Grissel Mercado
Paul Hastings LLPPaul Hastings LLP has continued to build out its capital markets practice in New York with a further degree of success in cross-border investment grade debt offerings. The firm also added to its Latin America capital markets expertise with the hire of Grissel Mercado and of counsel Maria Larsen from A&O Shearman in 2023. Green, social and sustainability-linked bonds are another growing part of the international practice. It continues to represent a large number of Latin American and Caribbean issuers, including sovereign governments, along with many of the leading investment banks in global offerings. Alex Herman is another key member of the Latin America capital markets team. Michael Fitzgerald, Joy Gallup and Arturo Carrillo have left the firm and Cathleen McLaughlin has retired.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Very reliable, always timely and forward-thinking. They stand out not only on knowledge but also because the team is very approachable and have a good dynamic.’
‘Alex Herman - a pleasure to work with. Delivers timely and excellent advice on very complex matters.’
‘A unique team with years of experience in Latin America financing. They combine a deep understanding of the NY law with the ways of working in Latin America. Spanish natives make it easy to convey messages in the right way to the whole team.'
- 'Availability is also important. When you work with them you know that there is a senior to speak to and that senior is able to hear you and to solve issues.'
‘Grissel Mercado and María Larsen are very hands on, provide advice on a timely matter and always focus on solving any issue with a market standard. Conversations with them feel more like having a reunion with a highly experienced partner, than meeting with a counsel.'
- 'When we try something new, they are very constructive. If there is an issue that will not be solved on time or in an economic way, they are the first to let you know. Also, they always are prone to share knowledge and to allow the client the time to understand the issues at hand.’
‘The firm has a world-class team that truly understands the challenges of the companies when accessing the global capital markets’
‘María Larsen has been a key contact for complex operations and situations, but also in the day-to-day queries that a LATAM issuer has. The understanding of how a LATAM company operates has been key in order to complete challenging projects.’
Key clients
- SMBC
- Republic of Peru
- Government of Jamaica
- TransJamaican Highway Limited
- Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI)
- Barclays Capital Inc.
- J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
- Mizuho Securities LLC
- Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc.
- Santander Investment Securities Inc.
- HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
- Braskem Idesa S.A.P.I.
- Trinidad Generation Unlimited
- EnfraGen (the LatAm platform of Glenfarne Group)
- Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX)
- BofA Securities
- Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Lawyers
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.
Frank Lopez, Chris DeCresce, Eric Sibbitt