Lawyers
Guillermo Arias
He has been a practicing criminal lawyer since 1991. He formerly worked for the Federal Criminal and Correctional Courts of the City of Buenos Aires. He joined Durrieu Abogados in 1997 and became a partner in 2002.
He was admitted as member of the Buenos Aires Bar Association and the Morón Bar Association. He is also a member of the Lawyers´ Association of the City of Buenos Aires and of the Criminal Law and Law on Criminal Procedure Commission created within the referred Lawyers´ Association. He also participates as member in the Buenos Aires Association of Criminal Lawyers.
Clara Carminatti
In 2021, she joined Durrieu Abogados as an associate. She previously worked as court representative (procuradora), paralegal and as an associate at Badeni, Cantilo, Carricart & Bilbao law firm (2017-2021).
Languages: Spanish- English
Lucía Filipelli Colletto
She graduated as a Lawyer with orientation in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law in the University of Buenos Aires (UBA – Argentina), and she obtained a Specialized Program in Criminal Law in the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (UTDT – Argentina).
She was assigned as chair assistant of Professional Internship in Criminal Law class in the UBA. Currently, she is chair assistant in Criminal Law General Principles subject in the Universidad Nacional de Avellaneda (UNDAV – Argentina). Moreover, she is member of the Permanent Renewal of Criminal Doctrine Seminary in the University of Salvador (USAL), and member of the Research Project in Legal Sciences “Omisión impropia y trasgresión de normas (subyaentes al tipo penal) en la República Argentina.” (USAL-CONICET – Argentina). She performs as editorial assistant in the Newspaper of Criminal Sciences from USAL.
Besides, she published several articles about Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law and presented herself in different seminaries and academic conferences.
She is part of the Estudio Durrieu team since May, 2022. Previouosly, she performed herself in Estudios Gottheil & Suriz and Privanza, and in the corporate field as an in-house Lawyer.
Currently, she is member of the Colegio Público de Abogados de la Capital Federal and of the Colegio Público de Abogados de Avellaneda-Lanús.
Nicolas Durrieu
He is a specialist lawyer in internal investigation and criminal compliance certified by Asociación Argentina de Ética y Compliance (AAEC) and the School of Business of Universidad Austral. He was co-director and writer of the book “Compliance, Anticorrupción y Ley de Responsabilidad Penal Empresaria” (Compliance, Anti-corruption and Law on Corporate Criminal Liability), published by Thomson Reuters/La Ley in March 2018 and participated in articles and conferences dealing with this specialization field.
At present, he is the academic coordinator of the university course of studies in law at Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE) and co-director of the Compliance Program of Thomson Reuters/La Ley.
He has been working as partner at Durrieu Abogados since 2012. Before engaging in the private practice he worked for the National Criminal and Correctional Courts of the City of Buenos Aires, was appointed clerk for investigation proceedings in the Argentine Ministry of Economy and provided specialized consultancy services on prevention of money laundering, terrorism financing and recovery of assets of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He was hired by the Argentine Senate to provide legal advisory services.
He was admitted as member of the Buenos Aires Bar Association, the San Isidro Bar Association and the Salta Association of Lawyers and Court Representatives. He is a member of the Lawyers´ Association of the City of Buenos Aires and has been listed as recommended lawyer by the French Foreign Affairs Office in Buenos Aires.
Languages: Spanish, English and French.
Justo Lo Prete
Justo Lo Prete has a law degree from the School of Law of Universidad Católica Argentina and was awarded a postgraduate Specialization Degree in Criminal Law from Universidad de Belgrano.
Besides participating in many courses related to criminal law matters, he has extensively traveled abroad and attended seminars of lawyers specializing in this field (he is identified in Who´s Who Legal as a specialist lawyer in asset recovery)
Mr. Lo Prete has worked at Durrieu Abogados since 1992 and this has enabled him to develop professionally in the most diverse branches of criminal law, to which he has devoted himself entirely throughout his professional life.
Languages: Spanish and English.
Juan Martín López Quesada
He participated in several seminars and congresses dealing with a vast array of issues related to Criminal Economic Law and Law on Criminal Procedure. He worked as a professor of Criminal Law in the MLL Program in High Tech from Universidad Católica Argentina and in the MLL Program in Business from ESEADE. He also participated in several courses on Criminal Law and authored publications in specialized law journals.
He has been working at Durrieu Abogados since 2001. He has gained vast professional experience from his activity in different branches of Criminal Law.
Languages: Spanish and English
Antonella Lopreiato
She joined Durrieu Abogados as an Associate in February 2020.
She previously worked as court representative (procuradora) at Mestres & Asociados law firm (2018-2019).
Languages: Spanish, English and Italian.
Alejandro Ramella
He worked as a paralegal (2010-2012) and associate (2014-2016) at the Roca and Sarrabayrouse law firm. He was an associate at Leonhardt, Dietl, Graf & von der Fecht law firm (2012-2013). He joined Durrieu Abogados in June 2016 as an associate senior.
Diego Seitún
Since 2011 he has worked as an Assistant Professor of Law on Criminal Procedure Law at Universidad Católica Argentina and Visiting Professor in the Master of Laws Degree Program in Criminal Law at Universidad Austral.
From 1998 to 2004, he worked for the Judiciary of the Province of Buenos Aires, San Isidro Judicial District. He performed tasks as auxiliary counsel for the Public Defender Office No. 3 from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, he was appointed clerk of court at the Appellate Prosecutor´s Office, performing tasks as clerk for the General Public Defender´s Office in the criminal enforcement area.
From 2005 to 2008, he was an associate at Durrieu law firm. Between 2009 and 2012, he worked as an associate senior at Fernández Alonso, Beccar Varela & Richards law firm, and between 2012 and 2015 he held a similar position at Beccar Varela law firm.
In 2015, he joined Durrieu Abogados where he became a partner.
Languages: Spanish and English.
Guillermo Vidal Albarracín
He has taught the subjects “Criminal Law”, “Law on Criminal Procedure” and “Customs Law and Criminal Economic Law” at Universidad Argentina de Empresas.
He was also a professor and coordinator in the postgraduate course in Customs Law at Escuela de Cuerpo de Abogados del Estado, as well as a lecturer and coordinator at many seminars organized by Customs Clearance Agents’ Center on the liability of customs clearance agents.
He is currently a professor of Customs Crimes, at the Postgraduate Department of Universidad Nacional de la Plata (2013-to date) and a visiting professor in the postgraduate program in Customs Law at Universidad de Buenos Aires and Universidad Di Tella.
He collaborated in the book Delitos Aduaneros (Customs Crimes) authored by Héctor Guillermo Vidal Albarracín, Mave Publishers (October 2004. 2006 and 2010 revised and expanded editions). He co-authored the books La responsabilidad del despachante de aduanas (Liability of Customs Clearance Agents) (2009) and El despachante de aduana (Customs Clearance Agents) (2016), Guía Práctica – IARA SA. Publishers. He coordinated the book Jornadas de Trabajo de Derecho Aduanero – Lucha contra el contrabando de estupefacientes, cigarrillos, mercaderías falsificadas y copias piratas (Working Seminars on Customs Law – Fighting Against Trafficking of Drugs, Tobacco, Counterfeit Goods and Pirate Copies), Abeledo Perrot Publishers (2010) and the books of the seminars on preventive practices against drug trafficking (2011 and 2012). He co-authored the revised and expanded edition of Volume III of the Código Aduanero Comentado (Annotated Customs Code), Abeledo Perrot Publishers (2011) and wrote several articles published in specialized law journals.
From 1998 to 2016 he worked in Barreira, Rodriguez Larreta, Vidal Albarracín law firm (Estudio BRSV), as partner responsible for the General Criminal Law and Criminal Economic Law division. In 2016 he co-founded with his father Estudio Vidal Albarracín law firm, subsequently merged with Durrieu Abogados in June 2017 to create the Criminal Customs Law Division.
He was named Miembro de Número (Full Member) and Secretary of Instituto Argentino de Estudios Aduaneros (Argentine Institute of Customs Studies) and a member of the Buenos Aires Bar Association, the Criminal Lawyers´ Association and the Lawyers’ Association of the City of Buenos Aires, where he also discharges duties as Secretary of the Criminal Law and Law on Criminal Procedure Commission.
Languages: Spanish and English
Héctor Guillermo Vidal Albarracín
Academic work
Héctor Guillermo Vidal Albarracín was a member of the Drafting Commission of the Argentine Customs Code, currently in force since 1981 (Law No. 22,415). He was also a member of the Reviewing Commission for Mercosur’s Customs Code Bill, March 2000 version, called by the DGA [National Customs Office] (December 2000). He is a professor of Customs Law and Criminal Customs Law at many Argentine Universities (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Office of the Attorney General, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba -School of Law and Social Sciences-, Universidad Austral, among others). He was also a visiting professor abroad (Specialization Program in Customs Law and Foreign Trade, Customs Crimes, from Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia, 2012-2013) and a lecturer at various international conferences.
Books published
Author of “Manual de Derecho Comercial“, 1er. Course, “YA” Publishers, Bs. As. 1970. “Lineamientos de Derecho Penal Especial“, book, Juris Impress Publishers, Bs. As. 1978.
“El delito de contrabando en su nueva previsión legal, Ley 21.898“, book, Universidad Publishers, Bs. As. 1980. “Código Aduanero. Comentarios. Antecedentes. Concordancias. -arts. 1ro. al 129-“, co-authored with attorneys Mario Alsina, Enrique C. Barreira, Ricardo Basaldúa and Juan P. Cotter Moine. Abeledo Perrot Publishers, Bs. As. 1984. “Código Aduanero” – Comentarios – Antecedentes – Concordancias – Arts. 860 a 891″, Volume VII-A, (exclusive authorship), Abeledo Perrot Publishers, Buenos Aires, 1992, “La responsabilidad del despachante de aduanas“, co-authored with attorneys Guillermo Vidal Albarracín (h) and Juan M. Sluman. IERA-Guía Práctica Publishers, 2009, “Delitos Aduaneros“, MAVE Mario A. Viera Publishers, Buenos Aires, October 2004. Reviewed and extended editions of the same work in 2006 and 2010 in collaboration with Guillermo Vidal Albarracín, “Código Aduanero Comentado“, 3 volumes, co-authorship, Abeledo Perrot Publishers, 2011.
He wrote several articles dealing with this specialization field.
Professional Experience
He was appointed legal advisor to the Argentine Customs Office, from 1971 to 1980, and member of the Drafting Commission of the Argentine Customs Code. In 1981, he founded Barreira, Rodriguez Larreta, Vidal Albarracín law firm (Estudio BRSV) with attorneys Barreira, Rodríguez Larreta and Sciutto Klot.
Awards and Distinctions
Associate Judge of the National Appellate Court in Criminal Economic Matters (decision of the Superintendency dated April 13 2004 – Resolution No. 3072) and associate judge of the National Appellate Cassation Court in Criminal Matters (Resolution 105/2004). He was distinguished on several occasions by Chambers & Partners as an outstanding lawyer in his specialization field.
Languages: Spanish and English.
Santiago Vidal Albarracín
He completed an advanced diploma program in the “New Code of Criminal Procedure” from the Buenos Aires Bar Association (2016) and he has also attended many conferences and seminars on criminal and customs law.
At the beginning of 2017 he started working as an associate at Vidal Albarracín law firm, subsequently merged with Durrieu Abogados in June 2017 to create the Criminal Customs Law Department. He previously worked as a paralegal at García, Pérez Boiani & Asociados law firm (2010), as a paralegal at DBRS -Díaz Bobillo, Richard & Sigwald law firm (2011-2012). He started working in the Judiciary and in 2014 he was appointed Sumariante Instructor [investigating officer] at the Federal Court in Criminal and Correctional Matters No 2 of San Martín – Court Clerk’s Office No 5. In 2016 he joined the National Court in Correctional Matters No 4 -Court Clerk’s Office No 67, of the City of Buenos Aires.
He was admitted as member of the Buenos Aires Bar Association.
Languages: Spanish and English
ROBERTO JOSÉ MARÍA DURRIEU
1940 – 2020
Founding Partner
Roberto José María Durrieu started the law firm, bearing the family name, with his father. He was appointed President of the Buenos Aires Bar Association and held such position from 2002 to 2006, National Deputy Secretary of Justice and Associate Judge of the Federal Appellate Court of La Plata until 2006. He developed vast academic activities as full professor at Universidad Austral, full consultant professor at UCA and honoris causa professor at Universidad Católica de Salta.