About

Number of years practice:
13

Principal practice areas:
Mergers and Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Private Equity, Financing Transactions, Corporate Governance

Languages spoken:
English, Spanish, Portuguese

Antonio Peña represented a power marketer and its affiliated entities, in a wide range of corporate and transactional matters throughout Latin America and the United States, including efforts to enter the United States – Mexico market in the power transmission and distribution sectors, securing the necessary permits associated with the export of electricity from the southern U.S. border states to Mexico, and post-permitting matters associated with power transmission and distribution. He also represented a consortium of investors in its acquisition of the business and assets of McDonald’s Corporation’s Latin American and Caribbean operations; the agreement, valued at more than $700m, resulted in the sale of approximately 1,600 existing restaurants in 18 jurisdictions. He represented one of the leading American multinational financial services companies in its amended joint venture arrangement for the provision of mobile financial services in 13 countries in Latin America, including Mexico. Peña represented affiliates of one of the largest telecommunications companies headquartered in Mexico City in their restructurings in Mexico and the United States. He was also involved inrepresenting a Middle Eastern company in its acquisition of a manufacturing and distribution target with operations in Mexico and Colombia for a purchase price in excess of $2bn.

Other highlights involved representing Equity International, the privately held investor and builder of leading real estate companies outside of the United States, in its investment in a Mexican real estate development company and platform working with institutional and private partners from Mexico, the United States and Europe. He also represented Satelites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V., one of only two privately managed fixed satellite service providers in Latin America, in its offering of $325m in principal amount of new 9.5 percent senior secured notes.

What differentiates your Mexico-facing practice from those of your US competitors and peers?
What is unique to my practice is that I studied law
in both the United States and Mexico, and I am licensed and practicing law in both countries. I don’t believe that there are many of my peers who have this capacity. It offers me a perspective of the practice of law in both countries and the ability to counsel my clients in a way that is best for them and their business. Furthermore, clients feel a certain level of comfort due to my legal experience in both the United States and Mexico, which allows me to bridge the cultural gap between both countries.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of advising Mexico-based clients from an office in the United States?
At Greenberg Traurig, LLP we have the advantage of having an office in Mexico City that offers benefits to both our clients and the firm. Our Mexico team comprises business-savvy attorneys with deep roots in Mexico and a wealth of experience representing both local and international clients. For deals focused within Mexico, we understand the US laws that we need to abide by in addition to those of Mexico, and we leverage the expertise of attorneys in both countries to allocate the work appropriately so that we are efficient and able to deliver the best outcome for our clients.

What changes in the commercial and/or legal market do you anticipate in the 12 months ahead in Mexico?
The new administration in Mexico has made a lot of promises about implementing important changes. Business leaders and investors alike are anxiously waiting in anticipation of possible changes and how they will impact the market. As a result, I expect that we will see an increase of interest from investors in the future as they feel more confident about Mexico’s economy and are able to identify opportunities. Thus, we should see some competitive work for law firms.

What influence will legal technology have on US/Mexico working practices in the future?
Important software has been developed to help lawyers to increase productivity, efficiency, and predictability in managing matters using artificial intelligence tools. In addition, security technology has become very critical for the legal sector and sophisticated software has been developed to protect clients’ information, mainly regarding document management systems. As new software is developed and utilized within the legal sector, international firms – more so than regional firms – will realize the benefits of purchasing software on a large scale. This will allow for US and Mexico practices to fully adapt to the latest in technology.

What is your perception of in-house counsel’s priorities in terms of client service when working with US-based law firms?
In my experience working with in-house counsel, they are most confident with law firms that have a knowledge and a deep understanding of their business. They want to work with attorneys who have expertise in their business or industry and who can allocate resources accordingly in order to deliver quality work coupled with efficiency. Furthermore, as attorneys it is important for us to be able to anticipate issues before they arise and resolve matters as efficiently and quickly as possible. Ultimately, we are their trusted counselors.

View Antonio’s L500 Profile