White & Case LLP

White & Case LLP has a dedicated Latin America M&A practice, which has achieved considerable growth over the past five years. The team is primarily centred in Houston and has a major focus on energy and power transactions. Financial services and an increasing number of technology deals are also core to the practice, with the team working on a series of growth capital transactions, particularly in fintech. Real estate transactions connected to the nearshoring arena in Mexico are also fortifying the practice. The team has a fine record in Brazil, Mexico and Chile, along with a growing presence in Peru, Costa Rica and other smaller economies. William Parish is a leading Latin America M&A practitioner in energy and power, as is Rodrigo Dominguez, who is also building the group’s presence in growth capital and technology transactions. Emilio Grandío is another key member of the team, both in Latin America M&A and private equity, as is associate Luisa Muskus. In São Paulo, Donald Baker is at the pinnacle of the profession among international practitioners, bringing his reputation and expertise to a range of deals, notably in the technology and growth capital fields. All named individuals are based in Houston unless stated otherwise.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘The M&A practice is very complete and active. They are clear about their cooperative role but also about the relevant points of the client that they must defend. I also highlight that they care about maintaining a good relationship with the respective local firm, which helps a lot to ensure that the final product is of excellent quality.’
‘I worked a lot with Emilio Grandío in a very complex, stressful transaction and we were up against time. He did excellent legal work and managed to move the deal forward. I highlight his intelligence, flexibility and great negotiating skills.’
‘W&C team has combined top tier sophisticated M&A practice with deep Latin America understanding, which has proved an unique resource.’
‘W&C team is agile and have a high level of knowledge. They are highly trained professionals with a broad view of the market and issues surrounding the transactions and how to properly address them. They bring innovative and safe solutions to address clients' concerns. It was a pleasure to work with them, especially Emilio Grandio and Chris Hebert. I have no doubt that they are different.’
‘Working with Emilio Grandio and Chris Hebert was outstanding. They are always available and focused on understanding the impacts of our country legislation in the context of the deal. They made our daily hard work very pleasant and we had complete confidence in the work they carried out. We really hope we can work with them in other transactions. ’
‘Bill Parish - very responsive, understands the energy industry and Latin America, and provides robust advice.’
‘Experience of W&C attorneys in transactions involving Latin American companies is exceptional. Their lawyers understand very well the Colombian culture and the needs of clients in our country. Regardless of the size of the transaction, the partners are in charge of the advice.’
‘The attention received was always first class, and they also have extensive experience in the sector. They are one of the best international law firms that advise Mexican companies on corporate issues.'

Key clients

Aramco
Siemens Financial Services
EIG
Banorte
Transportes Centroamericanos del Futuro
Credito Real
Grupo Prodi
Brookfield
Inversiones Radiante
QI Tech
Thorm
Oaktree Capital Management
Cornerstone Investment Management
Blip
Mainstream Renewable
QuintoAndar
Levi Strauss

Work highlights

Advised Aramco on its planned acquisition of 100 per cent of Esmax Distribución (Esmax) from Southern Cross Group.
Represented Siemens Financial Services in connection with a joint venture with BlackRock's Climate Finance Partnership for the acquisition of a significant minority stake in Brasol Participacoes e Empreendimentos.
Represented Grupo Financiero Banorte (Banorte), the parent company of Uniteller Financial Services (UniTeller), in its acquisition of all shares representing the paid-in capital of More Payment Evolution (More), a Uruguay-based global payments company with operations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Spain, Senegal and the US.