Fernando Berio > ECIJA SBGB > San Juan, Puerto Rico > Lawyer Profile
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Fernando Berio
Work Department
Real Estate, Corporate/M&A, Fintech and Financial Regulation, Tax and Regulatory and Government Affairs
Position
Partner
Career
Fernando L. Berio is Partner at ECIJA’s Real Estate, Corporate/M&A, Fintech and Financial Regulation, Tax and Regulatory and Government Affairs practice areas, and has a professional experience of more than 14 years in advising Puertorrican and international companies in said areas.
He focuses his practice on real estate pre-development activities, tax credit equity procurement, tax-exempt financing, mixed financing structuring for multifamily housing deals, deal negotiation and closing, and general corporate, real estate, and tax law matters. Throughout his two-decade-long career, which includes passing the Level III Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) examination, Mr. Berio has helped raise and close approximately $100 million in financing and tax credit equity for residential and mixed-use projects around the island.
Representing both local and national developers, Mr. Berio, who is a member of the Puerto Rico Bar Association, advises clients involved in administrative, regulatory, and procurement proceedings before state and federal infrastructure government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Housing Service, the Federal Highway Administration, the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority, the Puerto Rico Department of Housing, the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration (PRPHA), and the Puerto Rico Housing Finance Authority (PRHFA), over which he presided. A former member of the Board of Governors for PRPHA, Mr. Berio formed part of the team that structured the first ever LIHTC/Mix Financing deal for public housing in Puerto Rico, which earned him the 2008 Bond Buyer Magazine Deal of the Year award for the most innovative public finance deal nationwide. These interactions have provided him with highly specialized tax law and regulatory experience with programs such as the federal aid housing and highway development programs. Mr. Berio’s presence in the tax credit and infrastructure development industry has been noted in trade publications such as the Tax Credit Advisor Magazine. He has also spoken at the International Federation for Housing and Planning’s World Congress and the Puerto Rico Banking Association’s Housing Congress.
Education
Mr. Berio is admitted to practice before the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. He earned an LL.M. degree with a concentration in Corporate Law and Securities Regulations from Columbia University, a Juris Doctor., magna cum laude, from the University of Puerto Rico, and a B.S.B.A. degree in finance, magna cum laude, from Georgetown University.
Personal
Fernando speaks Spanish and English, and has basic knowledge of Portuguese, French, Italian and Catalan.
Lawyer Rankings
Puerto Rico > Corporate, commercial and banking
(Leading partners)The team at ECIJA SBGB harnesses the bench strength of its global network to assist commercial banks, government entities and non-profits, investors and multinational corporates across such sectors as IT, energy, shipping, retail and financial services with day-to-day corporate operations and high-value, multi-jurisdictional transactions. The practice’s comprehensive service covers matters ranging from M&A, joint ventures, corporate finance and estate planning to corporate governance and tax exemptions, as well as regulatory compliance. The practice is headed by office managing partner Fernando Berio, who brings expertise to real estate pre-development activities, tax credit equity procurement and deal negotiations, and experienced corporate counsellor Jorge Fernández-Reboredo, who manages compliance monitoring and real estate M&A at the retail and distribution levels. Milimar Landrón-Acevedo, who was promoted to partner in September 2023, specialises in employee benefits and compensation matters.
Puerto Rico > Real estate, hospitality and leisure
The team at ECIJA SBGB harnesses the bench strength of its global network to assist domestic financial institutions, national and multinational developers, construction companies and corporates in sectors including energy and digital media with matters ranging from mixed financing structures, public housing project funding procurement, due diligence and lease agreements to notarial services and tax matters. The practice is jointly led by managing partner Fernando Berio, who brings expertise to the utilisation of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) under section 42 of the US Internal Revenue Code in the affordable housing sector, and Jorge Fernández-Reboredo, who specialises in energy sector matters and real estate regulatory compliance.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading partners Puerto Rico > Corporate, commercial and banking
- Corporate, commercial and banking Puerto Rico
- Real estate, hospitality and leisure Puerto Rico