Hoet Peláez Castillo & Duque traces its origin to 1942 and is one of the oldest and largest firms in the country. It offers a full range of legal services, and is well-known for its commercial and intellectual property practice, the latter being one of the largest in Venezuela. The scope of its client base is worldwide, with a broader base in the American continent. It serves many of Venezuela's top-of-the-line private companies and public corporations along with a large number of foreign companies and financial institutions doing business in the country.

The professional services rendered by the firm cover the following main areas of practice: contracts, mergers and acquisitions; energy, natural resources, utilities and public services; telecommunications, information technology and e-commerce; trade, investments, finance and competition, taxation; labour, employment and employee benefits; litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

The firm also has specialists to provide services on: insurance, which covers maritime, aviation and multimodal insurance; environmental law; entertainment; real estate; transportation (aviation and maritime); consumer protection; registries and notaries; tourism; and immigration. Throughout the years Hoet Pelaez Castillo & Duque has represented clients in major merger and acquisitions; joint ventures; in the different privatisation processes; in project financing for public and private projects and large contract negotiations with public and private corporations.

Hoet Peláez Castillo & Duque continues to be a leader within intellectual property practices in Latin America, focusing on: patents, trademarks, models, designs and geographical indications; copyrights and neighbouring rights; domain names; licensing, franchising and merchandising; and unfair competition.

Most of its fee earners, including its partners, speak English and others speak French and Italian; a large number of its professionals have studied abroad, giving them an international perspective on business and allowing the firm to provide global counselling of quality and reliability, both to our local and our international clients.

Hoet Peláez Castillo & Duque's main office is located in Caracas, Venezuela's political, economic and cultural heart and has correspondents in the largest Venezuelan cities, including Barquisimeto, Maturín, Puerto Ordaz, Puerto Cabello, Puerto La Cruz and Valencia.