Esteban Cañas

Associate+56 2 2385 0000

His professional practice focuses primarily on administrative litigation, as well as advising on projects from an environmental and sectoral regulatory perspective.Before joining the firm, he worked as an associate in the environmental law department of Cubillos Evans Abogados (20172021). He also worked as a lawyer at Vergara y Cía. (20162017), advising on matters related to Administrative Law, Water Law, and Energy Law.

Awards and Recognitions
Recognized by Legal 500 as a Leading Associate in the Environmental Law area (2025).

Education

  • Law, School of Law, Universidad Católica de Chile (2015).
  • LL.M. in Environmental and Climate Change Law, University of Edinburgh (2022).
  • Diploma in Administrative Litigation, School of Law, Universidad Católica de Chile (2016).
  • Diploma in Natural Resources and Energy Law, School of Law, Universidad Católica de Chile (2015).

Activities and Memberships

  • Lecturer of Climate Change Litigation at the LL.M. Program, School of Law, Universidad Católica de Chile (2025–present).
  • Member of the Chilean Association of Environmental Law (Achidam) and the Chilean Association of Administrative Law (ADAd).

Publications

  • Law No. 19.880 in the Protection of Urban Wetlands and Climate Change, in The Modernization of Administrative Law: Reflections on 20 Years of the Laws on Procedure, Contracting, and Senior Public Management (Thomson Reuters, Santiago), 2024.
  • The Role of Judges in Climate Litigation: From Separation to Functional Balance of Powers, in Climate Litigation: The Role of Citizens and Judges (Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona), 2024
  • Five Years After the ICJ’s Ruling on “Certain Activities Carried Out by Nicaragua in the Border Area”: Uncertainties and Clarifications on International Environmental Harm, in Revista Ius et Finis Terrae No. 2, 2024.
  • Legal Framework of Air Pollution Monitoring Stations, in Environmental Law Journal, Universidad de Chile, 2020
  • The Water–Energy Nexus in Chile: A Description of the Regulatory Framework for Hydroelectricity, in Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law, Volume 35, 2017.
  • The Jurisdictional Nature of the Expert Panel in the Electricity Sector and the Challengability of Its Decisions, in Economic Administrative Law Journal No. 22, 2016.

Languages
Spanish and English

Admission
2015