Attracting strong reviews from clients, the corporate and M&A practice at Serrano Martínez CMA is roundly praised as ‘commercial, responsive, proactive, obsessed with client service and substantively brilliant’. The newly merged group — the result of an October 2023 merger between legacy firms Correa Merino Agudelo Abogados and Serrano Martínez — brings together strong skill sets in M&A, reorganisations, venture capital and contentious work, as well as offices in Colombia’s two major business hubs: Bogotá and Medellín. The ’extremely committed’ Juan Diego Martinez co-heads the department and recently advised Grupo Vanti on a joint venture transaction with leading Colombian gas companies to finance the retail acquisition of natural gas-fuelled trucks. Fellow group co-head Camilo Merino specialises in M&A and venture capital, and is particularly noted for technology and start-up-related matters. A talented band of non-partners includes associate practice directors Alejandro Medina and Sebastián Morales Agudelo, as well as intermediate associate Valentina Castillo B.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘An incredible team all around. Commercial, responsive, proactive, obsessed with client service and substantively brilliant.’

  • ‘Juan Diego Martínez is incredibly commercial and responsive, a clear communicator, a business visionary who uses tech to make the firm better, hires and trains the smartest and hardest working associates, and brings the full resources of the firm to the table for representations.’

  • ‘We value its legal knowledge (it has deep understanding of local laws and regulations, as well as relevant judicial and administrative procedures); its experience in resolving cases (its experience in a wide range of legal areas allows it to effectively guide clients); and its ability to advise on options and risks.’

  • ‘Lawyers are busy professionals in the field, keeping technical knowledge at the forefront to facilitate M&A transactions and always providing effective alternatives that protect and solve negotiations.’

  • ‘I have direct contact with Camilo Merino. Camilo and his team of professionals are excellent human beings and adapt their way of working to what the client needs.’

  • ‘It made a playbook that helped us enormously to be more efficient internally with the contracts we manage concerning our clients. This playbook included typical cases and showed us the paths to take in each case. This meant that we did not have to contact lawyers on a daily basis but could be more self-sufficient.’

  • ‘Juan Diego Martínez is extremely committed to his clients. You can see the interest he has in understanding his clients' business and being attentive to everything that is needed.’

  • ‘A team with specialists in the diversity of corporate issues that are required in the day-to-day life of a company. The value of this practice is the interaction between the differing areas of expertise, which generates well-structured proposals.’

Key clients

  • Grupo Vanti
  • Chevron Petroleum Company
  • Orbia (Mexichem)
  • WPD Wind Worldwide
  • Southern Bridge Capital
  • Solenis
  • AFP Protección
  • Essity Colombia
  • Mercadolibre Colombia
  • Constructora Conconcreto

Work highlights

  • Advised Grupo Vanti on a joint venture transaction with leading Colombian gas companies to finance the retail acquisition of natural gas-fuelled trucks.
  • Acted as local counsel to the sole shareholder and founder of Endrock LLC, and its subsidiary in Colombia Endrock SAS, on the $17.1m sale of Endrock to Power Digital Marketing.
  • Advised Impetu Ventures on the investment in a Series Seed investment round for Bukz.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Juan Diego Martínez, Camilo Merino