The difference is always in the strategy.
We defend people under investigation or charged, and we represent victims — individuals and companies. We appear before prosecutors, courts and tribunals across Colombia. Advice and client service also in English.
If you are here, there is a criminal matter involved
A firm devoted to criminal law alone. Based in Bogotá, acting throughout Colombia. If you are reading this, there is probably a criminal matter involved: yours or someone close to you. That is all we do here.
We will tell you the truth about your case, even when it is not what you hope to hear: what is at stake, what can be done and what cannot.
The first step is not choosing a service. It is a consultation to read with you what evidence exists, what is missing and what can be done with it.
A criminal matter is decided by what is proven
That is why we begin with the evidence. In the adversarial criminal process it is not the best-told story that wins. What wins is what could be proven at the hearing, and what could be challenged in the other side’s evidence.
That is this firm’s work: command of the evidence in litigation. Investigating the facts by lawful means and building the theory of the case on what can be established. Presenting and challenging evidence at the hearing, and controlling on appeal how the judge weighed it.
It is not a slogan; it is a criterion for deciding. When the evidence is not enough, we say so; when it is, we take it all the way. The firm’s services follow from that approach, and every case is read from it, whether in defence or for a victim.
Who stands behind it: Juan Antonio Matiz Estrategia Legal SAS, founded in 2020 and devoted solely to criminal law. It is led by Juan Antonio Matiz Monroy, a lawyer from Universidad de los Andes, specialist in Criminal Law from Universidad Sergio Arboleda, T.P. 294.746. Offices on Calle 78, Bogotá; practice throughout the country; advice and client service also in English.
That work takes two forms
That work on the evidence takes two forms, depending on where you stand in the process.
If you are the victim, whether an individual or a company: we investigate the facts by lawful means and decide with you whether filing a complaint is advisable. If it is, we draft it with the facts, the legal classification and the evidence identified. And if the process is already running, we complete the evidentiary analysis so that the Prosecutor’s Office and the judge have what you can contribute. If someone on your side is going to testify, we prepare them for what to expect as a witness. See our practice areas.
If you are the person under investigation or charged: every decision is taken on the basis of the evidence — to settle, to negotiate, to testify or to remain silent. We build the theory of the case and the investigation plan to refute the prosecution’s hypothesis. We present evidence at the hearing, with cross-examination and closing arguments, and we challenge the judgment on appeal for the way it weighed that evidence. See our practice areas.
Some actions are urgent and cannot wait for that analysis: habeas corpus, review of detention and protection of your good name. Each service, with its scope, is set out in Practice Areas. If you do not know which one you need, do not choose: the consultation sorts that out.
Method
Four planes and a single method
To litigate from the evidence, a case must be ordered on four planes. The evidentiary one is not just another: it is the one that governs the other three.
Factual plane. Reconstruction of the facts, each tied to its source, to know what can be proven and what cannot.
Legal plane. Examination of the conduct against the structure of the offence, to know what must be proven.
Evidentiary plane. Assessment of each piece of evidence, ours and the other side’s, under the standards of Law 906 of 2004. This is where it is decided whether the case exists.
Litigation strategy. What is probable, turned into a theory of the case and a hearing plan, from the investigation stage to the appeal.
The method is the same for defending a person under investigation and for representing a victim. How a case is decided when the evidence is not enough is explained in About the firm.
The first cut of that work is the initial consultation
The written opinion from the consultation is the first application of the approach to your material: what evidence exists, what is missing and what can be done with it. It is not a courtesy meeting.
Two one-hour meetings with Juan Antonio Matiz, in person or remote, and a written legal opinion within no more than seven business days. All under a confidentiality agreement.
It costs one monthly minimum wage plus VAT (COP 2,083,577 in 2026). It is not the engagement: retaining the defence or the representation is a separate contract, which you decide on after reading the opinion. If you retain the firm within the following 30 days, that amount is credited against the fee.
Frequently asked
What people usually ask us
What if I do not know which service I need?
You do not have to. That is what the initial consultation is for: two meetings with the partner and a written opinion telling you where your case stands and what the next step is. You decide afterwards whether to retain anything further.
What does litigating with command of the evidence mean?
That the case is built on what can be established and challenged at the hearing, not on what is asserted. Lawful investigation, theory of the case, presentation of evidence and a challenge to how the judge weighed it. The criterion is explained in About the firm and each step in Practice Areas.
Do you take cases outside Bogotá?
Yes. The office is in Bogotá, but representation is exercised before courts across the country. The consultation can be held remotely, and hearings are attended in person or virtually, as the court directs.
What does the initial consultation include and what does it cost?
Two one-hour meetings with the partner and a written opinion within seven business days, for one monthly minimum wage plus VAT. If you retain the firm for the same matter within the following 30 days, that amount is credited against the fee. Details and booking.
What if I already have a lawyer on that matter?
Under the rules of the profession, we do not advise on a matter in which you already have counsel of record (art. 35, Law 1123 of 2007). If you are changing lawyers, end that engagement first and then book.