Partner
Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources
Lawyer specializing in environmental law, energy, sustainability and ESG matters. Rafael concentrates his practice on the design and implementation of legal strategies in environmental, regulatory compliance and corporate sustainability matters. He advises companies in sectors such as energy, agribusiness, infrastructure and natural resources on the management of legal risks, environmental licenses and green tax incentives.
Rafael has extensive experience in due diligence, management of ESG standards, and legal guidance in projects with significant environmental impacts. He is also a strategic advisor on company boards, contributing to decision-making on sustainability and environmental management at the corporate level. He was made a Fellow of the Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship, a global initiative that brings together leaders committed to climate action in the global south.
Spanish
English
Ecuador
Pérez Bustamante & Ponce (2025-present)
Partner, Pástor Estudio Jurídico Ambiental, Guayaquil, Ecuador (2022-2025)
Partner, Noboa, Peña & Torres, Guayaquil, Ecuador (2020-2022)
Partner, Quevedo & Ponce, Guayaquil, Ecuador (2017-2020)
Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador (Lawyer, 2010)
Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador (Master’s in Business Law, 2012)
George Washington University (GWU), Business School, USA (Specialization in Compliance, 2021)
ADEN International Business School & George Washington University (Specialization in Sustainable Business, 2022)
TÜV Nord Group (Internal Auditor, 2023)
Universidad Católica de Murcia, Spain (Diploma in Environmental and Energy Impact Management, 2023)
CEUPE European Business School, Spain (Diploma in Environmental Impact Management and Assessment, 2023)
Yale – Emerging Climate Leaders Fellowship, New Haven, USA (Fellow, 2024)
Fellow
International Bar Association - IBA (Officer - Environment, Health and Safety Law Committee)
American Bar Association - ABA (Chair - Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources’ (SEER) International Committee)
Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers (GAIL)
Environmental Law Institute (ELI)
Latin American Alliance for Environmental Law and Sustainability – ALDAS (Board Member)
Rights of Nature: Redefining Justice
American Bar Association (ABA), 2025
Cumplimiento y Sostenibilidad: Impacto de la Legislación Europea en Latinoamérica (Spanish)
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), 2024
Pástor: Coincidences of the Global South
Yale News, 2024
The new Galapagos Islands Reserve: A Shift in Paradigm
Environmental Law Institute (ELI), 2021
Illegal Wildlife Trafficking and Its Relation to Transnational Organized Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean
American Bar Association (ABA) – Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI), 2020
