Biography: Mergers and Acquisitions

Fulvio Italiani has been named one of the leading M&A, finance and general corporate lawyers in Venezuela by numerous surveys.

Over the past few years, Fulvio Italiani has been involved in many of the largest M&A and financing transactions taking place in Venezuela. In 2010, Fulvio represented AEI and The Williams Companies Inc in the sale of Accroven to PDVSA Gas, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc as dealer manager in connection with Petróleos de Venezuela SA's US$3 billion aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes Due 2017. In 2009, he represented Banco Santander in the sale of Banco de Venezuela to the Venezuelan government for US$1.05 billion, Ternium in the sale of Sidor to the Venezuelan government for US$1.97 billion, and CNPC Services in connection with an oil and gas services joint venture with PDVSA Servicios. In 2008, Fulvio represented DaimlerChrysler as Venezuelan counsel in the transfer of the transfer of its Venezuelan assets to Chrysler de Venezuela, and McDonald's Corp as Venezuelan counsel in connection with the US$700 million sale of approximately 1,600 restaurants in Latin America and the Caribbean to a franchisee organisation led by Wood Staton. In 2007, Fulvio represented Ashmore Energy International (AEI) in its sale of Vengas, CA, the leading Venezuelan domestic gas distributor, to PDVSA Gas, ABN Amro and Econoinvest Casa de Bolsa in the tender offer for Compañía Anónima Nacional Teléfonos de Venezuela (CANTV) made by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for US$1.7 billion, and the board of directors of CA La Electricidad de Caracas (EDC) in the tender offer for EDC made by Petróleos de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA) for US$900 million. In 2006, he represented Teléfonos de México, SA de CV (Telmex) and América Móvil, SA de CV in their agreement with Verizon Communications, Inc to acquire Verizon's equity interest in Compañía Anónima Nacional Teléfonos de Venezuela (CANTV), for US$676.6 million. In the period from 2000 to 2004, Fulvio represented The AES Corporation in its US$1.8 billion unsolicited tender offer for CA La Electricidad de Caracas; Sidor Ternium in its US$1 billion and US$1.8 billion financial restructurings; Empresas Polar in its US$501 million negotiated tender offer for Mavesa SA; The AES Corporation and CA La Electricidad de Caracas in their joint US$1.4 billion unsolicited tender offer for Compañía Anónima Nacional Teléfonos de Venezuela (CANTV); Empresas Polar in the US$568 million sale of its shareholding in Unión de Cervecerías Peruanas Backus & Johnston SAA (Backus), to Grupo Empresarial Bavaria; and La Electricidad de Caracas in the issuance of its US$260 million 10.25 per cent Notes due 2014.

Fulvio has also represented international and Venezuelan clients in arbitrations under several rules systems, including the ICC rules, and acted as the chairman of an arbitration panel in connection with a dispute involving a joint venture agreement between a Venezuelan company and a US company.

Fulvio Italiani is a partner at D'Empaire Reyna Abogados, Caracas, Venezuela. Before becoming a partner at D'Empaire, Fulvio Italiani worked as an associate at the New York office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP from 1993 to 1996. He studied law at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Caracas (JD summa cum laude, 1990). He is fluent in Spanish, English and Italian.