Dechert LLP

Dechert is a leading global law firm with 22 offices around the world. We advise on matters and transactions of the greatest complexity, bringing energy, creativity and efficient management of legal issues to deliver commercial and practical advice for clients.

History of the firm: Founded in Philadelphia in 1875, Dechert has advised on matters involving Latin America for more than three decades. Its international network of trusted local counsel is bolstered by the firm’s foreign lawyer program, where lawyers from Latin American relationship firms are seconded to Dechert and vice versa.

Main areas of practice
Corporate and securities: Dechert’s corporate lawyers have advised companies seeking to expand their traction both within and outside Latin America for more than three decades. The firm represents buyers, sellers and advisers in connection with mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures. Dechert also handles a full range of corporate finance transactions, including initial public offerings and follow-on equity offerings, Rule 144A and Regulation S offerings, rights offerings, tender and exchange offers, and sovereign debt offerings.

Financial restructuring: Dechert represents distressed companies, buyers of distressed assets, investors in debt, equity holders and creditors in every phase of the insolvency and corporate recovery lifecycle in Latin America. The firm focuses on achieving clients’ financial and business goals in the most expedient manner possible, including advocating on their behalf.

Financial services and asset management: Dechert offers a broad range of transactional and regulatory services to Latin American banks, broker-dealers, investment managers, insurance companies and other financial institutions. It works closely with local counsel to facilitate public and private offerings of foreign collective investment schemes across the region. The firm has assisted clients in listing exchange-traded funds on Latin American stock exchanges and facilitated the approval of shares/units of investment funds for sale to pension funds administrators in Chile and Peru.

Global investigations: Dechert has considerable experience investigating and advising on anti-corruption compliance issues in Latin America, as well as matters involving tax and accounting fraud, money laundering and insider trading. The firm brings particular expertise to bear on matters involving FCPA and UK Bribery Act compliance, and also advises on civil and cartel investigations.

International arbitration and litigation: Dechert lawyers have acted as counsel or arbitrator in landmark arbitration proceedings involving Latin American parties, acting for and against state parties, majority and minority shareholders in joint ventures, and independent contractors. The firm also advises clients regarding their rights and remedies under investment treaties and other international instruments.

Governments, global corporations, corporate and sovereign debt holders, hedge funds and other financial institutions rely on the firm’s international litigators to resolve their most intractable cross-border commercial disputes, whether before courts, administrative tribunals or regulatory bodies. Its recent experience includes handling cross-border insolvency, sovereign debt and other commercial disputes involving such countries as Argentina, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Nicaragua.

International trade: Dechert handles a wide range of international trade matters, including export controls, economic sanctions, trade embargoes, customs procedures, trade defense measures and national security reviews of foreign direct investment. The firm’s practitioners include former national and multinational officials, comprising regulators, compliance officers, enforcement agents, trade negotiators and public affairs experts.