Uría Menéndez takes stake in two allies as elite Latam duo agree groundbreaking tie-up

Iberian leader Uría Menéndez has elevated its offering in Latin America and acquired a 30% stake in the merger of its best friend firms and national heavyweights, Philippi and Prietocarrizosa, in a union the firm says is a ‘major milestone’ in its international strategy to consolidate its commitment in the region.

Continue reading “Uría Menéndez takes stake in two allies as elite Latam duo agree groundbreaking tie-up”

Risk and resilience – a booming insurance industry in Latin America

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Bristol-based DAC Beachcroft insurance partner David Pollitt is a regular visitor to Miami. But while tourists may be lured by the tropical climate and art deco architecture, his frequent trips from West Country to East Coast are all about his practice. The emergence of Miami as an operational and service centre for Latin America means its importance to major international insurance players cannot be underestimated.

Miami is fast becoming a gateway to Latin America for the insurance and reinsurance industry, in the same way that Singapore operates as an insurance hub for Asia. Swiss Re established a Miami office in 2011 to service Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. Back in 2007, Zurich (a key client of DAC Beachcroft) moved its Latin American regional headquarters from Santiago, Chile, to Miami. The trend continues: Hiscox announced the expansion of its Miami branch in January this year. Continue reading “Risk and resilience – a booming insurance industry in Latin America”

Unleashing talent – highlights from The Legal 500’s Corporate Counsel 100: Latin America

As Latin America increasingly becomes a global economic force, the role of the in-house lawyer in the region has evolved to produce some of the most impressive names in the legal industry.

Below are selected highlights taken from the debut edition of The Legal 500’s Corporate Counsel 100: Latin America, which identifies an array of the region’s most influential in-house counsel.

Continue reading “Unleashing talent – highlights from The Legal 500’s Corporate Counsel 100: Latin America”

Unleashing talent – highlights from The Legal 500’s Corporate Counsel 100: Latin America

legal-business-default

As Latin America increasingly becomes a global economic force, the role of the in-house lawyer in the region has evolved to produce some of the most impressive names in the legal industry.

Below are selected highlights taken from the debut edition of The Legal 500’s Corporate Counsel 100: Latin America, which identifies an array of the region’s most influential in-house counsel.

Continue reading “Unleashing talent – highlights from The Legal 500’s Corporate Counsel 100: Latin America”

Brazilian hat trick – NRF launches third Latin America office with hire of BP’s Andrew Haynes

Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) is to expand its Latin American footprint as it today (19 February) announces the launch of an office in Rio de Janeiro and the hire of BP’s global corporate assistant general counsel Andrew Haynes as office co-head.

The new office in Brazil, which will be also be run by current head of Colombia, Glenn Faas, will be the LB100 top ten firm’s third in the region after Venezuela (Caracas) and Colombia (Bogotá), and its 55th office worldwide. Continue reading “Brazilian hat trick – NRF launches third Latin America office with hire of BP’s Andrew Haynes”

Hogan Lovells expands Latin America footprint with hire of Clifford Chance partner for São Paulo launch

Hogan Lovells has expanded its Latin America offering by launching a second office in Brazil, hiring former Clifford Chance (CC) partner Isabel Costa Carvalho.

Its new São Paulo office will operate as a foreign legal consultancy, offering services to local and international companies and banks after the Brazilian Bar Association awarded the global law firm a licence to practise in the region in July 2013.

Continue reading “Hogan Lovells expands Latin America footprint with hire of Clifford Chance partner for São Paulo launch”

Hogan Lovells expands Latin America footprint with hire of CC partner in Brazil

Hogan Lovells has expanded its Latin America offering with the launch of its second office in Brazil, with the hire of former Clifford Chance partner Isabel Costa Carvalho.

Its new São Paulo office will operate as a foreign legal consultancy offering services to local and international companies and banks after the Brazilian Bar Association awarded the firm a license to practise in the region in July 2013.

Capital markets partner Costa Carvalho will lead the new team and focus on bolstering the firm’s Latin America-based equity capital markets, corporate and international debt capital markets practices as well as its New York, Washington and London based capital offering focused on Latin America. Continue reading “Hogan Lovells expands Latin America footprint with hire of CC partner in Brazil”

As Brazil cools Latam heat – Garrigues moves into Colombia; SJB primes Saudi move

With Brazil’s economy continuing to disappoint during 2013, there is increasing focus on other economies across Latin America. Moving to meet that demand Iberian giant Garrigues has announced that it is to acquire Colombian outfit Zarama y Asociados.

Garrigues has secured the signatures of Zarama y Asociados sole partners, Fernando Zarama and Camilo Zarama, along with the rest of the fee earners at the firm. The deal allows Garrigues to make a significant play in one of the fastest growing and most touted of Latin America’s economies, combining the practice with the Spanish firm’s Bogota branch.

Continue reading “As Brazil cools Latam heat – Garrigues moves into Colombia; SJB primes Saudi move”

Latin America pulls in insurance firms as Kennedys launches in Bogota

Following recent news that insurance specialist Kennedys is to merge with Simpson & Marwick in Scotland, the firm announced on Friday (6 September) that it is to extend its reach into Latin America through an association with Bogota insurance boutique Botero Salazar Tobón & Abogados (BST).

Kennedys now has four associations in Latin America, complementing existing associations in Brazil with Fabio Torres & Associados Advocacia Empresarial in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, in Chile with Santiago based Acuña & Cia and in Mexico with Bufete Solís Marín. Continue reading “Latin America pulls in insurance firms as Kennedys launches in Bogota”