chile.
- Nextel Chile on corporate, commercial, financial and regulatory aspects of its 3G telecom project in Chile. Additionally, on all the aspects related to the telecom antennas law (Ley que Regula la Instalación de Antenas Emisoras y Transmisoras de Servicios de Telecomunicaciones).
- Motorola Solutions Chile in connection with the Chilean Government's project to create a national emergency communications network capable of operating in catastrophic or emergency conditions. This project has been considered of high priority for the Chilean national interest due to the consequences of the 2010 earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.
- Enersis, the main business unit in Latin America of Spanish company Endesa, the largest electric power company in the world, on a USD6 billion capital increase, the largest ever in Chile.
- Aegis Media on the acquisition of a majority stake in Triángulo Publicitario.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- Recognized in TMT (Technology, Media, Telecoms), Chambers Latin America.
- Recognized in TMT, Legal 500.
- Recognized in Telecoms and Media, Data, Technology and Privacy Law, and Sports and Entertainment, Latin Lawyer 250.
- Recognized in M&A, IFLR1000.
- Recognized in Data - Information Technology and Telecoms & Media, Lexology Index.
- Recognized in Communications, Corporate and M&A, Investment, Media and Technology, Best Lawyers.
- Recognized in Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications, and Intellectual Property - Technology and Digital Services, Leaders League.
- Recognized in TMT, Top Ranked Legal.
- Named Lawyer of the Year in Communications, Best Lawyers (2019).
- Recognized as Best Individual Lawyer in Telecommunications in Chile, Client Choice (2017).
ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS
- Past Co-chair and current member of the Advisory Board, Communications Law Committee, International Bar Association.
- Member of the Legal Committee of the Chilean British Chamber of Commerce.
- Director of the Chilean Direct Selling Association (2021-2023).
- Member of the Chilean Bar Association (since 1988) and member of its Ethics Committee (2009).
- Member of the Cambridge Society of Chile (since 1993) and director of the same (2009-2016).
- Visiting professor of the Master of Informatics and Telecommunications Law, Universidad de Chile (2005, 2007 and 2009).
- Assistant professor of Administrative Law, Universidad de Chile (1985).
PUBLICATIONS
- Co-author of the article "The implicancies and pending challenges of recent cibersecurity regulations in Chile", IBA (2023).
- Co-author of the article "Considerations regarding the potential refarming process for the 3.5 GHz band in Chile", IBA (2022).
- Author of the Chilean chapter about Telecoms and Media, Getting the Deal Through (2000-2019).
- Co-author of the article "The Potential Impact of Blockchain and Smart Contracts in the Chilean Telecommunications Market", Communications Law Newsletter, International Bar Association (2018).
- Co-author of the article "Analysis of the New Chilean Telecoms Regulation on Multiband Homologation and Certification of Mobile Devices", Communications Law Newsletter, International Bar Association (2017).
- Co-author of the article "International Roaming: Should it be regulated by NRAs and its cost reduced?, Communications Law Newsletter, International Bar Association (2016).
- Author of the article "New Communications Antenna Law in Chile", Communications Law Newsletter, International Bar Association (2013).
- Co-author of the article "The New Telecoms Antenna Law", Chilean Legal Report, Chilean-British Chamber of Commerce (2012).
- Co-author of the article "Amendments to Telecommunications Law in Chile", Chilean Legal Report, Chilean-British Chamber of Commerce (2011).
SEMINARS
- Active participant in the IBA Telecom conferences.
EDUCATION
- Law, Universidad de Chile.
- LL.M., University of Cambridge (British Council Scholarship - 1993).
ADMISSIONS
- Chile (1988).
LANGUAGES
- Spanish.
- English.
