José Francisco Mafla
Mr. Mafla joined Brigard Urrutia in 2006 and is Partner of the firm since 2015, focusing on the Corporate/M&A, and Customs and International Trade practices. Mr. Mafla is admitted to practice law in Colombia (2001), in the state of New York (2006) and in the United States Court of International Trade (2015). He worked as foreign attorney in Harkins Cunningham LLP in New York, and in Uría Menéndez in Madrid, Spain.
He has broad expertise in commercial law, international business law, mergers and acquisitions, and customs and international trade. Mr. Mafla is also an arbitrator at the Center for Conciliation and Arbitration of the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá, and was the Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Colombian American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM Colombia). He is also a member of the Board of Directors and of the Academic Committee of Customs and Foreign Trade of the Colombian Institute of Tax Law.
Mr. Mafla is an attorney from the School of Law of Universidad de los Andes, and obtained a postgraduate degree in Business Law from Universidad Externado in Colombia. He also holds an LL.M from New York University School of Law. Aside from his legal practice, He is professor (undergraduate and postgraduate studies) of Commercial Law and International Economic and International Trade Law at Universidad Externado, Universidad de los Andes, ICESI and EAFIT in Colombia.
He is recognized as a band 2 lawyer by Chambers and Partners Latin America in International Trade / WTO and has been ranked for 13 years. He is also recognized by Legal 500 as a Leading Individual and by Who's Who Legal as Global Elite Thought Leader in the practice area of customs and international trade. For Corporate practice area, is recognized by LACCA as top private practitioner.