Garrigues > Lima, Peru > Firm Profile

Garrigues > The Legal 500 Rankings

Peru > Banking and finance Tier 1

The sizeable banking and finance team at Garrigues is led by Oscar Arrús and handles a significant number of cross-border transactions in the energy, retail, consumer, banking, industrial and mining sectors. It acts for prominent domestic and international financial institutions, and maintains a broad focus encompassing expertise in leveraged, acquisition, structured and project finance, as well as regulatory matters. Arrús brings 30 years of experience to the team and advises borrowers and financiers on corporate, structured and project financings; Sergio Amiel is a name to note for financings in the energy sector; and Thomas Thorndike, another key practitioner, is noted for cross-border deals and pre-bankruptcy financial restructurings. José Francisco Meier, principal associates Jorge Fuentes and Miluska Gutierrez Vega, and counsel Héctor Zegarra are also key names for financing transactions, while Diego Harman is experienced in corporate and leveraged finance. At the senior associate level, Monica Yrrarazabal joined from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s New York office, and Carolina Pérez-Taiman joined after completing her LLM in New York. Jorge Calle left for an in-house role at Intercorp Group.

Peru > Capital markets Tier 1

Garrigues fields a sizeable capital markets team, which includes five partners, and advises on both debt and equity capital markets deals. Its broad expertise covers investment-grade bonds, project bonds, private placements, liability management, securitisation processes and sovereign debt offerings, as well as IPOs, and the team handles both domestic and cross-border deals. Oscar Arrús heads the team with over 30 years’ experience and is a key name for local securities regulation and domestic debt transactions, acting for issuers, agents and underwriters. Sergio Amiel focuses on equity deals and has a strong track record in IPOs for Peruvian companies, while Thomas Thorndike is a name to note for liability management and international debt offerings by Peruvian issuers under Rule 144A and Regulation S of the US Securities Act. José Francisco Meier handles regulatory issues and Diego Harman is experienced in both US and Latin American deals. Other key practitioners in the team include principal associates Miluska Gutierrez Vega and Jorge Fuentes, noted for cross-border debt transactions, and Monica Yrrarazabal, who re-joined the firm as senior associate in October 2022 after a stint at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York.

Peru > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

‘Very solid in terms of M&A’, the Garrigues team offers ‘super experience in national and international transactions’ under the leadership of Sergio Amiel. The sizeable team is present in large M&A deals in the domestic market, and also acts as local counsel for large international firms on cross-border transactions. The team includes a number of practitioners with experience at top-tier New York firms. Practice head Amiel, in addition to his strong M&A expertise, handles project development, project finance and capital markets work. José Francisco Meier is another key member of the team, with experience in corporate transactions and structured and project finance, while banking and finance practitioner Thomas Thorndike also provides support on deals. Beyond the partners, counsel Héctor Zegarra is experienced in foreign and domestic deals and has previously handled transactions in the Spanish market during his time in the firm’s Madrid office. Principal associate Jorge Fuentes is also noted.

Peru > Projects and infrastructure Tier 1

The projects and infrastructure team at Garrigues is particularly experienced in the transportation industry, with recent work including the project financing of a toll road, and advice on the expansion of a port terminal. Oscar Arrús heads the practice, focusing on rail, sanitation and toll road projects, and bringing more than thirty years’ experience to the team. Thomas Thorndike and Diego Harman are especially skilled in the healthcare, energy and port infrastructure industries, and José Francisco Meier advises clients on project finance and development. Of counsel Victor Baca is a key contact for public law and regulatory issues, while associates Johanna Holz, Jorge Fuentes, Eduardo Ortega, Giancarlo Vignolo and Lissy Vega Centeno are experienced in advising both private and public clients on a range of infrastructure, public procurement and contractual matters.

Peru > Competition and antitrust Tier 2

The competition and market regulation practice at Garrigues is jointly led by Ivo Gagliuffi, who brings his experience as a former head of INDECOPI, and Javier Coronado, an economist who also spent time at INDECOPI as CEO and chief economist. The team offers clients expertise in antitrust and merger control, impact analysis, economic regulation, unfair competition matters, compliance and consumer protection law, with recent work examples including advising clients on the elimination of bureaucratic barriers before INDECOPI, and assisting a company in notifying the aforementioned authority of the acquisition of target companies. Associate Maria Isabel Alvarado is a key contact for merger control and antitrust issues in particular.

Peru > Dispute resolution: Arbitration Tier 2

Hugo Forno Flórez and Melissa Nuñez Santti jointly head the arbitration practice at Garrigues, where the team is highly experienced in representing clients in arbitrations before the ICSID and ICC. The practice’s sector experience includes construction, oil and gas, telecoms, mining and insurance, among others, and the team’s international capabilities are shown in its recent work for clients such as the Republic of Peru, with ICSID arbitrations based in Washington DC. Another key team member is senior associate Hugo Forno Odria, who joined the practice in January 2023.

Peru > Dispute resolution: Litigation Tier 2

The well-regarded litigation team at Garrigues is jointly led by Hugo Forno Flórez and Melissa Nuñez Santti. Núñez is particularly experienced in the negotiation and defence of civil and commercial claims, and Forno draws on over three decades of experience to handle civil and contracts matters, and is also active in assisting clients with dispute prevention. Recent work handled by the team includes the annulment of arbitral awards, representing clients in real estate disputes, defending clients against insurance disputes, and assisting clients in contractual and tax disputes. Associates Javier Bueno Zúñiga and Javier Jimeno Goicochea are key names for civil and commercial litigation. Fellow associate Jose Vera Uturunco possesses particular expertise representing telecoms, energy, security and construction clients, while associate Kevin Villanueva Sotomayor is especially experienced in civil litigation.

Peru > Public law and regulation Tier 2

Garrigues offers clients ‘immediate, precise and accurate attention’. Its core areas of focus include administrative proceedings before regulators and government authorities, where it acts for clients in highly regulated sectors, such as telecoms, public law issues pertaining to public infrastructure projects, public procurement, bidding processes and sanctioning procedures. Of counsel Victor Baca leads the team, bringing over 25 years’ experience to the team and acting for both public and private entities in administrative law, planning and zoning; he is particularly experienced in the energy and natural resources sectors. Principal associates Eduardo Ortega and Johanna Holz are also noted, as are senior associates Giancarlo Vignolo and construction and project development expert Lissy Vega Centeno.

Peru > Tax Tier 4

The ‘always attentive and available’ tax team at Garrigues advises clients on tax consultancy and planning and has recently seen an uptick in instructions relating to contentious matters, such as challenges and negotiations with the tax authorities. Practice head Javier De La Vega has considerable experience in tax structuring, compliance and due diligence on transactions, and is supported at the associate level by principals Rosa Chevarría and Rafael Martinelli, who both handle litigation and administrative procedures. Hernán Aquije and Yamila Reinides were promoted to senior associate in January 2023.