Practitioner and academic with over two decades of expertise in the realms of competition and regulatory law, Nicole Nehme graduated from the University of Chile with a bachelor’s degree in law in 1995, earning the distinction of class valedictorian. Star individual in Chile for Antitrust/Competition Law according to Chambers & Partners and Hall of Fame in the same specialty, according to Legal 500.
As one of our founding partners, Nicole spearheads our Competition and Regulation area. Her expertise in competition and regulatory law is widely acknowledged, marked by her role as a litigator and advisor to multinational corporations, governments, and international organizations. Globally and in Latin America, she has consistently earned recognition as a leading figure in these fields.
Nicole's litigation practice is comprehensive, spanning proceedings before Chile's Competition Court, lower and higher Courts, the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Tribunal of Chile. She has played a pivotal role as counsel in landmark cases addressing antitrust and economic issues across diverse industries, including telecommunications, mining, banking, energy, fishing, food, ports, and retail.
In her advisory capacity, Nicole provides expert opinions on competition, regulation, and strategic planning to private entities, Ministries, and other state institutions in Chile and other Latin American countries. Reviews from clients and peers commend her for her adeptness in navigating complex issues, including the intricacies of each market and the economics of regulation, seamlessly integrating private and public aspects of the law.
Beyond her professional roles, Nicole serves as an associate professor at the School of Law of the Universidad de Chile. Her teaches economic law, competition law, and new technologies, spanning both graduate and postgraduate courses. Her Economic Law class stands out as one of the most sought-after courses in the Faculty. Nicole has also shared her expertise through guest lectures at universities in Chile and abroad, including visiting professorships at UC Davis School of Law. In 2023, she was recognized as the "Best Professor" by the Law School of the University of Chile.
Nicole has penned and co-authored numerous books, chapters, articles, and papers on issues of competition, regulation, and public policy. Widely sought after as a speaker by business associations, civil society organizations, and think tanks, she delivers presentations on a broad spectrum of topics, from public policy to female leadership and legal education. Additionally, to enhance public understanding of economic issues, she contributes columns to newspapers and magazines and serves as an expert commentator in the media.
Nicole holds prominent roles in various boards and foundations, including the Council of the Department of Economic Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Chile. She was the first woman to chair the Legal Circle of ICARE. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the George Washington Competition & Innovation Lab’s Hispanic America Initiative, the Advisory Council of WDR Chile (Women in Dispute Resolution), the Assembly of Fundación Espacio Público, the Board of ComunidadMujer, and the Advisory Council of Fundación ProBono.
Her achievements have been consistently recognized by esteemed publications such as Chambers & Partners (star individual), The Legal500 (Hall of Fame), Global Competition Review, Who's Who Legal, and Best Lawyers.
Notably, she was acknowledged by Global Competition Review as one of the leading women lawyers/economists in global competition in the category of Women in Antitrust (one of the five in Latin America). She has received numerous accolades, including being named among Latin America’s 50 most inspiring female lawyers, Latin Lawyer (2013); and among Latin America's most prominent women in law (2016). She received the “Specialist Law Firm Leader Award” Latin Lawyer (2017) and was recognized as one of the 40 “Notable Women Competition Professionals in Europe, the Americas, and Africa” by Women Professionals (2022).
She was recognized by the Idealis-Qué Pasa peer survey among Chile’s six best lawyers overall (2013-14); as Chile’s best female lawyer (2015) and Chile’s best firm lawyer overall (2017).
Nicole has also been distinguished by the newspaper El Mercurio and Mujeres Empresarias as one of the 100 leading women in Chile in 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015, and 2023. She was also recognized among Chile’s 50 Female Leaders by Cadem and the newspaper La Tercera (2018).
The Chilean Bar Association has included her in its Directory of Female Experts in the category of Competition Law.
Nicole's contributions extend beyond her professional achievements, with distinctions such as being honored by Chambers and Partners as the Gender Diversity Leader of the Year in 2021 for her impactful work on female leadership and gender equity in Chile.
Fluent in Spanish, French, and English Nicole Nehme stands as an influential figure at the intersection of legal practice, academia, and gender advocacy.
Books, contribution to books and articles:
· Brief Comments on Competition Policy Milestones, by Enrique Vergara, CeCo (April,2022), Center of Regulation and Competition from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, https://centrocompetencia.com/testimonio-hitos-libre-competencia-chile/, April 2023
· Jurisprudence Non-contentious proceedings, coordinator, jurisprudence repository Project, Center of Regulation and Competition from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, December 2022
· Comments on non-contentious procedure reforms to the article "Hoja de ruta para la libre competencia en Chile: una propuesta" (Roadmap for Competition in Chile: A proposal), CeCo (March,2022), Center of Regulation and Competition from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, http://centrocompetencia.com/dialogo-hoja-de-ruta-para-la-libre-competencia-en-chile-una-propuesta/, March 2022
· In Diversity: Towards Harmony or Discord?, co-author Jorge Streeter, for the book "Sustainability and Participation in the Constitution", coordinated by Jaime Arancibia and Sebastián Claro, Universidad de Los Andes, Ediciones El Mercurio, February 2022
· Comments to the article "Constitutional Elements of the Economic Regime", CeCo Talks (April, 2021), Center of Regulation and Competition from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, http://www.centrocompetencia.com/category/investigaciones/, April 2021
· "Jurisdictional Guidance for Antitrust Settlements -Chile", for the book "Settlements Guide", Edit, Global Competition Review, co-authors Mabel Ahumada, Raffaela Corte and Beatriz Hidalgo, February 2021
· "Merger Control, Law & Practice, Chile", for the book "Merger Control", Edit, Chambers&Partners Publishing, co-authored with Sander van der Voorde, Diego Hernández and Beatriz Hidalgo, April 2016
· Comments on Competition Jurisprudence, for the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez Law Magazine, Number 4: 2016, "Comments on the Jurisprudence of the 2009-2011 Supreme Court Period", co-authored with Benjamín Mordoj and Daniela Gorab, April 2016
· Prison for Collusion?, co-authored with Daniela Gorab, Puntos de Referencia N°409, Public Studies Center, August 2015
· "Economic Constitution in Evolving Contexts: The Role of Law Operators (Inaugural Speech at the Seminar on Chile's Economic Constitution), The Economic Constitution, Thomson Reuters, July 2015
· "A Life at the Universidad de Chile. Celebrating Professor Antonio Bascuñán Valdés", Journal of Justice Studies, N° 21, 2014, May 2015
· Proposals for the Chilean Health System, co-authored with Andrea Butelmann, Fabián Duarte, Guillermo Paraje and Marcos Vergara, Public Policy Report N° 04, Espacio Público, September 2014
· "Merger Control, Law & Practice, Chile," for the book "Merger Control," Edit, Kevin Arqui, Chambers&Partners Publishing, co-authored with María Paz Canales and Diego Hernández, January 2014
· Institutional Designs of Concentration Control: analysis and proposals, co-authored with Benjamín Mordoj, Public Studies Journal, N°125, summer, 2012, Public Studies Center, May 2012
· Application of Antitrust Rules to State Administration Agencies, for the book "La Libre Competencia en el Chile del Bicentenario", Chile’s Competition Court, RIL Editores, May 2011
· Competition and Retail: a critical analysis, coordination, co-authored with Paulo Montt, Editorial Abeledo Perrot, September 2010
· Exclusionary Conduct and Competition: the Case of the Refusal to Sell in the Presence of Essential Facilities, co-authored with Paulo Montt, Anales Derecho UC Journal, Competition matters 3, Legis, November 2009
· Unfair Competition, for the book "Decisiones del Tribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia, Años 2004 y 2005", Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, School of Law and Legis, October 2008
· "Regulated Markets and Competition", National Economic Prosecutor's Office, November 2007
· Chilean section of "Merger Control", co-authored by Daniela Gorab and Sandervan der Voorde, for the book Global Competition Review, 2007, November 2006
· Chilean Antitrust System: Is it Necessary to Require Prior Authorization for the Approval of Concentration Operations? co-authored with Rodrigo Ferrada, European Union and Competition Law Gazette, November 2005
· The Role of the Concepts of Public Order, Good Customs and Good Faith in Contracts between Unequal Parties, co-author Carolina Werner, for the book" Sesquicentenario del Código Civil de Andrés Bello: Pasado, presente y futuro de la codificación", School of Law, Universidad de Chile, June 2005
· "Regulation of the Dominant Company in the Fixed Telephony Market, according to the Spanish Experience", Chilean Journal of IT Law, N º1, School of Law, Universidad de Chile, March 2002
· "The Change of Circumstances in International Economic Contracts. An Approach to the Lex Mercatoria", Editorial Jurídica Conosur, June 2001