Latin America - Latin America: International firms
A&O Shearman
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The fruit of a merger betweeen two global heavyweights, A&O Shearman fields an impressive Latin America-focused finance practice that has presence and profile in the acquisition finance, export finance, structured finance, corporate lending, and restructurings and refinancing segments. The group represents a healthy array of financial institutions (including Barclays, JP Morgan, BNP Paribas and Banamex), along with various DFIs and ECAs, as well as institutional investors, corporates and private equity funds. The team further demonstrates particular experience in corporate lending and is making a further impression in growth areas such as sustainability-linked finance and ESG-related loans. Senior partner Denise Grant has deep bank finance, and project finance and development experience, and an enviable trajectory in Latin America financings throughout the region. Metals and mining specialist Cynthia Urda Kassis is also active in project and development finance across the region; while co-head of the Americas projects, energy, natural resources & infrastructure group, Dorina Yessios is noted for energy and infrastructure financings. New York-based Sami Mir is co-head of the US agency practice and is pivotal to the firm’s connections to ECAs, MLAs, DFIs and commercial lenders; while Todd Koretzky (banking, leveraged finance, corporate finance and private credit) is highlighted for acquisition financings in the region. Promoted to the partnership in 2022, dual-qualified (New York/Peru) Augusto Ruiloba is another key member of the team and is particularly noted for acquisition financings in the energy, mining and infrastructure sectors, particularly in Mexico, Chile and Peru. Now based in Washington DC, dual-qualified (New York/Brazil) counsel André de Paiva Teixeira focuses on project and leveraged financing as part of his broader corporate transactional practice. Named individuals are based in New York unless stated otherwise. Since publication, Sao Paulo-based Bruno Soares and New York's Joseph Stefano have both left the firm - in February and April 2024 respectively
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘A&O Shearman’s knowledge, connections with banks and other law firms make the job easier. The guidance on the due course of actions to be taken and the patience to explain the rationale behind their recommendations is something that makes them different from other firms. Also the presence of the partner in the deal is palpable, which is something that other firms don't do very often.’
‘Denise Grant, is one the best lawyers I've ever worked with. She is well connected to other firms and is able to sort things in a very quick and beneficial way. She also has a lot of patience to guide us through the different alternatives to close the deals and to be by our side.’
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Key clients
- Barclays
- JP Morgan
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Work highlights
- Advised a group of lenders on a series of loans (with an aggregate value of $897m), to Cencosud, to finance the $676m acquisition of a majority stake in The Fresh Market.
- Represented a group of lenders in a $1.54bn three-year senior unsecured revolving credit facility for state-owned electricity utility Comisión Federal de Electricidad de México (CFE).
Abbreviated data is displayed for this firm.