Mr Juan Francisco Almeida > Lexvalor Abogados > Quito, Ecuador > Lawyer Profile

Lexvalor Abogados has a strong footing in Quito, demonstrated by its assistance to prominent clients in the capital markets and finance spaces; it regularly acts on behalf of domestic and international investors, trust funds and banks in corporate bond issues, securities registration, securitisations and debt transactions. Leadership of the practice is shared by Daniela Irigoyen, an expert in fiduciary businesses, and Margoth Chiriboga, who also acts as the director of the firm’s stock exchange department, specialising in private equity and structured finance deals. Key clients in this respect include Fideval, Mercapital and Sucaval, with the team’s advice to Banco Internacional del Ecuador on the country’s first blue bond issuance process making headlines. Active in this matter, María Pia Rivadeneira is a standout from the senior associate ranks, with Juan Francisco Almeida also noted for his knowledge of securitisation and guarantee structurings.

Clients of Lexvalor Abogados note that the firm’s ‘dynamism and youth sets it apart from others‘, forming teams ‘which understand new business trends‘. Areas of growth in 2022 included mergers and acquisitions on both the buy and sell sides, where the team advised local and international companies, and assisting clients with investments in food and beverage production, consumer product manufacturing, technological applications and fuel distribution. The practice is jointly led by firm president Alfredo Peñaherrera Wright, founding partner Margoth Chiriboga Lopez and experienced M&A practitioner Juan Francisco Almeida.

Juan Francisco Almeida and Daniela Irigoyen lead Lexvalor Abogados‘ team, which contains ‘young lawyers with a great professional reputation‘. Clients instructing the group mostly stem from the financial services and real estate sectors, turning to the group for assistance in a plethora of litigation, arbitration and mediation processes instigated by and against trusts. Many of the matters handled by the practice are of a commercial or civil nature, arising from contractual and commercial relations. Iván Plascencia at the associate level stands out for his handling of contractual and non-contractual liability cases. Former practice head César Sánchez departed from the firm in September 2022.