The banking and finance group at Baker McKenzie Abogados, S.C. is regularly instructed by a host of local and international financial institutions seeking assistance with multi-jurisdictional cross-border transactions. The team advises lenders, borrowers, arrangers and guarantors, and has particular experience providing fintech clients with regulatory and transactional support. Boasting five Mexican offices (CDMX, Ciudad Juárez, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Tijuana), the firm has a strong presence in strategic locations in the north of the country. The practice is co-led by Lorenzo Ruiz de Velasco, who handles corporate and cross-border financial transactions, M&A, and venture capital financing; and Alfonso Martínez-Bejarano, who specialises in fintech regulatory and transactional work, as well as real estate finance. Daniel Sánchez Morales has notable experience in corporate, energy, and infrastructure-related transactions; while Michelle Pfeffer is the key senior associate-level contact and majors on the structuring of guarantees and loans, as well as regulatory mandates.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Baker McKenzie are strong partners when in comes to Mexican regulatory matters.’

  • ‘Alfonso Martínez Bejarano is one of the most solid and resourceful lawyers in Mexico. He has a lot of theoretical knowledge and, very important for us, practical knowledge as well. We fully trust his advice and think of him as our go-to expert in Mexico. A superstar!’

  • ‘They demonstrate a deep understanding of the business and our needs as an organization. They are proactive in their approach, always thinking about issues that might be of interest to us. In addition, this team has experience not only of issues related to banking and financing, but also other areas such as taxes and labour.'

  • ‘They are differentiated by their commitment to their clients. Their team has a client-centric approach and strives to thoroughly understand their clients' needs and objectives. They work closely to provide effective legal solutions adapted to each situation. The lawyers of this team are differentiated by their specialized knowledge, commitment to the client, capacity for innovation and outstanding leadership.'

Key clients

  • Weatherford International
  • Affival (Opta Group)
  • Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos; Nacional Financiera
  • Breg
  • Arab Banking Corporation
  • Banco Mercantil del Norte; Grupo Financiero Banorte
  • CBR Hotel Owner (Auberge Resorts)
  • Servicios Financieros México (Apple Leisure)
  • Aluna Partners

Work highlights

  • Advised Weatherford International as borrower in connection with the execution of the Fourth Amendment to the Credit Agreement with Wells Fargo acting as administrative and collateral agent of a syndicate of lenders.
  • Assisted Affival with the ratification of Mexican security interests by its local subsidiaries.
  • Assisted Banobras, as lender, in connection with the restructuring of a loan facility for the amount of MXN $5bn in favour of Mota-Engil Mexico, as borrower, to provide working capital for the development and construction of section 5 of the Maya Train Project.

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 individuals: Fintech
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Lorenzo Ruiz de Velasco Beam, Alfonso Martínez Bejarano