Hogan Lovells has made further inroads in Latin America by tying up with leading Mexican firm Barrera, Siqueiros y Torres Landa (BSTL), constituting the firm’s 46th and 47th offices in Mexico City and Monterrey.
With the combination expected to go live on 1 August, at which time the top 10 LB100 firm will begin operating in Mexico as Hogan Lovells BSTL, the new offices will have 70 lawyers, including 16 partners, and will focus on corporate, commercial, disputes, energy, real estate, telecoms and media, and transport work.
Established in 1948, BSTL is acknowledged by The Legal 500 as first-tier in competition & antitrust and disputes, and second-tier for energy and natural resources and insurance.
The latest move to Mexico – which follows the announcement at the start of this year that the firm had launched its second office in Brazil, with the hire of former Clifford Chance partner Isabel Costa Carvalho – is a longstanding ambition raised to one the top items on new chief executive Steve Immelt’s agenda for his four-year term, which officially began on 1 July.
It follows a period of wider expansion for the 2,300-lawyer firm, which in December combined with South African law firm Routledge Modise, citing a physical presence in Africa as increasingly important due to the majority of its top 200 clients having operations on the continent.
On the combination with BSTL, Immelt said: ‘2013 ushered in sweeping structural reforms for Mexico, which could unlock major potential for investors and companies in a broad range of industries that are looking to capitalize on the current environment.
‘Hogan Lovells understands the potential Mexico offers for our global clients and knows it is important to have full service capabilities on the ground in this region. BSTL is a firm with 65 years of history sharing our values, quality and international outlook, making them the perfect addition to our leading Latin America practice.’
BSTL’s co-managing partner Juan Francisco Torres Landa added: ‘Both Hogan Lovells and Barrera, Siqueiros y Torres Landa are prominent firms in their markets with high-quality lawyers and practices. The combination ensures that we continue offering our clients outstanding legal services on a truly global platform.’
Sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
