Manuel Quinche > Cuatrecasas > Bogotá, Colombia > Lawyer Profile

Cuatrecasas houses a diverse banking and finance practice that is equipped to handle the full range of corporate lending, project finance, financial restructuring and regulatory matters. The team’s strong roster of local and multinational financial institution clients is complemented by an equally solid set of corporate borrower relationships, while its international platform marks it as a popular choice for cross-border mandates. Department head Manuel Quinche is widely recognised as a leading light for sophisticated corporate and project financings; he recently advised Transportadora de Gas Internacional on a $397m financing granted by Bancolombia and BBVA Colombia. The group further benefits from the experience of up-and-coming projects and finance specialist Ana María Sánchez, who is particularly recommended for highly structured deals; and Juan Carlos Puentes, who is an increasingly prominent name for fintech-related work, among other matters. Raised to the partnership in April 2024, Natalia Arango is also noted for her activity in energy and infrastructure project financings; and as head of the capital markets practice, she additionally brings to bear significant structured finance expertise.

Lawyers in Cuatrecasas’ projects team ‘don’t just scratch the surface, they dive into every aspect’, according to clients. The group houses a thriving project finance offering, where it is a popular choice to represent domestic and global lenders on financing large-scale infrastructure projects. The team additionally contributes extensive experience in acting for sponsors, concessionaires and others on project financing, development and maintenance matters. Manuel Quinche is a go-to finance specialist, whose sectoral projects expertise encompasses roads, ports, airports, public transport, energy, and telecoms, among other spheres. Quinche recently advised the lenders on the $642m refinancing of the 4G concession for the Pamplona-Cúcuta toll-road project. Other key names include Ana María Sánchez, whose practice spans infrastructure, energy and public law; finance partner Juan Carlos Puentes; and finance-focused Natalia Arango, who was promoted to the partnership in April 2024. Since publication, the practice has been further strengthened with the hire of Nicólas Arboleda who arrived from his own boutique in Janaury 2025.

Equally adept at transactional and regulatory matters, Cuatrecasas’ energy and natural resources practice provides a ‘unique combination of strong legal experience and deep understanding of energy market dynamics’. Its broad regulatory expertise is a key differentiator and the team advises major global names, particularly in the renewable energy space, on the full range of regulatory compliance, administrative law and environmental law issues. The group is also a strong performer in transactional matters, including M&A, joint ventures and financings. Key partner Ana María Sánchez brings together skill sets in energy, infrastructure, finance and public law; she is noted for her experience in structuring energy projects. Senior associate Manuel Gómez leads the energy and regulated industries practice and is widely lauded for his ‘very deep knowledge of Colombian regulation’; he advised Canadian Solar on regulatory matters connected to the construction and operation of a battery-energy storage system in Barranquilla. The team also includes finance specialist Manuel Quinche and ‘very business-oriented’ senior associate Fabio Ardila. Since publication, the practice has been further strengthened with the hire of projects and finance specialist, Nicólas Arboleda, who arrived from his own boutique in Janaury 2025.

Cuatrecasas has made a considerable investment into its Latin America practice, with established offices in Bogotá, Lima, Mexico City and Santiago. The firm advises a range of sponsors and lenders on project financings across the region, notably public-infrastructure projects under concession contracts and other public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements. It has a significant record in energy, transport and other forms of infrastructure, such as social and community infrastructure. The firm continues to standout for its work on road and renewable energy projects. Bogota partner Manuel Quinche has advised on a series of landmark projects in Colombia, especially highways. Lima’s Aldo Reggiardo is another established lawyer in energy and infrastructure matters, as is León López in Mexico City.

Cuatrecasas operates multiple offices in Latin America, notably Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile; all house considerable banking and finance expertise. This is coupled with Latin America-facing banking and finance expertise in Madrid, a rep office in New York and other international offices. It represents a range of corporate borrowers, financial institutions and funds in a variety of financings, notably in leveraged and acquisition finance, along with corporate finance, structured finance, derivatives, asset finance, projects and infrastructure finance, real estate finance, and export and trade finance. The firm also remains active in DIP financings and debt restructurings. In 2023, the firm advised on a series of headline acquisition financings, including advising a syndicate bank on the financing for SK Capital Partners’ acquisition of Apotex Pharmaceutical and its subsidiaries. Refinancing and debt restructuring have been important elements of the practice, along with project finance and real estate finance. Bogota partner Manuel Quinche is an experienced figure in structured finance and project finance. Roberto Guerrero is a key name in Santiago, along with León López in Mexico City and Aldo Reggiardo in Lima. Madrid’s Carlos Lasarte has extensive experience in representing international lenders in Latin American financings.