Clyde & Co has kept up the rapid pace of its international expansion by announcing its first office in Mexico, merging with four-partner local law firm Garza Tello & Asociados. Meanwhile, Dentons has signed a strategic alliance in Brazil with local firm Vella Pugliese Buosi Guidoni.
Clydes will gain insurance, marine and energy firm Garza Tello’s 23 lawyers based in Mexico City and its satellite presence in the Gulf of Mexico port city of Ciudad del Carmen. The firm will be fully integrated into Clydes after the merger receives regulatory approval.
The four local partners include founder of Garza Tello and oil and gas partner Enrique Garza, insurance and reinsurance partner Arturo Arista, litigation partner Arturo Bello and shipping partner Fernando Escamilla.
Senior partner Simon Konsta said: ‘Garza Tello is a firm we’ve worked with for many years. Its sector focus complements our own and having a presence on the ground in Mexico is important as the market continues to liberalise and provides new opportunities for both our local and international clients.’
Earlier this year, Clydes opened new offices in Chicago and Washington DC after taking on a team of ten lawyers from Global 100 firm Troutman Sanders at the end of January. The growth follows Clydes’ expansion into Miami in May last year with the acquisition of five-partner strong litigation firm Thornton Davis & Fein.
Meanwhile, yesterday (9 May) it emerged Dentons plans to form a strategic alliance with Brazilian firm Vella Pugliese Buosi Guidoni (VPBG). If approved by the partnership, the alliance will give Dentons access to VPBG’s 13 partners and 116 fee-earners based in offices in São Paulo and Brasília.
The proposed alliance follows the launch last year of Dentons López Velarde in Mexico and Dentons Cardenas & Cardenas in Colombia, as well as earlier this year the launch of Dentons Muñoz in Central America.
Following the approval by partners of both firms, who are expected to vote on it in the next few weeks, the proposed strategic alliance will launch later in 2017.
madeleine.farman@legalease.co.uk