Juan Pablo Suffiotti – Echeverria Izquierdo SA

Juan Pablo Suffiotti, Legal Director at Echeverría Izquierdo, leads one of Chile’s largest and most influential construction companies. He navigates the complexities of evolving legal frameworks while driving innovation in his department. With over two decades of legal experience, Suffiotti has played a key role in shaping the company’s legal strategy, ensuring compliance in a rapidly changing regulatory landscape, and fostering the next generation of legal professionals.

Juan Pablo Suffiotti | Echeverria Izquierdo SA | Legal Director

Echeverría Izquierdo, founded in 1978, has established itself as a leader in developing infrastructure and construction projects throughout Latin America. The company is listed on the Santiago Stock Exchange and operates across a diverse portfolio, including civil works, industrial installations, and building solutions. The organization’s continued growth and status as a publicly traded entity bring significant legal challenges requiring strong leadership and a forward-thinking approach.

According to Suffiotti, one of the most pressing challenges for Echeverría Izquierdo is adapting to Chile’s ever-evolving regulatory framework.

“As with any company of our size, one of the main challenges we face daily is coping with myriad changes that the Chilean regulatory framework has undergone over the recent years,” Suffiotti says.

The year 2024 proved particularly challenging, as several new laws were enacted that significantly impacted compliance frameworks for publicly traded companies like Echeverría Izquierdo. One such regulation was the Economic Crimes Law, which expanded the scope of criminal liability for legal entities.

“These changes led us to update our corporate policies, procedures, and internal controls to meet the challenges imposed by the new laws,” Suffiotti explains.

In addition to corporate compliance, Suffiotti highlights the significant impact of recent labor law reforms. The new 40-hour workweek law, which reduced the standard working week from 45 to 40 hours, required companies to adapt their operations to ensure compliance. The Karin Law, aimed at preventing and punishing workplace harassment and violence, also introduced new obligations for companies.

Harnessing the power of the law

Despite these regulatory challenges, Suffiotti spearheads innovation within the legal department by leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline legal processes and improve efficiency.

“In 2024, we focused on modernizing and optimizing the work setup of the Corporate Legal Management team by implementing the first AI pilot within the group,” he shares.

The AI project aims to digitize legal documents such as contracts, tenders, and other critical files, allowing for smarter and faster legal searches within the company’s database. This tool will improve traceability and accuracy and significantly reduce the time spent on routine tasks.

“Tasks that previously could take hours can now be completed in minutes,” Suffiotti notes.

Moreover, the AI tool can generate customized contract templates, such as service agreements and supply contracts. These templates are automatically populated with specific data to reduce the risk of errors. This approach frees up valuable time for lawyers to focus on more complex legal analysis and strategy.

“This will certainly increase our productivity and enhance the quality of our processes,” he adds.

Recruitment and retention are ongoing challenges for Echeverría Izquierdo’s legal department, which currently consists of seven lawyers.

“In a highly competitive market, we strive not only to create the necessary incentives to attract talent but also to provide adequate opportunities for development to retain our team members,” Suffiotti says.

The company’s rigorous recruitment process involves collaboration with human resources experts. Its goal is to ensure that candidates possess both the technical legal skills and the soft skills necessary to thrive in a dynamic work environment.

“We’re looking for individuals who can handle the fast-paced and demanding nature of working in a large corporation. I believe that our legal team, composed of attorneys Jorge Jorquera, Tammy Torres, Javiera Vega, Bernardo Madrid, Miriam Pradines, Angelica Godoy and Lorena Morad, has perfectly met the profile to take on the challenges we have set for ourselves as a legal department,” he explains.

When asked about the most challenging aspects of his role, Suffiotti cites negotiations and dispute resolution as the most challenging and most rewarding parts of his work.

“In particular, dealing with collective bargaining processes with workers’ unions, negotiating infrastructure contracts, and leading the company’s defense in high-complexity litigation cases are some of the most demanding tasks,” he says.

These complex negotiations require a deep understanding of the law, as well as strong communication and leadership skills. The goal is to achieve favorable outcomes for the company while maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders.

A passion for teaching and the law

Beyond his role at Echeverría Izquierdo, Suffiotti is passionate about teaching. For the past four years, he has been a lecturer in postgraduate courses at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad del Desarrollo, where he focuses on Construction Law.

“Teaching young students is a good challenge for lawyers as it requires explaining complex topics with simplicity,” Suffiotti says.

His approach is practical and pragmatic. Its goal is to equip students with the tools they need to navigate the legal challenges of the construction industry.

Suffiotti’s interest in law stems from his appreciation for the critical thinking, analytical ability, and logical reasoning that legal training fosters.

“From the beginning of my career, it was always part of my plan to work as an in-house lawyer and, over time, to lead a legal management team,” he shares.

He graduated from Diego Portales University with a law degree. He then earned a master’s in international and comparative contracting from the American University Washington College of Law and a graduate certificate in international contracts and business law.

Suffiotti’s journey from law school to leading the legal department of one of Chile’s largest construction companies is a testament to his dedication and strategic vision.

Suffiotti’s most significant milestone was starting the corporate legal management team at Echeverría Izquierdo from scratch.

“Defining roles and job profiles for each lawyer on the team based on the business needs was a significant challenge,” he recalls.
In addition to managing the department’s annual budget, Suffiotti plays an active role in the company’s strategic decision-making processes, ensuring that legal considerations are at the forefront of business operations.

Balancing work and family

Suffiotti is not only a dedicated professional but also a family man.

“I am married to Anita (my wife) and have four children (Vicente, Martina, Facundo and Rafaela),” he says proudly.

Balancing a demanding career with family life requires careful time management and a commitment to maintaining personal and professional responsibilities.

As Echeverría Izquierdo enters 2025, Suffiotti is focused on further integrating AI into the legal department’s processes, improving compliance frameworks, and adapting to new regulations. His leadership and innovative approach are key to ensuring the company remains compliant, efficient, and prepared for future challenges.

Under Suffiotti’s guidance, Echeverría Izquierdo’s legal department is well-positioned to navigate the complexities of Chile’s regulatory landscape while driving innovation and efficiency in the legal profession.