Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. > Mexico City, Mexico > Firm Profile

Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. > The Legal 500 Rankings

Mexico > Banking and finance Tier 1

With a practice group 17-partners strong, Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. advises an impressive range of local and international banks and underwriters, issuers, private equity firms and multilaterals on all types of financing and collateral agreements. Clients value its ‘great experience in complex and sophisticated transactions’, and skill in ‘banking, finance and regulatory work in all their expressions’. An experienced pair leads the group with both garnering praise for being highly involved in cases: Jean Paul Farah Chajín, who advises on financings and refinancings; and Pablo Perezalonso Eguía, who works on international banking and securities transactions, and regulatory matters. Luis A Nicolau Gutiérrez and Gabriel del Valle Mendiola assist with banking, finance, capital markets and restructuring work; and Gabriel Robles advises financial institutions, public companies and private equity funds, with a special focus on capital markets. Senior associate Daniela Solis specialises in energy and infrastructure development and project finance, and associate Salvador Torres provides key support.

Mexico > Capital markets Tier 1

Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. houses an ‘interdisciplinary team with deep knowledge of the Mexican capital markets arena’ that represents issuers, international and local broker-dealers and investment banks in private and public offerings of debt and equity securities by Mexican issuers - primarily on the international markets. In the domestic arena, the group’s expertise encompasses equity, debt and structured securities offerings, including asset-backed securities, CKDs, CERPIs, FIBRAS-E (MLPs), real estate FIBRAs and bank capitalisation notes. The practice is co-led by well known figure Luis Nicolau, who is deeply experienced at assisting underwriters and issuers with debt and equity offerings; and Gabriel del Valle Mendiola, who handles private and public offerings of debt and equity securities. The partners maintain ‘excellent relations’ with clients; other key contacts include Gabriel Robles Beistegui, Pablo Perezalonso Eguía and Jean Paul Farah Chajín. Senior associate Ernesto Talamás is also noted. Partner Jose Berrueta Ochoa left the practice in June 2022.

Mexico > Real estate Tier 1

The team at Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C., commended by one client as ‘highly knowledgeable on both theoretical and practical aspects of the law’, routinely handles a broad range of matters including private and public real estate fund formation, financings and refinancings, as well as representing real estate investment trusts in their equity and debt investments in Mexico and assisting with related tax and regulatory issues. The group demonstrates strength above all with regards to industrial portfolios, however it also deals with office and residential real estate. Practice co-head Javier Domínguez Torrado has significant expertise advising real estate investment funds and other investors on property acquisitions, disposals, financings, and the development and management of assets. Leading alongside him, Jean Paul Farah Chajín specialises in M&A, infrastructure and real estate finance. Santiago Carrillo Cattori, promoted to the partnership in January 2022, majors on financings, acquisitions and developments relating to industrial and hotel assets, representing domestic and foreign financial institutions, private equity firms and developers. Alfonso Alberto Vargas, who handles finance, M&A and real estate matters, is the key name to note at associate level. Since publication, Vargas has left the firm - effective as of December 2023.

Mexico > Corporate and M&A Tier 2

'A solid firm with a lot of talent and experience', Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. leverages the experience of its sizeable, multi-disciplinary team to assist investment managers and domestic and multinational corporates with a diverse spectrum of complex, cross-border matters. The practice’s active client base spans sectors ranging from energy, tech, logistics and transport to pharmaceuticals, healthcare, food and beverages, while its full offering covers complex M&A, private equity fund management, divestments, negotiations, due diligence and regulatory compliance. Recent mandates include various matters in the fintech sector, notably advising blockchain-enabled accounts receivable and B2B payment platform, Paystand, on its acquisition of cash flow, management and liquidity solutions business Yaydoo; and Mexican payments platform Billpocket on its sale to Kushki. Following the August-2022 departure of former practice co-head Carlos Obregón Rojo , the team is led by Luis Nicolau, who brings over 30 years' experience managing M&A and debt & equity capital markets transactions to the table. Jean Paul Farah is an also a senior figure in the practice with considerable experience across the banking and finance, M&A, private equity and real estate areas. Younger partners Eduardo Triulzi, whose M&A experience is supplemented with niche expertise advising public companies on tender offers; banking and finance specialist Gabriel Robles; Héctor Cárdenas Ortega, who handles the structuring of private equity real estate funds; and capital markets specialist Eric Silberstein (who was raised to the partnership in January 2023) are all increasingly coming to the fore. Associates Lucía Ibañez Tirado and Daniel Kuri Breña R left the firm in August 2022 and June 2023, respectively.

Mexico > Energy and natural resources Tier 2

There is a strong projects focus to Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C.’s energy sector offering and the team is a highly respected name when it comes to financing and development mandates. Clients include the sponsors of major energy projects in Mexico, as well as senior and mezzanine lenders in financings and the guarantors, credit support entities and other investors in energy sector M&A. Federico Santacruz González and Jorge Oria y Anaya jointly lead the practice group, both drawing on considerable experience in domestic projects work, particularly on the transactional and financing sides. For project finance transactions in the electricity space, Asaf Jiménez Adorno is a key contact; while at associate level, Marco Portillo supports the partners and is developing a strong regulatory and compliance practice in the sector.  

Mexico > Tax Tier 2

Since establishing its tax practice in 2017, Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. has rapidly grown its offering in the area, and -more recently- has seen a rise in its client base for contentious tax work. Its advice on the latter front encompasses the implementation of preventive measures, negotiations with tax authorities as audits are begun, mediation procedures, and litigation procedures, including before the Supreme Court. On the transactional side, the practice has a strong standing in the real estate sector, advises various parties on major M&A, while in capital markets, the tax team counsels the firm's strong base of banks and financial institutions. Oscar López Velarde has represented multinationals on the gamut of contentious procedures, including administrative appeals, mediation, annulment trials and amparo lawsuits. Santiago Llano Zapatero has broad sector experience but is especially familiar with the tax landscape of Mexico’s energy sector. Juan José Paullada Eguiaro concentrates on tax controversy and litigation; all three above mentioned lawyers jointly lead the practice group. Senior tax associate Eric Humberto Palacios is a further name to note but former fellow senior Eduardo García Ruiz left in February 2023 to join VCG Partners.

Mexico > Bankruptcy and restructuring Tier 3

The bankruptcy and restructuring practice at Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. is frequently instructed by clients in the real estate, telecoms, finance, aviation and mining sectors for its counsel on national and cross-border restructurings and insolvency matters. Noted for his skill in restructurings, Jean Paul Farah Chajín leads the practice alongside fellow co-head Pablo Perezalonso Eguía, who advises on the structuring and restructuring of secured and unsecured credit facilities for Mexican private and public sector borrowers. Advising both indebted companies and creditors, Adriana Padilla Rivas assists with restructurings and insolvency proceedings; and Luis Nicolau Gutiérrez has extensive experience counselling underwriters and issuers on debt and equity offerings.

Mexico > Competition and antitrust Tier 3

Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. was boosted by the return to its competition practice of senior associate Marta Loubet in January 2023, nine months after she had left to join White & Case S.C.. Her broad experience and sector focus on energy, transport, financial services, consumer goods and TMT, rejuvenate a practice that has steadily grown its merger control offering recently, particularly in the fintech sector which the Mexican authority has identified as a target for additional scrutiny. Transactional lawyers Octavio Olivo Villa and counsel James Ritch co-lead the department; moreover, in addition to Loubet’s return, the team has seen the arrival of further additions in associates Montserrat Quintana (who joined from an in-house position in June 2022), and Julia Fuentes (a November 2022 arrival from Pérez-Llorca in Spain).

Mexico > Environment Tier 3

Following the departure of Héctor Garza in December 2022, Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. hired experienced practitioner Brenda Rogel from Hogan Lovells the following month, thereby ensuring continuity in its service provision, particularly as regards the transaction-related environmental matters that dominate the practice’s caseload. In addition to her advisory expertise, Rogel also has environmental litigation experience and a notable background in health (sanitary) regulatory matters; she is particularly noted for her expertise in the management of contaminated sites and environmental emergencies, along with the origination of sustainability and climate change strategies, permit analysis, regularisation processes and compliance programs. Recent matters include handling the environmental and regulatory due diligence for Fibra Monterrey’s acquisition of 46 industrial buildings from Walton and Finsa; , as well as representations before PROFEPA and SEMARNAT. The nine-strong team can also draw on the administrative litigious capabilities of young partner Juan José Paullada, as well as evidencing a strong second tier of senior associates, first and foremost the deeply experienced Estuardo Anaya, but also Javier Camacho (who arrived with Rogel) and Ana Paulina Arenas, both of whom were raised to senior in January 2023. However, fellow senior Christian Rosales left the firm the same month and has subsequently moved in house.

Mexico > Projects and infrastructure Tier 3

The team at Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. assists clients with all aspects of the development, financing and acquisition of infrastructure projects. The group is frequently instructed by local and international banks (acting as lenders or sponsors), as well as by corporate clients in the energy and hydrocarbons segments. The practice is co-directed by an experienced duo: Federico Santacruz González has a notable track record participating in public auction processes for the acquisition of energy certificates, and also handles projects-related M&A and financing; and Jorge Oria Anaya represents sponsors and lenders in energy, infrastructure and power transactions. Gabriel Del Valle deals with cross-border financial transactions, particularly project finance, structured finance and capital markets; while Asaf Jimenez Adorno specialises in the electricity sector, M&A and finance. Alejandra Echeverría González also covers finance and the acquisition of energy and infrastructure assets. Senior associate Marco Portillo handles energy, hydrocarbons, ESG and compliance. Since publication, Portillo has left the firm - effective as of October 2023.

Mexico > Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 4

The dispute resolution practice at Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. brings to bear ‘exceptional ability to work in multidisciplinary teams’ on arbitral matters, especially in the energy sector. ICC arbitrations and those under other rules in the energy space have all been part of the practice’s recent caseload. These are led by department head Adriana Padilla, who acts in commercial and investment arbitrations, both as counsel and arbitrator. Senior associate Sara Hardy (compliance, investigations, arbitration), provides key support to Padilla.