Ecija is giving a new boost to its growth strategy in Peru with a series of additions, team integrations and promotions that significantly strengthen the capabilities of its Lima office in some of the most relevant areas for the business market.
The key milestone of this move is the integration of Vidal & Cía., a firm specializing in labor law led by Michael Vidal, who joins Ecija as a partner along with his team. This acquisition represents a significant leap forward for the firm’s Labor and Labor Litigation practice in Peru, both due to the addition of new capabilities and Vidal’s established track record and position in the Peruvian market.
With over 25 years of experience, Michael Vidal is a leading professional in Labor and Labor Procedural Law in Peru, boasting extensive experience in consulting, litigation, collective bargaining, and labor dispute management. He has held leadership positions at firms such as Estudio Echecopar, EY, and Hernández & Cía., and has also led Vidal & Cía. His career has been recognized by international legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, and Leaders League. Michael also has a distinguished academic career as a university professor and Past President of the Peruvian Institute of Labor Law and Social Security.
The strengthening of this practice is completed with the promotion of Martha Girón to partner and Alexandra Ortiz to director of the Labor area, reinforcing the team’s leadership structure and consolidating one of the strategic areas for Ecija’s growth in the country.
In parallel, Ecija is significantly strengthening its tax practice with the addition of Gabriela Saavedra as Tax Director, along with her team. With over 15 years of experience, Saavedra joins from Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados, where she served as a partner in the Tax area and led advisory services to a broad portfolio of clients across various economic sectors.
Her experience encompasses tax consulting, tax planning, corporate reorganizations, tax audits before the Peruvian Tax Authority (SUNAT), contentious and non-contentious proceedings, tax due diligence, and litigation before the Tax Court and the Judiciary. Gabriela is a lawyer from the National University of San Marcos and has specialized training in International Taxation and Transfer Pricing, Digital Taxation, Financial Statement Analysis, and International Tax Law.
The firm has also added Eduardo Linares as Director of Compliance and Gaming, formerly of Ontier, along with a lawyer from his team. Their addition strengthens the firm’s capabilities in regulatory compliance, data protection, legal and regulatory risk management, and specialized advice in the gaming sector.
These moves are complemented by the addition of three new associate lawyers to the Labor, Corporate and TMT teams, expanding the response capacity of an office that continues to grow both in the number of professionals and in specialization.
Eduardo Benavides, managing partner of Ecija Peru, stated that “we are taking a very important step in our strategy for Peru. The integration of Michael Vidal and his team, the addition of a professional of Gabriela Saavedra’s caliber, and the strengthening of areas such as Compliance, Gaming, Corporate, and TMT all reflect the same vision: to build an increasingly solid and specialized firm capable of supporting our clients in all their business challenges.”
“This growth combines the addition of top-tier talent with the promotion of our own professionals. It is a long-term commitment to the Peruvian market and to further consolidating Ecija as one of the leading legal platforms in the region,” added Benavides.
These new hires are part of Ecija’s expansion strategy in Peru, where the firm currently has 10 partners and 28 lawyers. This growth consolidates an increasingly robust and multidisciplinary structure, capable of offering comprehensive advice to national and international companies on their main business challenges.
With this new impetus, Ecija continues to strengthen its presence in Latin America and deepen its commitment to a model based on specialization, sector knowledge, innovation and the ability to support its clients in increasingly complex operations and challenges.
