Mexico: Capital Markets
Capital markets work in Mexico has grown significantly in the past year: in the previous edition of this guide we featured only 12 lawyers in this area, and this year we feature 25. The increase in refinancing, particularly in real estate and the energy industry, has fuelled activity for lawyers and prompted more specialisation in this field, which is expected to continue into the next year while new money deals appear to be thin on the ground.
Mijares Angoitia Cortés y Fuentes SC has five lawyers listed and is universally recommended for its securities and markets expertise. Horacio de Uriarte has been a member of the firm for over 17 years, during which time he has acted for buyers, sellers and investors on private equity deals, IPOs and compliance. His clients include JPMorgan, TransCanada Pipelines, Alagem Capital and Citigroup Property Investments, among other major companies. His work involves advising and assisting corporate entities on venture financing, mainly in the construction, natural resources and financing industries. Manuel Echave Pintado counsels domestic and international companies and financial institutions on structured financing in joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. He has acted for Bank of America and Deutsche Bank among other leading entities. The “well known” Ricardo Maldonado-Yáñez sources, negotiates and drafts loan agreements for financial institutions and investors on corporate ventures and alliances. He has worked on behalf of Grupo Televisa, Credit Suisse and Pepsi-Gemex. José Raz-Guzmán has an active practice representing lenders and investors for projects in commercial and residential property, aircraft construction and corporate buyouts. He counts ING Bank and Grupo Mexico as clients. As part of his practice Patricio Trad Cepeda advises clients on a range of equity and debt issues, as well as compliance and antitrust matters surrounding mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances. His peers consider him “a smart practitioner”.
At Ritch Mueller SC, special adviser James Ritch is a notable figure in the Mexican capital finance industry. A “senior statesman” at the bar, he acts as an ambassador for the firm, particularly in equities, securities, financing and antitrust matters. Luis Nicolau was involved in drafting the Securities Market Law and has advised the Mexican Stock Exchange on IPOs, Santander on sales and purchases of capital assets and JPMorgan on share acquisition. He is a “definite inclusion”. Octavio Olivo Villa has a niche interest in aviation financing, acting for clients such as BlackRock and HSBC Capital. He is “highly regarded” by peers and also features in our transport chapter for his specialist knowledge. Former government lawyer, Pablo Perezalonso Eguía has broad experience in securities, derivatives and capital markets, with an emphasis on foreign debt securities and investments. Some of his core clients include BBVA Bancomer, Scotiabank, Credit Suisse, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank and UBS. Federico Santacruz features in the capital markets, banking and project finance chapters for his “impressive” work in financing for aircraft transport and energy projects, counselling clients such as US Airways, Ansett Aviation Capital Group, Bell Helicopter and RBS Aerospace.
Galicia Abogados SC boasts four inclusions this year. The “distinguished” Juan Manuel González is of counsel to the firm and provides specialist advice on the financing of infrastructural projects. He has over 16 years of experience in this field, as does Alejandro de la Borbolla O, who additionally features in the M&A chapter for his “client-focused approach”. Francisco Fernández Cueto’s practice is centred on infrastructural development relating to aerospace and satellite telecommunication ventures. Christian Lippert is an expert at “combining the legal and business issues in getting agreements done”.
Two prominent lawyers feature from Creel García-Cuéllar Aiza y Enríquez SC: Carlos Aiza, who is recommended by peers and clients, and Jean Michel Enriquez Dahlhaus who was described as “very capable of illustrating the alternatives and working with clients”. Aiza also features in the real estate and insolvency and restructuring chapters as his work involves restructuring finance and principally advising on IPOs for REITS and commercial financiers, such as Prudential Financial. Dahlhaus advises on financing and M&A matters within the pharmaceutical industry, earning an additional listing in that chapter.
From Diaz de Rivera y Mangino SC, Guillermo Diaz de Rivera Alvarez has a “wealth of knowledge” informed by his in-house experience and membership on the boards of leading aerospace companies in Mexico. He is an experienced capital markets and securities lawyer. Similarly, Xavier Mangino Duenas has corporate experience advising on securities and economic strategy for clients.
At Kuri Breña Sánchez Ugarte y Aznar SC, Daniel Kuri Breña Romero de Terreros has over 25 years of experience advising major clients on financial transactions, M&A, securities and general corporate law, and enjoys further listings in the banking, M&A and project finance chapters as a result.
At Forastieri Abogados SC, Francisco Forastieri is a corporate lawyer, with an emphasis on private equity, structured finance, restructurings and workouts. He advises clients in the energy, insurance, IP, entertainment and telecommunications industries.
Thomas Heather of his own law firm, Heather & Heather, is “one of the best known lawyers” in Mexico for capital markets and banking work. He assists Mexican distressed companies on insolvency proceedings and restructurings and “commands respect” for his corporate governance and M&A knowledge, having acted for leading domestic and foreign entities on compliance and regulatory concerns.
Central lawyer at Robles Miaja Abogados, Rafael Robles Miaja is an experienced lawyer who acts for Telmex, Group Carso and Bolsa Mexicana. He advises on IPOs, project financing, strategy and banking matters. He also has over 20 years of experience working with corporate boards on alliances and governance issues.
Guillermo Uribe from Thompson & Knight LLP is a former director of corporate finance at the National Banking and Securities Commission. He brings this regulatory experience to his private practice, counselling banks, brokerage firms and the government on securitisations, loans and the arranging of financial assets.
Managing partner of the Mexico City office of White & Case LLP, Alberto Sepúlveda Cosío is a leading transactions lawyer and acts for Walmart and AeroMexico.
González Calvillo SC boasts Jaime Cortés Álvarez, a bonds specialist who has been involved in major deals, such as the offering of one of Mexico’s largest homebuilders, Urbi, worth $150 million.