Ferrere > Asuncion, Paraguay > Firm Profile

Ferrere > The Legal 500 Rankings

Paraguay > Banking and finance Tier 1

Ferrere‘s banking and finance team has been involved in significant capital market deals involving Paraguayan corporations and key bond programs registered in Paraguay. The team provides a wide range of financing services to local corporations, international banks and multilateral organisations, including regulatory compliance work and advice on private banking and wealth management activities. Carlos Codas leads the practice and provides legal advice on banking, insurance and financial law; he also works on the legal structuring of all types of financial products and transactions. Néstor Loizaga represents foreign banks and multilateral organisations in a wide range of banking and finance transactions, while Carlos Vasconsellos focuses on international corporate finance, acting for financial institutions on corporate and structured finance transactions. Codas will replace Loizaga as office manging partner from January 2024 onwards, in line with the firm's policies for the development of leadership capabilities. At associate level, Claudia Arietti, Pamela Lezcano and Maurizio De Oliveira are key members of the team.

Paraguay > Competition and antitrust Tier 1

Ferrere has a specialised practice dedicated to antitrust law, with a team that handles complex investigations on anticompetitive conduct. The firm has extensive experience in competition law, advising clients on anticompetitive practices and on best practices in their day-to-day business. The group advises multinational, regional and local clients on the full range of practice-related matters, including merger control. The team also includes economists who specialise in antitrust law. Verónica Franco has developed and led the competition practice since 2017, when the first merger control notification was made in Paraguay. Associate Fernanda Benítez advises local and international clients on both concentration operations and the mitigation of anticompetitive practices.

Paraguay > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

The team at Ferrere handles the full range of corporate matters, from M&A and joint ventures, to contracts, commercial matters and day-to-day advice. The firm regularly works with international clients, and has experience advising foreign companies on the establishment of operations in Paraguay. The team assists clients from a range of sectors, including agribusiness, construction and technology. Néstor Loizaga heads the team and handles complex cross-border transactions, taking a leading role advising clients such as Rabobank. Carlos Vasconsellos has experience in foreign investments, business contracts and M&A. Verónica Franco handles high-profile M&A transactions, and Eduardo Ammatuna advises multinationals on day-to-day matters, as well as specific projects in which he is praised by clients for his 'vast experience and knowledge'. Senior associates Raúl Pereira and Claudia Arietti come with client recommendation. Counsel Guillermo Jover focuses on corporate real estate matters, and Manfred Heyn, Dario Capurro, and Yamina Centurion are active senior associates in the team.

Paraguay > Labour and employment Tier 1

Ferrere‘s labour and employment team gives specialised advice to international clients looking to establish or manage local operations in Paraguay, while also advising clients on day-to-day labour and social security matters. The practice is very strong in litigation, and has recently handled several complex harassment cases. The firm’s internal compliance practice continues to establish itself, advising clients on the misuse of work tools, compliance with labour obligations and gross misconduct cases. Marysol Estigarribia leads the team and is praised for her ‘team empowerment and management capacity in every aspect’. Senior associate Antonella Llamas participates in matters related to human resources and José Trinidad specialises in labour litigation. At the associate level, Matias Chaves attracts significant praise from clients.

Paraguay > Administrative law Tier 2

The team at Ferrere advises clients on all aspects of administrative law and also offers a specific public procurement practice. Clients come from a wide range of sectors, including energy, construction and pharmaceuticals, advising private companies, as well as public entities. The team handles a variety matters, from preparing private initiative proposals for public concessions and competitive bid processes, to designing and negotiating strategies for agreements with the state. The firm also represents clients in administrative litigation and other disputes. The team consists of experts in challenge and guarantee instruments, administrative appeals, actions for unconstitutionality, relief and other effective protections. Practice co-head Carlos Codas leads judicial processes, focusing on commercial and administrative litigation, and leads the team alongside associate Maurizio De Oliveira, who specialises in administrative and regulatory law, administrative disputes and disciplinary procedures and inquiries. Fellow associate Dario Capurro leads the firm’s public procurement practice, advising clients on all kinds of tenders and other procedures involving contracts with government entities.

Paraguay > Dispute resolution Tier 2

Ferrere has grown its dispute resolution practice recently, adding to its extensive list of national and international clients. The firm has a strong focus on complex commercial litigation, handling claims involving financial contracts, contract enforcement, consumer protection, and insolvency proceedings. The team has experience in administrative and regulatory proceedings related to customs, river transportation and maritime law, and distribution law disputes are a niche strength. Practice co-head Néstor Loizaga has experience in distribution-related cases, and advises key clients such as Cargill and AstraZeneca. He leads the team alongside Miguel Saguier, a litigation expert specialising in commercial, civil and administrative disputes, who was promoted to the partnership in January 2023. Marysol Estigarribia heads the firm’s labour litigation practice, while senior associate Raúl Pereira has international arbitration experience, and has participated in some of the team’s high-profile arbitration matters.

Paraguay > Environment Tier 2

Guillermo Jover rejoined Ferrere in 2021 as counsel in order to head the firm’s environment team, which is now a standalone practice. The team has an in-depth knowledge of environmental legislation and regulations in Paraguay, and advises clients on environmental licenses, due diligence and compliance audits. The firm assists clients with the environmental aspects of corporate and commercial transactions, as well as handling complex environmental issues in litigation. The team operates at a national and international level, assisting clients with the potential installation of green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities, the issuance of green bonds and sustainable finance products. Jover is an environment law specialist, with experience assisting multilateral organisations, local and foreign companies and investment funds from the construction, forestry and agriculture, and energy and hydrocarbons industries. He has also led the team into the voluntary carbon space, advising carbon credit buyers, developers, and sellers, and collaborating on proposals and legislations. Senior associate Marcelo Rodríguez has specific experience in environmental litigation, and advises clients on environmental regulations and compliance, as well as M&A due diligence processes.

Paraguay > Intellectual property Tier 2

Ferrere handles the gamut of IP and regulatory matters, from trade mark, patent, design and domain name registry, to opposition matters and litigation. The IP team advises clients on the transfer of IP rights, and the drafting of licensing and franchise agreements, and handles the IP aspects of due diligence processes and M&A transactions. The practice’s strong international focus has led to the recent addition of several new major clients from a range of industries, including Shein, Prime Health and Bitmain Technologies. Practice co-head Néstor Loizaga focuses on contentious matters, leading the team in advising clients on IP disputes. He heads the team alongside senior associate Montserrat Puente, a highly experienced IP expert who is recommended by clients as 'a comprehensive advisor on complex issues'. Miguel Saguier, promoted to partner in January 2023, is an expert in IP-related contentious matters. Cynthia Sanabria was promoted to senior associate in January 2023, and has significant experience managing IPR portfolios and specialises in patent and trade mark filing and prosecution. Fellow senior associate César Benitez is involved in all of the firm’s IP-related disputes and contentious matters.

Paraguay > Tax Tier 2

Ferrere has extensive experience in both tax and customs matters, advising on tax structures, transfer pricing reports and assisting international clients with operations in Paraguay. The group has expertise in tax litigation, handling cases from a variety of sectors, including digital services, hydrocarbon exploitation, special investment regimes, security markets, infrastructure and financial services. The firm has also been involved in the drafting of tax laws and regulations, actively assisting the Paraguayan Tax Administration, and in the implementation of free trade zones. Néstor Loizaga co-leads the team, offering advice on the tax aspects of investment regimes, M&A and corporate structures, and assistance with tax litigation. Practice co-head Erika Bañuelos is a senior associate with over 15 years’ experience advising national and international clients on tax and customs issues, including administrative processes, tax refunds, and proceedings against the tax authorities. Senior associate María Julia Méndez is an active member of the team, with experience in tax planning at both a national and multinational level. Tanya Moreno joined as senior associate in November 2022 from EY.