DLA Piper announced today that Nicolás Polanía Tello has joined DLA Piper Martinez Beltran in Colombia as a partner in the Restructuring and Insolvency practice, and Maria Claudia, previously of counsel, has been promoted to partner.

Polanía Tello brings more than 10 years of experience as a litigator, adviser and consultant in corporate law, insolvency and torts. He currently serves as Arbitrator of the Medellin Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Center, and from 2015 to 2018, he was a bankruptcy judge serving as Deputy Superintendent for Insolvency Procedures at the Superintendence of Companies of Colombia.

In his practice, Polanía Tello finds innovative and efficient solutions for clients, enhancing the value of companies in insolvency via corporative adjustments, out-of-court negotiations, and in-court reorganization and liquidation proceedings. He represents companies in distress, managers, creditors, lenders, and investors.

He is also a professor at several law schools in Colombia and a recognized international speaker on matters related to corporate law and insolvency. He received his law degree and his L.M. in torts from Externado University in Colombia.

""Nicolás brings broad and valuable experience handling corporate and insolvency matters that will directly benefit our clients,"" said Camilo Martinez, managing partner of DLA Piper Martinez Beltran. ""We are thrilled to welcome him to the firm and know that this addition will strengthen our capabilities and our service offerings in Colombia and throughout the region.""

María Claudia has been promoted to partner director of the areas of competition law, consumer and data protection. As a lawyer and economist, she has extensive experience in representing large companies and their directors in administrative investigations before the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce, Colombia's consumer, competition and data protection authority, as well as in obtaining merger control clearances before this same entity.

She has a strong record of success in advising companies in competition class actions initiated as a result of sanctions imposed by the Superintendency, as well as challenging the sanctions before the courts. Additionally, she has advised companies in unfair competition and consumer protection conflict resolution.

María Claudia leads the firm's Compliance practice, advising on best practices and helping companies comply with anti-money laundering, competition, data protection, terrorism financing, corporate governance and anti-bribery regulations. She applies her knowledge as an economist to better advise clients on their legal and business matters.

María Claudia began her professional career in 2009 at the firm Martínez Beltrán Abogados, where she focused on corporate matters. She then joined the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce, first as a member of the competition research team and then as an advisor on competition matters to the director of the entity. Later, she returned to DLA Piper Martínez Beltrán to consolidate the firm's competition, consumer and data privacy practices.

She is also an undergraduate and postgraduate professor at renowned Colombian universities and a member of several boards of directors.