Catalina Margulis Koch
Senior Counsel
Santiago
Summary
Senior legal counsel with professional experience in Chile and the U.S. My exposure to multi-cultural and multi-national environments and vast experience in public policy matters, leading multi-disciplinary teams, and negotiating with authorities from different countries, represent a key asset for the Corporate Secretary position at ALMA Observatory.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
3
3
Languages
Work History
Central Bank of Chile
Senior Counsel and Advisor to the General Counsel
Santiago
08.2022 - Current
- Provides legal advice to the General Counsel and senior officials on the governance, decision-making structure, autonomy, and mandate of the Central Bank of Chile
- Assists the Chief Compliance Officer on compliance-related matters.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) / Secondment Fro
Consulting Counsel / Legal Department
Washington, D.C.
07.2018 - 07.2022
- Provided technical advice to central banks on their governance, decision-making structures, autonomy, mandate, and central bank digital currencies
- Negotiated legal reforms with Prime Ministers, central banks’ Boards of Directors, and senior officials of the IMF membership
- Led technical assistance missions for Angola, Barbados, Costa Rica, and El Salvador
- Member of technical assistance missions for Argentina, Ecuador, Morocco, and Peru
- Assisted member countries in drafting their central bank organic laws and payment system and electronic money regulations
- Participated in safeguards assessment missions for Afghanistan, Angola, Barbados, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, and Rwanda
- Member of the IMF inter-departmental team that drafted The Central Bank Transparency Code
- Led, designed, and implemented the outreach agenda for the work done on central bank digital currency
- Moderated a joint webinar between the Legal Department of the IMF and Queen Mary University of London to an audience comprised of central banks and academics
- Presenter of the IMF Analytical Corner: “Discovering Solid Legal Foundations for Central Bank Digital Currencies”
- Co-author of the IMF Blog: “Legally Speaking, Is Digital Money Really Money?”
- Lecturer and speaker in various seminars organized by the IMF, central banks, and international organizations in Barbados, Dubai, Paraguay, Singapore, and St. Kitts and Nevis
- Lecturer of the IMF digital course: “Foundations of Central Bank Law”.
Central Bank of Chile
Counsel / Legal Department
Santiago
12.2014 - 07.2017
- Advised core areas of the Central Bank to implement strategic initiatives
- Drafted legislation and regulations related to monetary policy operations, financial infrastructure, and capital markets, including the draft General Banking Law
- Conducted comparative studies on foreign financial regulation and international standards.
Carey & Allende
Associate
Santiago
06.2014 - 11.2014
- Worked on dispute resolution, arbitration, and insolvency matters.
Barros & Errázuriz Abogados
Associate
Santiago
01.2012 - 05.2014
- Worked on dispute resolution, arbitration, and insolvency matters.
Legal Aid Corporation for the Metropolitan Region
Pro bono intern
Santiago
04.2011 - 10.2011
- Legal representation of low-income people on a broad range of areas.
Arteaga Gorziglia & Cía Abogados
Legal intern
Santiago
01.2011 - 07.2011
- Attended court proceedings and drafted writs, pleadings and documentation pertaining to trials
- Advised clients on a broad range of areas, including family, civil, and tax law.
Pontificia Universidad Católica De Chile
Pro bono intern
Santiago
03.2009 - 12.2009
- Legal representation of low-income people on a broad range of areas.
Education
Harvard Law School -
Master of Laws
Massachusetts, USA 07.2017 - 05.2018
Universidad De Chile Law School -
Postgraduate Diploma in Public Economic Law
03.2014 - 12.2014
Pontificia Universidad Católica De Chile -
Law Degree
Santiago, Chile 03.2005 - 12.2009
Queensland University of Technology -
Exchange Student
Brisbane, Australia 05.2008 - 05.2008
Bar Admission
Chile Bar, April 2012
Accomplishments
Gobernanza de Bancos Centrales para los desafíos del Siglo XXI, with Sebastián Claro. Estudios Públicos, 167 (2022), 7-44.
Legal Aspects of Central Bank Digital Currency: Central Bank and Monetary Law Considerations, with Wouter Bossu, Masaru Itatani, Arthur Rossi, Hans Weenink and Akihiro Yoshinaga. IMF Working Paper No 2020/254.
The Central Bank Transparency Code, contributor. IMF Policy Paper No 2020/038.
Benchmarking Public Procurement 2015, Pilot report assessing public procurement systems in 10 economies, contributor. World Bank Group, 2015.
Affiliations
Member of the Honorary Committee of Latinia Observatorio de Estudios Latinoamericanos.
Timeline
Central Bank of Chile
Senior Counsel and Advisor to the General Counsel
08.2022 - Current
International Monetary Fund (IMF) / Secondment Fro
Consulting Counsel / Legal Department
07.2018 - 07.2022
Harvard Law School -
Master of Laws
07.2017 - 05.2018
Central Bank of Chile
Counsel / Legal Department
12.2014 - 07.2017
Carey & Allende
Associate
06.2014 - 11.2014
Universidad De Chile Law School -
Postgraduate Diploma in Public Economic Law
03.2014 - 12.2014
Barros & Errázuriz Abogados
Associate
01.2012 - 05.2014
Legal Aid Corporation for the Metropolitan Region
Pro bono intern
04.2011 - 10.2011
Arteaga Gorziglia & Cía Abogados
Legal intern
01.2011 - 07.2011
Pontificia Universidad Católica De Chile
Pro bono intern
03.2009 - 12.2009
Queensland University of Technology -
Exchange Student
05.2008 - 05.2008
Pontificia Universidad Católica De Chile -
Law Degree
03.2005 - 12.2009