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14
World Report - Latin America
OCTOBER 2013
Rio de Janeiro hosts South america’s largest Intellectual Property event with record participation from abroad
“Intellectual Property and Information Society in the New Economy” was the main theme of the 33rd International
Intellectual
Property Congress which took place in August. The debate included issues such as the new digital era business model and value generation as a result of the technological revolution.
Over two days, issues
regarding brand protection in major events such as the World Cup and the Olympics were discussed,
as well as controversial themes
such as
patentability criteria for biological products and legal provisions regarding technology transfer. Organized by the Brazilian Intellectual
Property
Association (ABPI,) which celebrates
its 50th
anniversary in 2013, the congress took place at Windsor Barra Hotel, in Rio de Janeiro, on August 19 and 20. It was the industry’s main event
in South
America. This year, about one thousand participants
attended, 25% of which from abroad.
ABPI’s president, Luiz
Henrique do Amaral, highlights the comprehensive approach to knowledge generation and innovation. “Intellectual
property
allows innovation to be transformed in assets, generating business and benefits for corporations and the country,” he says. The congress presented trends and discussed the hardships faced by the industry. “We wanted to
Milbank Represents Underwriters in $2.5 Billion Senior notes offering by colombia’s Ecopetrol
In one of the largest
corporate bond offerings in Latin America of 2013, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
LLP has
represented underwriters in a $2.5 billion offering of senior notes issued by Colombia’s
state-owned
and primary oil and gas producer and exporter Ecopetrol S.A.
The notes were offered in three separate tranches bearing interest rates of 4.250% due 2018; 875% due 2023; and, 7.375% due 2043. The underwriter group consisted of Bank of America Merrill and Morgan Stanley.
Ecopetrol is the largest
crude oil and natural gas company in Colombia and the country’s only vertical producer –its operations extend from exploration and production to refining, transportation, distribution and marketing, as well as
related products as petrochemicals. company’s
such The
output
accounted for some 62% of Colombia’s crude oil production in 2012 and 10% of natural gas. It was established in 1951 and remains majority owned by
government.
In recent years Ecopetrol has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan, aiming to become one of the leading companies in the global oil industry. The company intends to use proceeds of the bond sale to further its strategic growth plan, including its objective to achieve a production output of 1 million “clean barrels” of oil per day by 2015 and 1.3 million barrels daily by 2020.
“In recent years Ecopetrol has become one of the key energy producers in the Americas and the
company has the resources and management in place to become a major global player,”
said Milbank the Colombian
Securities partner Carlos Albarracin, who led the deal team. “We’re very pleased about our role as underwriter counsel
The opening session included a presentation by the Honorable Judge Luiz Fux,
from the Brazilian
Supreme Court. He talked about the legal protection of
Intellectual Property
and aspects related to law, legal
safety, regulatory
framework and judiciary expertise.
Major Brazilian and foreign experts, as well as
show concrete alternatives that can be quickly implemented.”
multinational corporation representatives, presented the panels. Representatives from General Electric, Almap BBDO, TV Globo, Natura, Unilever, Vale do Rio Doce, and others were also there.
Itamaraty’s Head of the Intellectual Division,
Property Kenneth da
Nóbrega, and Alfred Boll, from the U.S. Department of State, also participated in the debates.
Estudio Echecopar named "2013 Peru Law Firm of the Year" by chambers & Partners
to
BAML and Morgan Stanley in bringing Ecopetrol’s landmark debt offering to market at what is turning out to be an opportune time.”
In addition to Mr. Albarracin, Milbank head of the Global Securites Group Marcelo Mottesi, tax partner Andrew Walker and associates Jennifer Beaudry, Kaveh Namazie and Pablo Echeverri represented the underwriters. The Ecopetrol deal comes on the heels of Milbank’s
underwriters
role advising in Verizon
Communication’s $49 billion sale of senior notes – the largest corporate bond offering on record.
For the second time, Estudio Echecopar, a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International, won the "Peru Law Firm of the Year Award" at
the 2013 Chambers
& PartnersLatin America Awards.
The Firm was
recognized at Chambers' annual awards ceremony held on September 9 in Miami, FL.
The award was given to Echecopar in recognition of its market-leader position within Peru's competitive legal sector, as well as the Firm's newly expanded international
reach since
joining Baker & McKenzie in November 2012.
"It is a great honor to be named the Law Firm of the Year by Chambers, and it is an even greater honor to receive this award for the
second time. This award reflects our uncompromising commitment to providing clients with the quality work and support they need to be successful," said Estudio Echecopar
Partner Ismael Noya.
Chambers also named Baker & McKenzie the first ever winner of the "Regional Client
Service Award"
recognizing the firm on its excellence in client service and the exceptional work provided to clients on a regional level
Managing