GC Latin America Survey 2020

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Contributed by González Calvillo

Some readers may know that González Calvillo has uninterruptedly partnered with The Legal 500 in sponsoring the Private Practice Powerlist: US-Mexico for several years. Looking back, each of the issues from 2017 onwards contained widely distinct business messages from our firm, ranging from record-breaking transactional work and law firm profits on 2017, to the forced …

Contributed by Ricardo Veirano, Managing Partner, Veirano Advogados, Brazil*

It is not news that the role of in-house counsel has become increasingly demanding and complex. The flip side to that is that the in-house counsel role has become even more strategic, challenging and stimulating than it was 5 or 10 years ago. We live in a world which is much more regulated than it …

Contributed by Thania Gómez, EY Law

This article contains an overview of the impact that COVID-19 has had around various sectors of the Dominican legal market, as well as some of the legal solutions that have emerged to tackle the crisis that the pandemic has brought with it. Firstly, it should be recalled that the Dominican Republic has traditionally been characterized …

Contributed by Antonia Stolper, Grissel Mercado, Alexandro M. Padrés and Roberta Berliner Cherman, Shearman & Sterling LLP

Introduction In Latin America, concern for environmental and social issues is high and made more urgent in the Coronavirus era. Scarcely a day passes without newly issued statistics, a newly created ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) index, investor groups weighing in, or a domestic or international political initiative in the area. ESG is a complex …

Contributed by Ana Clement, EY Law

This chapter will cover a general description of Panama, taking into consideration several positive and strategic complements that influence the services that may be promoted in different areas such as business, logistics, financial and maritime matters that are seen from a global perspective. In this sense, Panama, as a country with a privileged geographic position …

Contributed by Mónica Machuca, EY

This article aims to show the legal environment that El Salvador is experiencing, both before the pandemic, at the present time, and how it might look in the future once COVID-19 is learned to live with. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the smallest country in Central America is being threatened with an economic recession like never …

Contributed by Maria-Leticia Ossa Daza, Jorge Kamine and Matthew Vitorla, Willkie Farr & Gallagher

The Promised Energy and Infrastructure Investment Opportunities In the early months of this year before COVID-19 became a global pandemic, all indications were that 2020 would be another record-setting year for investment in energy and infrastructure throughout Latin America. Significant institutional capital was being raised by debt and equity funds with an increasing appetite for …

Contributed by Indacochea & Asociados

It’s no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced human coexistence to rethink, revalue and reinvent itself in all aspects. Indacochea Asociados (IA) attorneys were no exception. During this time, the Bolivian National Government issued a series of regulations in order to mitigate the impacts on our country. Regulations were focused mainly on labor matters, …

Contributed by Fernando Vargas-Winiker, EY Law

This article contains an overview on Costa Rica, taking into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in certain areas, coupled with the acceleration of trends that were already in motion before this pandemic started, all amid a ‘new normal’ stage that continuously triggers game-changing and challenging transformations. Costa Rica, with its long-standing democratic tradition …

Contributed by María del Mar Heredia (senior associate) and Agustín Acosta Cárdenas (partner), Paz Horowitz Abogados

Regardless of the fact that Ecuador’s economy is the eighth largest in Latin America and the Caribbean (among 33 countries), Ecuador has amazing potential of business activities in the mining, energy, tourism and agriculture industries. With large natural mineral reserves (in gold, cooper and iron), amazing conditions for the development of energy projects, especially photovoltaic …

Contributed by Ruby Asturias, EY Law

As a macroeconomic preamble, Guatemala is a developing country highly dependent on agricultural products, textile manufacturing, remittances sent by expats and a strong informal economy (which represents 22% of the overall GDP). The country enjoys a stable currency without drastic inflation, even with the COVID-19 crisis, the cumulative inflation rate is at 2.16% and has …

Contributed by Diaz Reus

Fraudsters, money launderers, and corrupt government officials in Latin America (LATAM) have been running rampant, capitalizing on the coronavirus emergency. COVID-19 is posing unprecedented challenges to compliance professionals in LATAM, both in-house and external, for preventing, detecting, and reacting appropriately to compliance risks, especially in a remote working environment replete with financial strains, and massive …

Contributed by Andrés Lacayo Rodríguez, EY Law

The following article contains an overview on Honduras and the impact that COVID-19 has had in different regions country-wide. Honduras has a population of approximately nine million, and, like most countries, is struggling in many areas due to the pandemic. Honduras has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in the Central American region. …

Contributed by Schwencke & Cia

Sanitary and economic crises are challenging Chile’s modernization. Great leadership to guide Chile in combining the right experiences from the past and adapting the country to new demands and reality will be needed to overcome social and economic difficulties Chile is currently facing. Chile is generally regarded as South America’s most stable and prosperous country, …

Contributed by Carlos Ayón-Lacayo and Victor Valle, EY Law

According to official figures, Nicaragua has maintained a growth rate of 4.7% and 4.5% in 2016 and 2017 respectively. However, due to the social and political unrest that the country has experienced since April 2018, the economy has slowed down. According to the Central Bank of Nicaragua, for 2018 the economy contracted by 5.016%. Despite …

Contributed by Emil R. Infante and Brian F. McEvoy, Polsinelli

Though not exactly a household name, Sergei Magnitsky has come to symbolize the American and Western efforts to combat foreign corruption and money laundering across the globe. Understanding these recent efforts is critical for general counsel operating in international markets. Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian tax accountant who worked closely with one of Russia’s largest …

Contributed by Manuel Rajunov (Partner), Michael Silva (Partner) and Gregory Weigand (Partner), McDermott Will & Emery

Introduction As the COVID-19 pandemic creates significant uncertainty and unique challenges in the global investment environment, its impact on Latin America presents several opportunities for private equity funds. In navigating the new investment landscape with respect to their Latin American investment programs, there are number of corporate, finance and tax issues PE funds should consider …

Contributed by Vinatea & Toyama

During COVID-19, the Peruvian government has approved transitory regulations that, by making the management of labor relations more flexible, have allowed the continuity of labor relationships. For example, the Emergency Decree extraordinarily allows employers to apply leave without payment to its employees, provided that it is approved by the Ministry of Labor. In addition, regulations …

Contributed by Detlef Huber, Carpentum Capital

Funding Landscape in Latin America A lot is different in Latin America, compared to the Anglo-American world. This is also the case as regards litigation or arbitration funding. The language to start with, civil law v common law, duration of court proceedings, popularity of arbitration, the price of legal advice and much more. Whereas litigation …

Contributed by Vouga Abogados

The COVID-19 pandemic hit Paraguay’s economy very hard and just when the country was recovering after a period of stagnation (-3% year-to-date in the first half of 2019). 2019 wasn’t a good year for employment either, the combined unemployment and underemployment rate reaching 14.5% in the first half of the year and retracting to 12.9% …

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