Real estate in Argentina
Zang, Bergel & Viñes Abogados
An acknowledged leader for real estate law in Argentina, Zang, Bergel & Viñes Abogados stole a march on the rest of the market with its early specialisation in the sector. The highly regarded practice advises on the full life cycle of residential and commercial real estate projects, including planning and development, sale and purchase transactions, leasing and management matters and financing deals. The team’s broad industry coverage, which spans the full suite of real estate asset-classes, is reflected in its diverse client list and it counts developers, investors, hotel chains, agribusiness companies and financial institutions among its key clients. Juan Manuel Quintana is widely recognised as a sector specialist and handles a mix of corporate, agribusiness and retail-related transactions. Fernando Aguinaga, who co-heads the practice alongside Quintana, specialises in real estate, agribusiness and competition matters. The team also benefits from the senior experience of Pablo Vergara del Carril who has a strong corporate finance angle to his practice.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
IRSA / IRSA Propiedades Comerciales
NS Desarrollos
NH Hotels
Grupo Hotusa
Cresud
Tarshop
Banco Hipotecario
Manibil
Land Group
Amzak
Work highlights
- Advised Unión Argentina de Rugby on the transfer of use for a part of a property in Buenos Aires to be used as a centre for sporting excellence.
- Advised IRSA Propiedades Comerciales on transferring to Abasto Twins the rights to build an apartment building over the airspace of a supermarket in Buenos Aires.
- Represented Nomada on its participation in a public auction relating to a significant property in Buenos Aires.
- Advised IRSA Propiedades Comerciales on its agreement with retail chain Coto Centro Integral de Comercializacion, which included the transfer to IRSA of 150 garages.
Beccar Varela
Beccar Varela houses an increasingly prominent real estate and hospitality practice, which represents an array of real estate owners, developers, investors, managers and lenders. A strong performer on the transactional side, the team frequently advises on sale and purchase transactions in the residential, commercial and agribusiness sectors. It also has a robust development practice, which advises both local and multinational companies on marquee projects. Pedro Nicholson heads the group and is widely regarded as a market leader. Senior associate Pedro Silvestri provides capable support.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
WeWork
The Related
Viña Doña Paula
Kawen
Forest Invest
Endava
Plaza Nogales
JB Developers
Piso 10
Casaquadra
Work highlights
- Acted for WeWork on the acquisition of two real estate developer and construction companies in Argentina, Emprendedores Urbanos and Emprendimientos Innovadores.
- Advised The Related on the legal and commercial structure of a residential project.
- Acted for Viña Doña Paula Viticulture on the acquisition of two plots in the province of Mendoza.
Marval O’Farrell Mairal
Marval O’Farrell Mairal leverages its top-tier corporate practice to specialise in advising on transactional matters, particularly sale and purchase transactions, investment deals, real estate finance and leasing. It also has robust development expertise and its close relationships with key clients Hilton Hotels and property tycoon Edmond Safra underpins a significant proportion of that work. Corporate finance partner Hernán Slemenson co-heads the practice and spearheads much of the group’s activity in the hotel sector. Department co-head Diego Chighizola is an impressive up-and-coming real estate specialist.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Hilton Hotels
InterContinental Hotel
Edmond Safra
Faena Group
Guggenheim Nicklaus Partners
Pegasus Real Estate
Adecoagro
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
JPMorgan Chase Bank
ABN AMRO Bank (Argentina)
Nassef Sawiris (NNS)
Honeywell
Work highlights
- Advised real estate tycoon Edmond Safra on the $300m development and construction of AAA office buildings in downtown Buenos Aires and on structuring the financing for the project.
- Acted for a group of private investors on the acquisition of hotel property in downtown Buenos Aires.
- Advised Hilton Hotels on the development, management and operation of a Hilton Hotel, residences and golf facilities in the City of Pilar.
Nicholson y Cano Abogados
Nicholson y Cano Abogados’ broad group is well versed in all the main stages of real estate work, from investment and acquisitions and development and financing, through to commercial exploitation. The group’s longstanding relationship with Pegasus Group translates into a prominent development practice, which is particularly active in shopping centre and mixed-use developments. Other sweet spots include leasing and investment matters. Department head Agustín Pérez Cambiasso has a focus on real estate, construction and infrastructure law.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Grupo Pegasus
TGLT
HSBC
Cargill
Colegio San Andrés
Farmacity
EDENOR
Bellamar Estancias
Swiss Medical Group
Despegar.com
Work highlights
- Advised Grupo Pegasus on the expansion of the Tortugas Open Mall shopping centre.
- Advised developer TGLT on day-to-day matters and ongoing projects.
- Acted for Asociación Civil Educativa Escocesa San Andrés (Saint Andrew’s Scots School) on the transfer of its educational centres to a new location in Buenos Aires.
Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen
Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen finds favour for its matter analysis, which sources assert is ‘in depth and of a high quality’. The firm had a strong recent showing in the leasing space, advising on contracts for Google, Havas Media Planning and Anheuser-Busch InBev. Other key pillars of the practice include development projects, property sales and purchases, real estate financing and corporate support matters. Guillermo Quiñoa heads the team and is highly regarded for his specialist expertise in real estate and construction law. Associate Cristian Chang is also recommended by sources.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The firm’s delivery is very good and their analysis of every matter is in depth and of a high quality. They are ahead of the curve.’
‘Both Guillermo Quiñoa and associate Cristian Chang are very empathetic; they put themselves in the client’s position and offer different alternatives to resolve difficult situations.’
Key clients
Banco Santander
Perez Companc Group
Havas
Etex Group
Anheuser-Busch InBev (Experiencias Cerveceras)
Ayres Desarrollos
Falabella
Mercado Libre
Grupo Luksic
Work highlights
- Advised Banco Santander on the construction of its new headquarters in the City of Buenos Aires.
- Advised Ayres Desarrollos on the development, construction and sale of several residential and commercial developments in Buenos Aires.
- Acted for Havas Media Planning on the lease, set up, construction and operation of its new headquarters in Buenos Aires.
Baker McKenzie
The ‘very agile’ team at Baker McKenzie attracts praise for its lawyers’ ability to ‘work together as a multidisciplinary unit on complex matters’. The firm represents a mix of developers, property owners, investors, hotels and tenants on the full scope of real estate matters, with robust expertise in construction, leasing, and real estate sales and acquisitions. Department head Alejandra Bugna stands out for possessing ‘legal knowledge that is both theoretical and practical’.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The benefit of the Baker McKenzie team is that, in addition to each having their own knowledge, they are very agile in working together as a multidisciplinary unit on complex matters – as in real estate developments in Argentina, tax, notarial and technical matters often overtake legal structures.’
‘They do a great job and I am grateful for their support.’
‘They are quite responsive and used to working with fast-paced organisations.’
‘Alongside her professional abilities, Alejandra Bugna stands out for her warm and earnest treatment of clients, supported by legal knowledge that is both theoretical and practical.’
Key clients
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Abbott Laboratories-Laboratorio Internacional Argentino
HP
Almarai
Marriott International
Caruso & Asociados
CyC Arquitectura
Closure Systems International
Work highlights
- Advised the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on certain service agreements for the construction of new properties.
- Acted for Marriott International on preparing agreements to bring the luxury W Hotels range to Argentina.
Bomchil
Bomchil strikes a balance between transactional and project development work, with supplementary expertise in financing, taxation and environmental matters. The firm has been particularly active in advising on large-scale real estate projects, undertaking work for developers such as NorthBaires and Pereiraola. M&A partner Adrián Furman co-heads the practice alongside managing partner Javier Petrantonio, who also specialises in M&A.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Albwardy Investment
Pereiraola
Patgo
La Nación Group / Buenos Aires Arena
Integración Turística Hotelera
PepsiCo (Argentina)
NorthBaires
Work highlights
- Advised NorthBaires on the development of a mixed-used real estate project in Puerto Madero.
- Acted for Buenos Aires Arena on the construction and development of a next-generation arena.
Brons & Salas
Brons & Salas stands out for its niche expertise in the rural land space, including specialist rural land regulatory issues, such as restrictions on foreign ownership. The team is also well versed in construction and infrastructure projects — particularly in the energy and industrial sectors — and hotel-related matters. Mariano del Olmo heads the team and also co-leads the corporate and M&A department.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Solar Turbines International
Gigawatt Global Coöperatief
Grupo Peñaflor
Bencich Group
Papel Prensa
Hyatt
Hotel Casino Tandil
Balanz Capital
Emprendimientos y Desarrollo
Opus Group
Global Investment Holding
San Jose Maria
Conagra Foods
Agrium
Agroservicios Pampeanos
Forage Genetics International
Work highlights
- Advised Grupo Peñaflor on regulatory issues in the real estate sector, including rural land matters and border security zones.
- Acted for Inspecentro on the construction of a vehicle technical inspection plant in the City of Buenos Aires.
Bruchou, Fernández Madero & Lombardi
‘Very professional, creative and dedicated’, Bruchou, Fernández Madero & Lombardi is lauded by sources for knowing the ‘local idiosyncrasies of this area inside out’. The multidisciplinary practice advises on all areas of real estate law, routinely drawing on support from across the firm for complex, cross-practice matters. The team is arguably best known for its transactional practice and it advised on several property acquisitions, divestments and joint ventures over the past year. Exequiel Buenaventura and his team ‘think outside the box’.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The team know the local idiosyncrasies of this area inside out. They have a strong understanding of the subject, and they are flexible and excellent at providing different perspectives and business options.’
‘They have the ability to provide rapid and comprehensive advice, as well as being able to consult other lawyers in the firm with different specialist areas. Real estate matters cover administrative law, property rights, litigation (depending on the case), and corporate, company and contract law; for a firm to be able to provide a fast, high-quality service in all these areas is a real advantage.’
‘They have the best international practice, and provide excellent service and client care.’
‘It is an excellent team, with excellent delivery.’
‘To advise on real estate matters, you have to have expertise in this subject; that is, you have to have worked on deals and real estate issues in the past. Likewise, it requires a level of specialisation that few firms possess in Argentina; Bruchou is one of those that do have this expertise and this degree of specialisation.’
‘It is a pleasure to work with Exequiel Buenaventura and his team. They are very professional, creative and dedicated, they think outside the box and make closing deals easier. They have excellent drafting skills in English and Spanish.’
‘Exequiel Buenaventura and banking and finance partner José María Bazán have shown a lot of quality and knowledge of the subject. They have been constantly available and have had a collaborative approach throughout the process.’