White & Case LLP stands out not only for its commitment to Latin America (spanning multiple offices), but also its breadth of clients across the sponsor, DFI, commercial bank and fund segments. Unusually, the core of the team is based in Miami, where Carlos Viana leads the Latin America group. Also in Miami, bilingual partner and regional section head Sean Goldstein is pivotal to the firm’s relationship with IDB Invest, leading multiple deals across the region. The team has a longstanding presence in energy projects and is building its standing in infrastructure projects. It advised BNDES and the commercial banks on the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the São Paulo Metro system’s Line 6-Orange. It continues to advise on a raft of projects in Chile, while Colombia and Brazil have also become key markets. Smaller jurisdictions such as Paraguay and Ecuador also feature strongly for the team. New York partner Thomas Pate and Washington DC’s Martin Menski have had key roles in developing the firm’s infrastructure practice, while remaining active in energy. John Anderson is a major figure in São Paulo; and New York associate, Raffaele Turco, demonstrates ‘impressive understanding’ and is highly rated by clients. Former partner Jeannine Acevedo moved in house at Atlas Renewable Energy in February 2023, while former practice co-head Christopher Richardson left the team in March 2024.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Unlike other firms, the partners stay involved in the issues and are always in the know. The most junior lawyers are excellent and there is clearly good internal coordination in the team. They have a good distribution of tasks among the team members, and they are efficient with their time, which means that we do not receive surprises in the invoices.’
‘Thomas Pate and his team always make me feel like my company and our issues are a top priority. Apart from the fact that his team work is excellent, he has a very good business sense and clearly understands our objectives and the parameters within which we can manoeuvre.’
‘What makes W&C unique compared to other law firms is that it takes the lead in the activities. In transactions in which different law firms from different countries are involved, W&C on its own initiative decides to take the lead and coordinate. Another aspect that makes it unique is that it provides a true support to the client, it is not limited to issuing concepts or sending documents, but rather provides a true support. Takes the customer by the hand.’
‘They suffer and enjoy with the client, they have a unique ability to listen, they are respectful of the client's opinion, they identify the client's true needs and their priorities, they always try to find a solution that covers us legally but allows business to move forward. They know/manage counterparties to the point that they trust W&C to structure and draft contractual documents. As an in-house lawyer, I feel 100% supported and covered. Sean Goldstein and Raffaele Turco...the best! thanks to them I sleep peacefully!’
‘From the beginning, Raffaele Turco was tireless, working all hours and weekends to turn drafts, get comments back to the deal team leaders, and keep the opposing side engaged and responding as quickly as possible. Beyond the high energy level and dedication to the deal, I consistently noticed in Raffa a high degree of creativity in structuring solutions in the negotiations which achieved our goals and addressed our commercial/legal concerns in often novel ways. He showed clear dominion over the terms of the working draft itself and saved us a lot of time by knowing exactly what needed to be marked up or reviewed based on whatever change had just been agreed. Together, we conceived of, and somehow got the other side to agree on an absolutely novel concept.’
‘Raffaele Turco demonstrated an impressive understanding of the overall deal, the sensitive points in the financial, commercial and strategic aspects of the deal, and helped me carry the weight of getting the deal across the finish line on time. By the end, Raffa was running the deal for W&C by himself and we actually finished and executed the contract on the very final day of our regulatory deadline, following a marathon, 36hr all-nighter session.’

Key clients

Akuo Energy
AMP Capital
BNDES
IDB Invest
Infraestructura Marina del Golfo
Salaverry Terminal Internacional
Sonnedix
Toesca Renovables

Work highlights

Represented BNDES and other commercial banks and developmental agencies as the senior lenders in the non-recourse senior secured financing to Concessionária Linha Universidade for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of Line 6-Orange Line of the São Paulo metro system.
Represented IDB Invest in the $262m equivalent social bonds issued by the concessionaire of the Rumichaca-Pasto 4G project, an 83-kilometre highway located in the Department of Nariño near the border between Colombia and Ecuador.
Represented Infraestructura Marina del Golfo (IMG), a joint venture of TC Energy Corporation and Sempra Infrastructure Partners, in a $1.56bn senior unsecured term loan financing for its natural gas pipeline Sur de Texas-Tuxpan, Mexico’s first undersea pipeline connecting the country with the US.