Colab

Colab merges experience + innovation.

After eight years as managing partner of Gross Brown Law Firm, Jorge Gross Brown, a third-generation lawyer, founded Colab in 2021. Colab offers a fresher and renewed take on the legal industry that focuses on client experience, efficiency and reducing human error.

The company focuses in generating value for its clients by rendering highly specialized services in a range of practice areas, including banking and finance, corporate, M&A, tax efficiency, capital markets, competition, emerging companies and venture capital, energy, negotiation, and arbitration.

In recent years, Colab has managed to position itself as a solid competitor in the local legal market and seeks to be an industry leader. Its business model challenges the traditional outlook by growing in efficiency and technology rather than a heavy structure.

Banking and finance: Colab retains the expertise of highly complex financial transactions and financial/banking regulation but introduces innovation to the mix. As a result, Colab has advised, and continued to advise, in major project finances such as:

(i) the financing of the private public partnership in Paraguay for the construction, refurbishing, and maintenance of Route PY 02;
(ii) the Paracel Project for the construction of an integrated greenfield sustainable pulp mill located in the region of Concepción, Paraguay, with an annual production capacity of at least 1.8 million;
(iii) a project financing for the design, development, construction, and operation of a new tertiary hospital in Asuncion, Paraguay in affiliation with Mount Sinai International LLC, and
(iv) a US$500 project to set up a 420MW world-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production plant in Villeta, Paraguay, among others.

Its client list includes in the banking and finance sector include, IDB Invest, US DFC, CAF, Rabobank, Atome Energy, FIC S.A. de Finanzas, Banco Familiar, S.A.E.C.A., Atria Logistica, Fundación Moises Bertoni, etc.

Corporate/M&A: Colab also has a strong corporate and M&A practice. Colab’s practice involves advising clients from day-to-day business transactions and corporate structure to advising in frequent M&A deals of all sizes and sorts. Colab also incorporates a strong tax view on all corporate matters to always suggest the most efficient tax structure according to the client’s needs.

Among the many matters that Colab handles are the general operation and oversight of company groups such as Molecular Energies, Torrecom Group, and Cabaña La Paz. Molecular Energies has a diverse portfolio in Paraguay that includes, oil and gas exploration, venture capital, green hydrogen, and ammonia production, and FinTech. Torrecom is solely dedicated to telecommunications infrastructure services.

Tax: Colab incorporates tax input in every transaction and advise to its clients, whether it is in the energy sector, or a fintech raising capital, or a large-scale project finance, all transactions are looked at with special take on tax efficiency. Additionally, Colab advises several clients on reducing tax impact of their operations by various legal mechanisms.

Start-ups and VCs: Colab is the undisputed market leader in the start-up and VCs scene in Paraguay. Colab began its existence as an innovation-oriented company and identifies with a lean start-up philosophy. As a result, it understands the needs of this market, operate regionally, and is constantly designing new solutions. Colab has been recognized as the go-to firm for Latam start-ups that are looking to land in Paraguay. Likewise, Colab has skin in the game and is also partner to other LegalTechs, such as Brevity.pro. Similarly, Colab also advises the most relevant VC firms active in Paraguay.

Energy: Colab is also a strong player in the energy market and is active both in renewable alternative sources as well as traditional energy sources. Colab has advised on two of the three largest power purchase agreements secured by privet companies with ANDE. Jorge Ignacio’s recent participation as special adviser to the General Director of Itaipú Binacional (the world’s largest hydroelectric energy production plant) to prepare a roadmap for negotiating Paraguay’s strategic interests in the infrastructure co-owned with Brazil also positioned him as a relevant player in the energy market.