Gonzalo Santamaría > Marval O’Farrell Mairal > Buenos Aires, Argentina > Lawyer Profile

Marval O’Farrell Mairal ‘s power practice covers the entire electricity generation and supply chain, handling matters that range from public tenders for generation projects (including thermal, cogeneration, hydroelectric, nuclear, renewable energy projects) to international and local PPAs, as well as domestic and international power-related disputes. Leveraging the strength of its corporate and M&A practice, the team enjoys a steady flow of transactional work, but is also called on to provide specialist counsel on electricity sector regulation, with its renewable energy expertise particularly sought after. Deeply experienced energy sector lawyer Francisco MacÍas leads the team and is an authority on power transactions, contracts and regulatory matters. Regulatory and power sector-focused Gonzalo Santamaria provides additional partner-level support.

One of the largest and most experienced public law-focused teams in Argentina, Marval O’Farrell Mairal is sought out by local and international clients for its deep expertise across a wide range of administrative and public law matters. The team handles public-private partnerships (PPP) and big ticket infrastructure projects, and has assisted a number of clients to navigate public procurement processes and secure or renew major government tenders and concessions. Sensitive regulatory negotiations, subsidies and supply deals are also areas of activity for the practice group, as are public law disputes work  – including contentious tariff annulments, and Central Bank-regulation and concession-contract disputes. The team is also active in investment disputes and international arbitration proceedings involving the state. Public ethics and the public law aspects of M&A are other areas of expertise. The formidable Héctor Mairal is one of the country’s foremost administrative law experts and co-leads the team with experienced administrative practitioner María Lorena Schiariti and Enrique Veramendi, a regulatory and administrative specialist who also undertakes constitutional and administrative litigation. The practice draws on a strong bench of supporting talent, including experienced dispute resolution partner Gonzalo Santamaria, and associates Milagros Ibarzábal (supply agreements) and Sofia Cimmarusti (public contracts and procurement).