Davies Arnold Cooper (DAC) has set up an association in Chile through an alliance with local firm SegurosLex, with a view to a future merger deal.

The formal alliance, which went live today (29 November), gifts the firm its third presence in Latin America.

The firm set up an association with Brazilian firm JBO Advocacia in September this year after launching an office in Mexico City in 2003.

SegurosLex, which is based in Santiago and focuses on insurance work, was set up earlier this year. The office is headed by Sergio Arellano Iturriaga, a former chairman of the Insurance Law Association of Chile.

DAC senior partner Danny Gowan said: "We do a substantial amount of work in Latin America and it is our strategy to build associations with firms in the region with a view to them becoming part of DAC as time goes on.

"There are no specific further plans on the table, but Colombia will probably be our next focus. Because of the cultural advantages that come with our Madrid office, Latin America is where we are looking to for international expansion at the moment."

The association in Chile comes in response to DAC's insurance and reinsurance clients carrying out an increasing amount of work in the country.