The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Estudio Beccar Varela is a second tier firm,

The 11-lawyer banking and finance team at Estudio Beccar Varela provides advice on matters including public and private financing and loans, exchange regulations, securities, portfolio securitisation and trusts. The group also has experience in the Argentine capital markets, and advises issuers and underwriters on equity and debt offerings. As part of a full-service firm with a particular focus on financial matters, the team can rely on the support of experts across many practices to offer comprehensive advice. Recent clients for the group include Deutsche Bank, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Santander Rio and JPMorgan Chase. In 2011, the team provided advice to Banco Supervieille on 12 financial trusts issuances totalling over $225m. Well-respected banking lawyer Maximiliano D'Auro advised Citigoup, Citibank, Smith Barney and other Citi affiliates, and also assisted Bank of America Merrill Lynch regarding private banking in its asset and wealth management divisions. Practice head Javier Magnasco has significant expertise in project finance, capital markets and debt restructuring. In January 2011, Magnasco and Luciana Denegri advised Argentine credit card company Tarjeta Naranja on a $200m issuance of negotiable debt securities; this was the first successful issuance for the company since 2006. Experienced banking and finance specialist Alejandro Poletto was also very active throughout 2011, advising Standard Bank, Deutsche Bank and Itaú BBA USA Securities on the debt restructuring of Hidroeléctrica El Chocón arising from a 2006 bond placement.

Within Competition and antitrust, Estudio Beccar Varela is a third tier firm,

The nine-lawyer team at Estudio Beccar Varela has managed to grow significantly following a reorganisation process after the departure of the former department head in early 2011. The team, which counts American Airlines, Bayer, Citibank, Disney, Visa Argentina, Unilever, Samsung Electronics, Red Bull and Campari Group as clients, is traditionally strong in mergers and investigations work. Indeed, the firm assisted on several merger notifications in 2011, including the representation of Electrolux regarding its acquisition of GAFA. The team has carved a niche for itself in providing legal services that allow for efficient continuation of clients' businesses while waiting for approval. This includes assistance in the avoidance of "gun jumping", the provision of complex contractual designs and the minimisation of the risk to clients such delayed integration can create. Recently, the team increased its focus on compliance design and training, and it provides on-site instruction to companies on policy, compliance programmes and manuals relating to Argentine competition law, for clients including Scania, Tyco Fire and Security, ADT Security Services, Sensomatic, and the Argentine subsidiary of The Colomer Group.

Within Corporate and M&A, Estudio Beccar Varela is a third tier firm,

A ‘strong player among the M&A and corporate practices in Argentina', Estudio Beccar Varela can count on 15 partners and a further 15 associates. The team lost four partners in 2011 who went on to form Tanoira Cassagne Abogados. Despite this loss, the team has maintained its ability to provide quality work in this area. As the departing group left, the firm merged with Fortunati & Asociados, bringing former partner Roberto Fortunati back to the corporate team. The group provides advisory services on strategic decisions and all manner of day-to-day legal work, and clients in this area include Banco de Galicia y Buenos Aires, Tarsus Private Investment Fund, Magna International, Banco Comalfi, Avon Cosmetics, Sanofi-Aventis and Shea Plásticos. On the M&A side, a team co-led by the highly respected Emilio Beccar Varela and Ramon Moyano advised Electrolux on the Argentine leg of its $630m acquisition of Compañia Tecno Industrial in Argentina and Chile. Alejandro Poletto and senior legal advisor Eduardo de la Rua led in advising Repsol YPF in the transfer of almost 40 million D-Class shares to Petersen Energía Inversora and representing 10% of YPF's capital. The total transfer price was $1.3bn. In a highly significant move in 2012, the firm created a criminal law department specialising in white-collar and financial crime. Manuel Beccar Varela leads this practice, and often collaborates on criminal law issues affecting clients. The department aims to take advantage of the growing demand for corporate criminal law matters and will focus on issues such as taxation, money laundering and corporate fraud.

Within Dispute resolution, Estudio Beccar Varela is a third tier firm,

The ‘very good service' provided by Estudio Beccar Varela is built on the reputation of the departments 17 full-time lawyers, supported by expert advice from the other highly regarded practices in this integrated full-service firm. The dispute resolution practice is divided into distinct teams, where lawyers with specific skills can focus on litigation, arbitration, bankruptcy and restructuring, and intra-corporate disputes. Practice head Eduardo Güemes has a particular focus on insolvency proceedings, credit recovery, bankruptcy and debt restructuring, and has acted in over 300 settlement proceedings. His team represented Unilever de Argentina in several lawsuits resulting from damages claims submitted by plaintiffs claiming health problems as a result of environmental damages caused by a detergent and soap powder plant located in Buenos Aires province. There are currently 13 pending cases with almost 97 plaintiffs involved, and the total amount claimed across all cases was AR$26m. Corporate law expert Emilio Nicolás Vogelius leads the arbitration team. He has particular knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, and was recently involved in arbitration matters before the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange. An appointed arbitrator in many international proceedings, he and his team are currently acting as counsel to the defendant in a $50m ICC arbitration, where the plaintiff is claiming damages and losses based on a breach and termination of a dealership agreement. Focused on family business governance, shareholder disputes, insolvency proceedings and bankruptcies, Miguel María Silveyra heads the intra-corporate disputes team. It has experience of handling LLC member disputes, squeeze-outs and freeze-outs, internal board disputes, corporate deadlock disputes and breaches of fiduciary duties.

Within Energy and natural resources: electricity, tier 4

Estudio Beccar Varela provides legal advice on all aspects of the electricity business, including the purchase and sale of energy and the related contracts, design, construction and procurement agreements, environmental matters, governmental authorisations, and other relations with local governmental entities. The team is noted for its regulatory work and skill in issues relating to transmission lines. Senior associate and electricity specialist José Carlos Cueva advised Eclesur on the construction of a 132 kilovolt interconnection transmission facility in Calafate, Santa Cruz, valued at approximately $20m. The work involved close collaboration with the public law team in order to provide all the provincial and federal regulatory advice. The group is noted for its strong reputation in renewable energy matters, and advised Solartec, Argentina's largest provider of photovoltaic panels, in the negotiation of an EPC contract relating to the client's participation as a subcontractor in the construction of the biggest photovoltaic plant in the country.

Within Insurance, Estudio Beccar Varela is a third tier firm,

The team at Estudio Beccar Varela handles three major areas of insurance law: loss, corporate insurance work, and the full range of regulatory matters. The team also has significant experience on issues relating to the brokerage of insurance and reinsurance. The team is led by the highly regarded Juan Pablo Chevallier-Boutell, a former president of Instituto Nacional de Reaseguros (INdeR), the state-owned reinsurance company. The team advised on numerous class actions in 2011, including approximately 25% of the more than 60 class actions brought against the financial insurance market by consumer protection associations regarding the cost of life insurance. As the regulations regarding reinsurance companies changed dramatically in 2011, the team is well-placed to assist in such matters. Active clients include Arch Insurance Europe, Assurant Argentina, FM Global Reinsurance, Tokio Marine Nishid, IRB Brasil Re, Galicia Seguros and Willis Corredores de Reaseguros.

Within International trade and customs, tier 4

The young international trade team at Estudio Beccar Varela is ‘very professional and successful' and is extremely capable in areas relating to bilateral and multilateral trade agreements (with particular expertise in those relating to Mercosur), as well as WTO regulations and anti-dumping investigations. The team is led by senior associate Augusto Vechio, who is praised for his ‘strong technical knowledge' and ‘collaborative and team-focused approach'. In the last twelve months, the team provided advice to clients including Saint-Gobain, Famar Fueguina (Delphi), Mercedez Benz, Buhlman Argentina, Sinea Plásticos and Cambridge University Press, regarding the application and obtaining of import licenses and export permits from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade. The group is also involved in the first anti-dumping review procedure held by the Argentine Authorities against a European country, representing German company Phoenix Contact, and its local subsidiary.

Within Labour and employment , Estudio Beccar Varela is a second tier firm,

Estudio Beccar Varela handles contentious and non-contentious work, representing individuals and employers in all labour and employment issues. The team has expertise in collective labour law, intervening in collective conflicts, representing companies before state inspection bodies and union representatives, and it also participates in collective agreements regarding compensation and the implementation of benefits and rewards. The team is led by Gaspar Aguirre, an admired labour lawyer who specialises in complex disputes before provincial and national courts, collective conflicts, and collective bargaining. Active clients include Citibank, American Airlines, UBS, Samsung, Scania, Avon and Compañia Ericsson. The team recently represented an auto parts company in salary negotiations with a mechanics' union and in the signing of collective bargaining agreements before the Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social (Ministry of Labour and Social Security). It also provided advice to a private bank, two insurance companies and a pharmaceutical firm in the process of terminating the contracts of senior management figures. In other work, the group advised an international bank regarding the management of its expatriate employees and the process of terminating their employment. The team also assisted in improving the management of such employees as part of the prevention of future contingencies.

Within Public law , Estudio Beccar Varela is a second tier firm,

Estudio Beccar Varela's team of five lawyers has a high degree of expertise encompassing general administrative law, government contracts law, infrastructure, public utilities, regulatory law, project financing and environmental law. ‘Quick to respond and extremely dependable, the team's lawyers are highly knowledgeable and always keep the client up to date with any relevant local and international legal news'. Active clients include Potasio Río Colorado, Banco de Galicia, Red Bull, Sprint International, SAUR International and Telefónica de Argentina. An ‘expert in international matters', the experienced Oscar Aguilar Valdez leads the team and is singled out for his ‘deep knowledge and availability'. His team is currently advising mining giant Vale in connection with the legal and regulatory structure and implementation of a multibillion-dollar rail infrastructure project. It is also providing advice to Subterráneos de Buenos Aires, the municipally-owned subway transportation services provider, in relation to financial and contractual matters of a multibillion-dollar turnkey contract entered into by the client and a Chinese state-owned infrastructure provider corporation for the enlargement of the Buenos Aires's underground system. The team also represents a major local investment bank in an international tender call by the province of Mendoza in connection with the global issuance of the province's debt. The team is providing regulatory advice for Microsoft and litigating before the Supreme Court against the province of Buenos Aires on behalf of Unilever de Argentina.

Within Real estate, Estudio Beccar Varela is a second tier firm,

Estudio Beccar Varela handles all aspects of real estate, and the team benefits from the M&A experience of practice head Pedro Nicholson, who is the driving force behind the practice and a widely respected figure in the Argentine real estate market. His team, which includes two full-time associates and can count on the support of the firm's other relevant practices, recently advised Interurban regarding the legal structuring of a shopping centre in Tigre in Buenos Aires province, as well as assisting with the investment framework for all the client's other shopping centre projects. Elsewhere, the group provided advice to Eidico, the Calentano Group and Van Developers, regarding the development of the largest mixed-use real estate project in the province of Tierra del Fuego, including residential units, houses, a shopping centre, offices and a hotel. Clients include Prudential Real Estate Investors, Grupe Casino, K Group Holdings, Jumeirah Group, and Foster + Partners, which the team advised on the establishment of its local offices in Buenos Aires.

Within TMT , Estudio Beccar Varela is a second tier firm,

Praised for its ‘outstanding service', the team at Estudio Beccar Varela provides ‘quick responses, ample knowledge and trustworthy and professional advice' on issues related to telecoms, broadcasting, the internet, data protection and e-commerce, and it advises television and film producers, video industry agents, publishing companies and advertising agencies. The team is led by Emilio Beccar Varela, who is ‘an extremely dependable advisor in telecoms, media and technology matters'. The team provides day-to-day advice to British Telecom and Telefónica, and it is also advising Sprint on the granting of its unique licence as a telecoms service provider. The group is also advising LAPTV Argentina, DIRECTV Argentina and Walt Disney Argentina regarding the application of the recently enacted media laws and the regulation issues they will create. The team also handles the day-to-day matters for Intelsat and Samsung, including the drafting of distribution agreements.