Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados > Buenos Aires, Argentina > Firm Profile

Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados > The Legal 500 Rankings

Argentina > Compliance Tier 2

Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados advises national and international companies on key areas of regulatory focus, including anti-corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing prevention, data protection, export controls and economic sanctions. The practice has unique experience working on negotiations with overseas authorities, including the US Department of Justice, and has developed distinctive knowledge of US, UK and EU regulatory regimes, in addition to its expertise in Argentine anti-corruption law. Investigations, self-disclosure, risk mitigation and investor litigation matters are all handled, with compliance programme implementation, training and due diligence work also undertaken. Firm founder and name partner Cristian Mitrani co-heads the practice alongside experienced compliance specialist Mariela Inés Melhem. Anti-corruption, compliance and privacy law expert María Paula Díaz provides additional partner-level experience.

Argentina > Corporate and M&A Tier 2

Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados is known for its work on large, complex transactions in Argentina and abroad, with an experienced team that advises a domestic and international client base on M&A, strategic alliances, joint ventures and green field investments. The firm is a prominent presence on big ticket agribusiness and oil-and-gas deals, and is also active in the manufacturing, healthcare and technology sectors too. Clients equally turn to the team for support on corporate matters, including commercial and licensing contracts and cross-border business reorganisations. Practice head Diego Parise has extensive transactional and capital markets’ experience and firm founder Cristian Mitrani additionally adds his vast experience to the group. Siro Astolfi, who has considerable expertise in competition and anti-trust matters as well as an outstanding corporate transactions’ track record; and Aixa Sureda, whose practice is focused on restructuring, private equity and M&A, add further heft to the practice’s senior ranks. Younger partners Mercedes Rodríguez Giavarini and Carlos Eliçabe are other key names; with Fiorella Belsito and recently promoted senior associates Bruno Fiorino and Melina Goldberg leading a capable second line.  

Energy and natural resources > Mining Tier 2

Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados’s fast-growing mining practice has carved out a strong presence in the lithium segment and has also been active advising on mining development and construction mandates. Other areas covered by the multidisciplinary team include cross-border investments, M&A and project finance. Transactional and projects lawyer Matías Olcese is active across a range of regulatory, finance and M&A matters in the sector; he co-leads the team alongside experienced corporate and finance lawyer María Paula Terrel, who has returned to Buenos Aires after a spell in Chile and advises mining clients on their day-to-day operations, and on the acquisition, development, financing and sale of projects and assets.

Argentina > Labour and employment Tier 2

Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados supports clients across a wide range of labour-related issues and is called on for advice on the labour aspects of M&A deals, cross-border employment issues, collective bargaining at industry and company level, and compensation plans. The firm’s expertise also extends to industrial action mitigation strategies, work force restructuring, health and safety, and employment contract drafting. Labour litigation at administrative and judicial level is also covered. Practice head Julio Caballero is a well-known labour lawyer with extensive domestic and international experience in employment, collective bargaining and social security matters, as well as cross-border M&A work. Lorenzo Gnecco has advised clients on collective bargaining and social security matters for more than four decades, and Jorge Pico is another experienced labour lawyer on the firm’s roster. A phalanx of younger partners - including Felicitas de Achával (expatriations, international assignments and M&A); Rita Payarola (labour disputes); Esteban Valansi (social security and M&A) and Ana Clara Gómez Casadei  (cross-border labour matters) - provide further high-level back-up.

Argentina > Public law Tier 2

Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados represents clients in a variety of complex public-law related M&A transactions, infrastructure project financings, international public tenders and disputes. All major regulated industries are covered, including the pharmaceuticals, chemicals, natural resources, transportation and automotive sectors. The team’s expertise in government contracts at federal, provincial and municipal level is particularly notable, as is its work in regulatory disputes, nationalisations and expropriations. The practice is led by Horacio Ruiz Moreno, a public law authority with decades of administrative law and dispute resolution experience. He receives senior level support from veteran practitioner Rafael González Arzac, who has broad administrative law, public contracting and public services regulation expertise; Néstor Buján, a specialist in litigation and administrative, regulatory and competition law; and versatile administrative, environmental, and regulatory lawyer Gustavo Cedrone.

Argentina > Banking and finance Tier 3

The Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados banking and finance team has extensive experience handling the financing aspects of complex, cross-border M&A deals and offers broad capital markets coverage, including structured finance, acquisition finance, bilateral and syndicated debt facilities and project finance. The firm is known for its strong borrower-side practice, but has expanded its lender client roster, working with local and international banks, development banks and micro-lenders on a range of transactional, regulatory and Central Bank matters. Diego Parise, a corporate-finance partner who handles debt and equity offerings, bank financings and debt restructurings, leads the practice, with partner Julio Martínez providing senior support on capital markets, securitisation and project finance deals. Natalia Rauchberger advises banks, investment funds and borrowers on financings, with project finance and debt restructurings a core part of her practice. Fintech and cryptoassets counsel Nicolás Fernández Madero and M&A financing expert Matías Olcese are other key names in the team, which also calls on support from corporate partner Mercedes Rodríguez Giavarini. Experienced associate Catalina Sarrabayrouse leads the second line, and is active in banking regulation and foreign exchange matters.  

Argentina > Bankruptcy and restructuring Tier 3

Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados works with domestic and international debtors, creditors and trustees on reorganisations and bankruptcy litigation. Veteran public law and dispute resolution partner Horacio Ruiz Moreno is the main contact.

Argentina > Competition and antitrust Tier 3

Best known for its experience handling multi-jurisdictional, cross-border competition and antitrust matters, Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados assists a global client base with merger filings and antitrust proceedings across Latin America. The team provides regular counsel on commercial behaviour and the avoidance of anticompetitive practices, as well as on the establishment of competition compliance programs and internal investigations. Respected corporate lawyer Aixa Sureda is well-versed in competition and antitrust law matters and co-leads the team alongside Cristian Mitrani, who clients seek out for advice on competition law infringement cases and internal investigations. The team’s second line is led by senior associate Evangelina González Soldo, whose practice covers transactional, antitrust and competition matters.

Argentina > Dispute resolution Tier 3

Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados represents clients across a broad range of areas, litigating on civil, commercial, labour, IP, regulatory and tax matters. The team handles work at all levels of the Argentine court system and is also comfortable acting as counsel in domestic and international arbitration proceedings. Conflict prevention and management are other areas of expertise, with class actions initiated by consumer associations also a key source of work. Administrative law, public services regulation, arbitration and mediation expert Horacio Ruiz Moreno co-leads the team alongside administrative law, public contracting and regulation expert Cristian Krüger. The practice also draws on the vast experience of public law veteran Rafael González Arzac, with additional support coming from Carlos Eliçabe, a corporate lawyer who also undertakes civil and commercial litigation. The firm strengthened its second line with senior associate Yamila di Martino joining from Bomchil in July 2022.

Energy and natural resources > Oil and gas Tier 3

Oil-and-gas exploration, production transportation, distribution, refining and trading are all handled by Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados, which is particularly well known for its work structuring deals for upstream assignments, farm-outs and joint ventures, as well as downstream corporate M&A. The practice also handles regulatory, permitting and concession matters, as well as various contract negotiations, credit facilities and project finance work. Team head Mariana Ardizzone is a stand-out energy industry practitioner, with corporate partner María Recondo - who is knowledgeable about the sector, having previously had roles with YPF and Tecpetrol - providing key support. The team is also able to draw on expertise from other departments. Administrative law practice head Horacio Ruiz Moreno has acted as the statutory controller for Ecogas, Gas Natural Ban and Transportadora de Gas del Sur; while M&A and financing partners Julio Martínez, Diego Parise and Aixa Sureda have all worked on high-profile oil-and-gas deals and financings.

Argentina > Intellectual property Tier 3

Clients call on the ‘very attentive and always helpful’ IP practice at Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados for expert advice on the registration, protection and licensing of patents, trade marks, trade secrets and copyright, as well as regarding software, entertainment-content and technology-related matters. While handling the full scope of IP work, the practice has a particular focus on the coordination of complex cross-border licensing and litigation cases. IP due diligence in M&A scenarios, and contract drafting and negotiation are also covered. Practice head Ignacio Bérèterbide specialises in IP prosecution and litigation, and is praised by clients for his ‘professional rigour’. Key support is provided by senior counsel Manuel Alonso (trade mark and copyright protection, license agreements, pre-registration analysis, registered trade, and copyright litigation); and senior associate María Luz Nuñez (litigation, patents and trademarks infringements and copyright protection. Former senior associate Rita Colombo left the firm in February 2023.

Argentina > Tax Tier 3

Mitrani Caballero & Ruiz Moreno Abogados has a strong tax structuring and tax planning practice, and is also active on the tax aspects of M&A transactions, joint ventures and financing. Tax and estate planning advice to families and high net worth clients is another busy area, as is representing clients in administrative proceedings and litigation before federal and local tax authorities and courts. Practice head Corina Laudato is an expert in local and international tax planning; while tax and customs law-focused Gloria Gurbista, and international corporate restructuring and governance specialist Juan Ignacio Soma, are other key senior names. At associate level, key senior Juan Manuel Iglesias Mamone handles tax litigation and cross-border transactional matters.