Insight

2023's Best Lawyers in Colombia™

Celebrating standout legal talent in Colombia, with nearly 500 lawyers recognized and top firms honored for excellence in 2023.

Written by Best Lawyers

Published: November 9, 2022

The Best Lawyers in Colombia™ Awards

For 2023, The Best Lawyers in Colombia™ is publishing its 13th edition. These awards include 492 honorees in 46 individual practice areas.

This year, we are also proud to recognize 24 “Lawyer of the Year” awards. "Lawyer of the Year" honors are awarded annually to only one lawyer per practice area in each region with extremely high overall feedback from their peers, making it an exceptional distinction.

Of the unique practice areas in which lawyers were awarded in Colombia, these are the top ten with the most honorees: Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions, Labor and Employment Law, Litigation, Tax Law, Arbitration and Mediation, Banking and Finance Law, Intellectual Property Law, Administrative Law, Project Finance and Development Practice and Natural Resources Law.

Those in Colombia seeking legal guidance turned to www.bestlawyers.com to find lawyers in several practice areas. The top ten most searched practice areas were: Litigation, Competition / Antitrust Law, Tax Law, Immigration Law, Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Labor and Employment Law, Intellectual Property Law, Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law and Arbitration and Mediation.

A Brief History of Best Lawyers

For more than four decades, Best Lawyers has used our Purely Pure Review™ process to award the top legal talent in several countries. We are proud to be in 22 markets worldwide now, and as we usher in 2023, we are excited to publish this year’s awards for The Best Lawyers in Colombia.

“Law Firm of the Year” Awards

For 2023, Colombia also celebrates 10 “Law Firm of the Year” awards, which recognize a single top firm for its work in a specific legal practice area nationwide. Awards are determined based on a handful of factors including lawyer feedback, the number of lawyers included in Best Lawyers for that firm and practice area, the number of office locations a firm has, historical analysis of the firm’s “Lawyer of the Year” awards, materials submitted by firms, and the firm’s overall scope and areas of expertise.

The 2023 “Law Firm of the Year” recipients in Colombia are:

Álvarez Liévano Laserna
Labor and Employment Law

Brigard Urrutia
Project Finance and Development Practice

Esguerra Asesores Jurídicos
Arbitration and Mediation

Godoy & Hoyos Abogados
Tax Law

Gómez-Pinzón
Banking and Finance Law

OlarteMoure & Asociados
Intellectual Property Law

Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uría
Natural Resources Law

Pinilla, González & Prieto Abogados
Real Estate Law

Posse Herrera Ruiz
Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Litigation

Showcasing Your Award

Best Lawyers offers several options to showcase awards through impactful marketing.

Please contact sales@bestlawyers.com to learn more about how you can highlight individual lawyer and firm awards through your website, social media channels, Best Lawyers Profile Suite packages and commemorative items.

Explore the Find a Lawyer in Colombia page to connect with leading local lawyers, and use the global Find a Lawyer directory to discover top legal talent around the world.

Headline Image: iStock/ronniechua

Learn More About:

Colombia

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Lawyers in Columbus, Ohio

Thomas M. Metzger

Littler

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Employment Law - Management

Labor Law - Management

Recognized since 2013 in

Thomas M. Metzger

Tom Metzger is a nationally recognized employment law advisor, litigator, and trainer. With a career spanning over 20 years, he has developed expertise representing employers and executives in connection with covenants-not-to-compete, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulatory and litigation matters, discrimination and retaliation claims, contract disputes, and related workplace matters. Tom represents employers and executi...

 
Thomas M. Metzger
  Website    Email    Address

Scott N. Friedman

Friedman & Mirman Co. LPA

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Family Law

Recognized since 2015 in

Scott N. Friedman

Scott Friedman is an OSBA Board Certified Specialist in Family Relations Law. Mr. Friedman is also licensed to practice law in the State of Florida. Mr. Friedman was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and attended The Columbus Academy. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Miami University and his Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School, where he was honored with the Order of the Curia. Scott served as President Chair of the American Bar Association Family Law Section for 2013-2014 ...

Scott N. Friedman

Stephen E. Chappelear

Eastman & Smith LTD

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation

Litigation - Construction

Litigation - Intellectual Property

Specific Focus

Business Disputes

Recognized since 1995 in

Stephen E. Chappelear

Steve focuses his practice in the areas of business and complex litigation, construction law, patent and trademark litigation, employment litigation, probate litigation, dispute resolution and appeals. He has 43 years of experience in more than 60 trials (both jury and non-jury). Among his accomplishments, Steve was listed in the 2004-21 editions of "Ohio Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics magazine; in 2009 and 2017, Steve earned the distinction of being listed one of the Top 100 Super Lawy...

 
Stephen E. Chappelear
  Website    Email    Address    Phone Number

Matthew J.P. Coffman

Coffman Legal LLC

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Employment Law - Individuals

Litigation - Labor and Employment

Specific Focus

Labor and Employment

Recognized since 2023 in

Matthew J.P. Coffman

Employment Attorney Matthew J.P. Coffman is thankful for his recognition as one of the Best Lawyers in America. When Matthew opened his employment law firm Coffman Legal, LLC in 2012, he was armed with a passion for helping employees and a desire to zealously pursue and vindicate the rights of his clients. A decade later, Matthew has established an employment law firm with several experienced employment attorneys who have successfully obtained millions of dollars of unpaid wages, overtime, lo...

 
Matthew J.P. Coffman
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Daniel Bryant

Bryant Legal LLC

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Litigation - Labor and Employment

Recognized since 2024 in

Daniel Bryant

Daniel Bryant is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Daniel, who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Daniel is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Daniel Bryant

Jack C. Butler

Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Banking and Finance Law

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Tax Law

Recognized since 2025 in

Jack C. Butler

Jack Butler is a Partner at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP, and he concentrates on business matters and tax law. He focuses on company representation (corporate, LLC, and joint venture), including establishment, venture structuring, business relationship agreements, governance, and ongoing services; M&A transactions; debt and equity financings; captive insurance companies; business advisory; transaction planning and structuring; syndications; business succession planning; tax planning; ...

Jack C. Butler

David A. Kadela

Littler

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Employment Law - Management

Labor Law - Management

Recognized since 2013 in

David A. Kadela

Represent management in all aspects of employment and labor law, with extensive experience: litigating employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, wage and hour, and benefits cases; handling union representation and unfair labor practice cases; negotiating collective bargaining agreements; arbitrating grievances; managing election campaigns; and counseling management on preventive labor relations measures and the formulation and administration of human resources policies and procedures.

 
David A. Kadela
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J. Troy Terakedis

Dickinson Wright PLLC

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Corporate Law

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law

Specific Focus

Partnership

Recognized since 2009 in

J. Troy Terakedis

Troy Terakedis counsels clients on federal income tax matters and in the structuring and formation of venture capital, leveraged buyout and other private equity funds, as well as other business entities. He also advises on partnership, limited liability company and general corporate law. In addition, Troy works with closely-held businesses, their owners, and other high-net worth individuals and executives, advising them on federal income tax, corporate succession, estate and gift tax and asse...

 
J. Troy Terakedis
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Mark A. Shaw

Eastman & Smith LTD

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Litigation - Labor and Employment

Workers' Compensation Law - Employers

Recognized since 2019 in

Mark A. Shaw

Mark A. Shaw represents employers in workers' compensation, litigation and employment matters. He has represented both private and public sector employers before state courts and at all administrative levels before the Industrial Commission. He is a frequent speaker and guest lecturer at seminars regarding workers' compensation and employment law topics. Mr. Shaw is a member of Eastman & Smith, practicing in the Firm's Columbus, Ohio, office, and is listed in Best Lawyers in America®....

Mark A. Shaw

Kevin E. Griffith

Littler

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Employment Law - Management

Labor Law - Management

Litigation - Labor and Employment

Specific Focus

Arbitration and Mediation

Recognized since 2008 in

Kevin E. Griffith

Kevin E. Griffith practices primarily in the areas of business competition litigation and employment litigation. He has extensive litigation experience in cases involving corporate raiding and interference with contract claims, and enforcing and defending employment contracts, trade secrets and covenants-not-to-compete. He has defended hundreds of employment discrimination and wrongful termination cases, including several seminal cases before the Ohio Supreme Court. In addition, Kevin counsel...

Kevin E. Griffith

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