Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton’s prestigious history in Latin America, coupled with its extensive team of Latin America capital markets specialists, endows it with a virtually unrivalled standing in the region. The firm is a dominant force in Brazil and Mexico (along with multiple other jurisdictions), and represents a high proportion of the largest companies in Latin America, routinely advising them on SEC reporting obligations. Effectively, from large-scale initial public offerings (IPOs) to liability management transactions and green bonds, it is something of a gold standard. The firm also remains choice counsel to a number of sovereign states such as the Republic of Uruguay, Dominican Republic and United Mexican States (Mexico), and is designated underwriters’ counsel to the Republic of Chile. The practice is also generally at the forefront of new market trends; it recently advised the Republic of Uruguay on the country’s $1.5bn sustainability-linked bonds offering, the first sustainability-linked bond issuance by Uruguay and only the second ever by a sovereign. Jorge Juantorena is a leader in Latin America capital markets offerings, particularly in Mexico; he led the team that advised long-time client Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) on its $2bn liability management transaction in 2022. São Paulo-based partner Juan Giráldez has an impressive record in sovereign offerings, liability management transactions and debt restructurings. Francesca Odell is another partner with huge experience of big ticket Brazil and Mexico offerings. Manuel Silva, Duane McLaughlin and Adam Brenneman are also key partners; while counsels Jonathan Mendes De Oliveira (in São Paulo) and Emilio Minvielle – additional practitioners of note – further serve to illustrate the team’s strength-in-depth. Nicolas Grabar is now senior counsel having retired from the partnership. All named individuals are based in New York unless stated otherwise. Since research concluded, Medes de Oliveira has been raised to the partnership and Minvielle has left the firm – effective as of October 2023.