Audit & Compliance

Legal Audit & Compliance in Chile

Find out what your Chilean operation is exposed to before a regulator, a prosecutor or a buyer finds out for you.

Chilean-licensed attorneys Updates in English Handled remotely

Overview

Compliance in Chile is now a criminal-liability question

Law 20.393 makes companies themselves criminally liable for a widening list of offenses committed for their benefit, and the defense the statute contemplates is an implemented crime-prevention model — not a document that exists in a drawer. Separately, labor, data-protection and workplace-harassment obligations each carry their own inspection and sanction regime.

We audit what your Chilean entity actually does against what Chilean law requires, quantify the gap, and build the programs that close it. Foreign parent companies use this both defensively and as the evidence their own group compliance function needs.

What we handle

Legal Audit & Compliance services in Chile

Each matter below is handled by Chilean-licensed attorneys and reported to you in English. If your situation is not listed, ask — it usually still fits one of these.

Legal Audit

A structured review of corporate, labor, contractual and regulatory compliance across your Chilean operation, delivered as a prioritized findings report with risk levels and a remediation plan rather than a list of observations.

Crime Prevention Model — Law 20.393

Design, implementation and certification-readiness of the prevention model: risk matrix, prevention officer, controls, reporting channel, training and the documentation that makes the defense credible if it is ever tested.

Labor Compliance

Contracts, working-time and overtime records, internal regulations, health-and-safety duties and subcontracting obligations, reviewed against Labor Inspectorate criteria before an inspection happens.

Internal Regulations Review

The Reglamento Interno de Orden, Higiene y Seguridad is mandatory above a headcount threshold and is one of the first documents an inspector asks for. We draft or update it — including the Ley Karin harassment procedure it must now contain.

Data Protection Compliance

Chile's personal data framework has been substantially strengthened. We map what data your Chilean entity collects, on what legal basis, and what has to change in your contracts, notices and vendor arrangements.

Forensic Accounting & Environmental Audits

Forensic review where fraud or misappropriation is suspected, and internal environmental audits for operations with permit obligations — carried out with certified auditors alongside legal counsel.

From anywhere

How this works if you are not in Chile

Case assessment

You send us the documents you have. We tell you what applies, what it costs and what the realistic timeline is — before you commit to anything.

Power of attorney

Granted at a Chilean consulate or apostilled where you live. That single document lets us act for you in Chile without you traveling.

We act, you get updates

Filings and hearings are handled by our attorneys in Chile. You receive plain-English updates at every stage, not legal Spanish you have to decode.

FAQ

Legal Audit & Compliance in Chile — common questions

The questions English-speaking clients ask us most about this area.

Does Law 20.393 apply to a Chilean subsidiary of a foreign company?

Yes. Corporate criminal liability attaches to the Chilean legal entity, independently of where its parent is incorporated. A group-level compliance program written for another jurisdiction is generally not sufficient on its own — the model has to address the specific offenses and control failures Chilean law contemplates, and it has to be demonstrably implemented in the Chilean entity.

What does a legal audit actually deliver?

A findings report that states, item by item, what was reviewed, what does not comply, the concrete exposure (sanction, litigation or criminal risk), and what to do about it in priority order with owners and deadlines. It is written to be usable by management and defensible to a regulator, not to be filed away.

Is a crime prevention model mandatory?

It is not framed as a blanket obligation, but without an implemented model the company loses the principal defense available when an offense is committed for its benefit — and in practice counterparties, lenders and acquirers increasingly require one. Sector-specific rules impose additional obligations on top.

How long does an audit take?

A focused audit of a single area — labor compliance, for instance — is typically a matter of weeks. A full multi-area review of a mid-sized operation takes longer and is usually phased so the highest-risk findings reach you first rather than waiting for the complete report.

Can you do this remotely from the United States?

Largely yes. Document review, interviews and reporting are handled online, and we work directly with your Chilean managers and accountants. Some verifications — physical records, site conditions for environmental or safety scope — require presence in Chile, which we handle locally without you traveling.

Need a compliance lawyer in Chile you can actually talk to?

Get an initial assessment in English — confidential, with no obligation.

Book your consultation now →

WhatsApp+56 9 5217 5304

Emailhola@oklegal.cl

HoursMon–Sat 09:00–20:00