14
World Report - Latin America
SEPTEMBER 2014
THREE-LAWYER ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE TEAM JOINS CHADBOURNE IN MEXICO CITY
Chadbourne & Parke has announced that a three-lawyer energy and infrastructure team has joined the firm in its Mexico City office. David Jiménez Romero joins as an International Partner and will become Managing Partner of the Mexico City office. Javier F. Félix Muñoz and Roberto Huesca Estrada join as associates. The group comes from KPMG, where they provided legal counsel to a variety of companies and government agencies in Mexico in the implementation of energy and infrastructure projects.
“We are focused on building our capabilities in Mexico City, and we are extremely pleased to add David and his team,” said Allen Miller, co-head of the firm’s Latin America practice. “We recruited the team because we believe they are an excellent fit for both our Latin America and Project Finance practices.”
“David and his team have broad and deep experience leading energy and infrastructure projects,” said Rohit Chaudhry, co-head of the firm’s Project Finance practice. “They will help the firm realize significant opportunities offered by the regulatory reforms in Mexico that will be opening up the energy sector to increased international investment.”
“David and his team will make an important contribution to the further development and growth of our premier Latin America practice,” said Talbert Navia, co-head of the firm’s Latin America practice.”
Previously as a partner with KPMG, Mr. Jiménez has been involved in major energy and infrastructure projects in Mexico representing both private and public entities, advising and representing multinational companies to structure infrastructure projects in energy, oil and gas, roads, transport, water, telecommunications, airports, and public private partnerships (P3/ PPP). He has been involved in major infrastructure privatization processes carried out by the Mexican
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government, such as sale of equity, assets and debt of state-owned companies, including railroads, satellites, airports, natural gas and in the awarding of public services concessions. He has been actively involved in assisting and representing multinational companies and consortia to participate in a large number of international public bids in Mexico. His practice also includes legal advice in international public tenders for the granting of concessions, public works, and P3/ PPP, including independent power projects (IPP), build-lease-transfers
(BLT), and build-operate-transfers (BOT). Mr. Jimenez received a JD from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and a LLM from the Université de Paris II (Panteón-Assas).
Mr. Felix has provided legal advice and assistance to national and international companies and Mexican government agencies and entities regarding the development of infrastructure projects, including social infrastructure projects, oil and gas projects, power generating projects, among others. He has
also assisted companies and government entities with respect to their participation in governmental acquisition procedures, public works projects, concessions and PPP/ P3 projects, including regulatory compliance matters and the involvement of participants in all stages of public bids for the award of contracts for the acquisition of goods and services, public works and the services agreements. Mr. Felix received an LLB from the Universidad Iberoamericana Laguna.
URÍA MENÉNDEZ TO TAKE PART IN MAJOR LATIN AMERICAN LAW FIRM
Philippi (Chile) and Prietocarrizosa (Colombia), two of Uría Menéndez’s best friend firms, have announced what will be the first merger in Latin America between two leading law firms in their countries. Uría Menéndez has acquired a 30% stake in the new firm. The merger between the two Latin American firms and Uría Menéndez’s stake will produce one of Latin America’s main law firms.
The new firm will start operating on 1 January 2015 under the name of Philippi, Prietocarrizosa & Uría. It will have 220 lawyers and offices in Santiago (Chile), Bogota and Barranquilla (Colombia). The firm will benefit from Uría Menéndez’s resources: 530 lawyers and offices in Latin America, the United States, Europe and Asia. Management duties will be delegated in a steering committee with six partners, including a senior partner and a managing partner.
This is the first phase of a project that responds to the interest of European, Asian and North American companies in the Pacific Alliance’s member states (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru). The growth of this Alliance, which is now regarded as the eighth economy in the world, confirms the potential for growth of the countries that form it, which have been joining
forces for several years now to achieve economic integration. These changes are an opportunity for law firms to offer services within a transnational context. Thus, the intention is to expand to other markets in the future, such as Peru and Mexico, and work towards a full integration with Uría Menéndez.
This initiative is a major milestone in Uría Menéndez’s international strategy that consolidates its commitment with Latin America, where it has been actively involved for 17 years. Uría Menéndez has evolved from a local law firm, to a leading Iberian firm and a reference in Latin America with presence in the world’s key financial centres.
Luis de Carlos, Uría Menéndez’s managing partner, stated “we are very proud to take part in such an exciting project with our friends from Philippi and Prietocarrizosa. We have developed close ties with Latin America for almost two decades now and are confident that this venture, which represents an innovative approach to the legal services industry in Latin America, will be a great success.”
As Juan Francisco Gutiérrez, Philippi’s chairman, points out “this deal is the result of the development,
consolidation
and constant innovation process within our firm. For a long time we had identified the need to join the growing internationalization process that Chilean companies are experiencing, particularly in the Pacific Alliance region. We are fortunate to join forces with two law firms with which we have a longstanding relationship in addition to sharing professional ethics and values. This has paved the way to pioneer this approach and most importantly, to address our clients’ needs.”
According Carrizosa,
Prietocarrizosa’s to member
Martín of
executive
committee,“entrepreneurs and many multinationals view Latin America in general, and the countries of the Pacific Alliance in particular, as a new and distinct legal market where added-value legal advice is required. Many of our clients are already present in several Latin American countries, or are in the process of expanding their business in the region. This initiative is a response to their needs and our responsibility to join forces with them offering the best possible legal advice. The new law firm will allow us to combine our local experience with an extended Latin American presence.”
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