Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

LatAm

Maurizio Levi-Minzi is an M&A lawyer with nearly 30 years of experience advising clients in complex joint ventures and cross-border acquisitions of a broad variety of assets in sectors such as energy, asset management infrastructure and consumer products. Mr. Levi-Minzi has led transactions in Latin America, the United States, Europe and Asia for private equity groups and strategic investors including Ambev, Barrick, Brookfield, BTG Pactual, Carlyle, Clessidra, CPPIB, CSN, GP Investments, H.I.G. Capital Management and Mitsui. He is ranked as a leading lawyer for mergers and acquisitions in Latin America by Chambers Global (2022), Chambers Latin America (2023), Latin Lawyer 250 (2022) and The Legal 500 Latin America (2023).

In Chambers Global (2023) and Chambers Latin America (2023), clients note that Mr. Levi-Minzi is “sharp as they come” with “terrific commercial instinct and remarkable responsiveness.” Clients have also said that Mr. Levi-Minzi is an “extremely experienced M&A expert” who is “a master in negotiations” and is “particularly good in handling complex matters.” He is said to have “excellent judgement” and is “a really great hands-on lawyer” who “is calm under pressure, asks the right questions, and always looks for the commercial solution.” He has also received praise for his work style: “He’s got a sense of humour, which is always helpful.” Mr. Levi-Minzi is also recognized as a leading M&A lawyer by IFLR1000 (2022) and has been named an “Expert in Mining” by Who’s Who Legal (2022). He co-authored the article “Private Equity Funds and Institutional Investors in M&A” in Latin Lawyer’s Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions,” (February, 2021). He also co-authored Latin Lawyer’s article entitled “A Yellow Brick Road for Brazilian Investors?” (July, 2016), “Going to El Norte,” (August, 2015) and “Lost in Translation,” (April, 2014), which discussed legal concepts in cross-border M&A with a focus on Brazil and the U.S. He is also the co-author of “Drilling For PE Deal Opportunities,” The Mining Journal (December, 2014); “Royalties in Peru and Chile,” The Mining Journal (August, 2014); “Private Equity & Venture Capital in Latin America deal structuring,” BVCA International Series (November, 2013); “Giving Notice,” International Financial Law Review (September, 2012); “How To Notify Under Brazil’s New Pre-Merger Antitrust Regime,” International Financial Law Review (August, 2012); “Brazil Effects New Merger Control Regime,” The Deal (August, 2012) and “Brick By Brick: Brazil,” Private Equity Manager (March, 2012).

In 2020, Mr. Levi-Minzi participated in the panel “Trends in M&A Contractual Practices in Brazil and the United States” at the inaugural “M&A Conference of the Americas” (MACA), in São Paulo. In 2019, he moderated a panel on “Deal-making in 2019 and beyond: everything you need to know” at the Latin Lawyer Live 10th Annual Private Equity conference, in New York, and on “Leading Complex Transactions” at the LACCA Live 10th Regional São Paulo Meeting, in Brazil. He also discussed trends in the Latin America M&A market at the IBA M&A Latin America Conference in Santiago, Chile.

Mr. Levi-Minzi is an adjunct professor of law at New York University, where he teaches a popular course in cross-border M&A. He also co-taught in 2022 cross-border M&A as visiting professor at the University of Sao Paulo (USP).

Mr. Levi-Minzi is a 1993 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and holds an M.B.A. in Finance from Golden Gate University. Prior to joining the firm, he was a banker with NMB Bank (ING Bank) in New York. Mr. Levi-Minzi is fluent in Italian and Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.