Introducing Carla
Carla López is Practice Lead – Chile and Senior Corporate Lawyer at Harris Gomez Group. As part of her role at Harris Gomez Group, a distinguished multidisciplinary firm specialising in cross-border transactions between common law countries and Latin America, Carla has consistently demonstrated an impressive ability to navigate the complexities of cross-border transactions, offering invaluable counsel to companies operating at the intersection of common law countries and Latin America.
Background and education
Carla’s journey as a lawyer commenced in 2013, and she quickly ascended through the ranks to become a highly-respected authority in her field. In her time as a lawyer, she has worked to provide balanced counsel to companies on an array of corporate matters, including project finance, infrastructure development, market regulation, and antitrust. Her profound expertise encompasses the entire spectrum of business transactions, corporate compliance, and investment development.
Education has always been a cornerstone of Carla’s foundation and success. Carla holds LL.M. degrees from the esteemed New York University School of Law and Universidad de Chile. Carla is a member of the New York State Bar Association since June 2020. She has also completed diplomas in market regulation from the prestigious Universidad de Chile, and economic analysis of real estate and corporate law at the renowned University of Chicago Law School.
Carla López’s profile has risen steadily over the course of her career, as she’s overseen pivotal operations across diverse sectors, including religious institutions, agricultural forestry, mining, and energy sector. Her dedication to excellence was further affirmed when she was bestowed with the prestigious “Rising Star” accolade in Antitrust by The Legal 500 in 2020, a testament to her outstanding achievements in the field. Last year, she was honoured to be named in Leaders League Ranking 2025 under the “Valuable Practice” category for Tax Law / Corporate Tax and M&A / Corporate.
Professional Engagements
In addition to her client work, Carla is an active contributor to the broader legal and business community. She has participated in major international forums such as EXPOMIN, PDAC (Toronto), and APEC, and maintains active membership in several bilateral chambers of commerce, including AUSCHAM, CANCHAM, and BRITCHAM. Carla also shares her expertise as a professor at the Universidad de Chile, where she fosters the next generation of legal talent in Latin America.
Current projects
Carla is currently advising an Australian-Brazilian mining company on its market entry into Chile. The engagement involves a multi-jurisdictional corporate restructuring and long-term investment strategy that requires reconciling three distinct legal systems and corporate cultures. The project is a prime example of the complexities of cross-border investment and governance, particularly when navigating different expectations around corporate regulation, risk management, and decision-making frameworks. Carla’s commercial acumen and her four years of experience at Harris Gomez Group have been instrumental in guiding the client through these layers with clarity and confidence.
The value Carla brings
Working on the cross-border market entry project has reinforced how vital it is to balance legal precision with cultural intelligence. When you’re dealing with corporate governance across three jurisdictions, it’s not just about knowing the rules—it’s about understanding how decision-making works in different business cultures. My time at HGG has given me the experience and commercial sensibility to help clients turn that complexity into an advantage.”
– Quote from Carla