Felipe leads the Public Law practice at Barros Silva Varela & Vigil, where he has focused his practice on strategic advice on environmental assessment of investment projects, administrative regulation, sanctioning procedures and administrative litigation. He also provides reports on highly complex law, presentations before State institutions such as the Comptroller General of the Republic, Courts and Congress, among others.
He has a distinguished career in the public sector, having held senior positions in key institutions such as the Undersecretariat of the Environment, the Superintendence of the Environment, the Environmental Assessment Service and the Third Environmental Court of Valdivia. His experience gives him a deep knowledge of the current regulation and litigation dynamics of his practice area.
Felipe has been highlighted by Chambers and Partners for his practice in the environmental area since 2024.
PRACTICE AREAS
Public Law.
Environmental Law.
Regulatory Law.
Urban Law.
Administrative Litigation.
EDUCATION
Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2005.
Degree in Sanctionatory Law, Universidad de Valladolid, 2014.
Master in Constitutional Procedure Law, Universidad de Talca, 2022.
ADMISSIONS
Chile, 2009.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Partner, Barros Silva Varela & Vigil, 2020.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Environment of Chile, 2018 - 2020.
Attorney court clerk of the Third Environmental Court, 2015 - 2018.
Legal Advisor, Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente, 2012 - 2013.
Director Regional Región de la Araucanía, Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental, 2010 - 2011.
ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS
As part of his responsibilities as a public authority, Felipe has actively participated in the Council of Ministers for Sustainability, the Board of Directors of Corfo's Agency for Sustainability and Climate Change, the National Commission for the Use of the Coastal Border, the Interministerial Committee for City, Housing and Territory (COMICIVYT) and the National Water Board (MOP), among others.
Member of the Chilean Association of Administrative Law (ADAD).
Titular Counselor of the Board of Directors of the Innova Chile Committee of the Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (CORFO), since 2020.
President of the Geothermal Council of Chile, 2020 - 2021.
Member of Chilean Association of Environmental Law, since 2020.
Public Policy Advisor, of the Think Tank Libertad y Desarrollo, since 2020.
Chilean Bar Association.
LANGUAGES
Spanish and english.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Chambers and Partners, Environment – Banda 4.
The Legal 500, Public Law – Next Generation Partners.
Leaders League, Administrative Litigation.
Leaders League, Dispute Resolution: Environmental Law.
PUBLICATIONS
"El carácter integrador de la legislación y de los instrumentos de gestión ambiental y la competencia exclusiva y excluyente de la Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente para la fiscalización, seguimiento y sanción de los instrumentos de gestión ambiental establecidos en el artículo 2° de la Ley Orgánica de la Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente", together with Leslie Cannoni and Cristóbal Osorio. Revista de Derecho Ambiental N°5, Centro de Derecho Ambiental, Universidad de Chile Law School, Santiago, 2015, pp. 115 - 151.
"La Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente y el procedimiento administrativo sancionador ambiental. Principios del procedimiento y los incentivos al cumplimiento ambiental", in "Gestión del cumplimiento ambiental" (Collective work), RIL Editores, Colección Estudios Urbanos UC, Santiago, 2021, pp. 459 - 496.
"Algunas ideas sobre la participación ciudadana en el proyecto de ley marco de cambio climático", Revista de Derecho Aplicado LLM UC N°7, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, 2021.
