The Legal 500

Argentina

Banking and finance

Banking and finance - ranked: tier 3

Estudio O'Farrell

With a ‘strongly professional group’, Estudio O'Farrell strikes the right note with its ‘speedy and accurate advice’. Under the leadership of Uriel O’Farrell, the team is well known for its specialist experience in in advising issuers on debt offerings. As a case in point, O’Farrell recently acted in conjunction with the ‘responsive and knowledgeable’ Sebastián Luegmayer to assist national oil company YPF with a $750m international notes offering. The group also advises John Deere Credit Compañía Financiera on its debt offerings. Foreign exchange regulations, debt restructurings and project finance are also notable areas of activity.

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Competition and antitrust

Competition and antitrust - ranked: tier 3

Estudio O'Farrell

At Estudio O'Farrell, economic regulation partner Agustín Siboldi is the key contact for competition law. The firm is a popular choice for infrastructure, energy and public law-related matters and is representing YPF on the competition aspects of its acquisition of a controlling shareholding in Apache’s Argentine assets. Other representative clients include Axion Energy and Claro Argentina.

Leading lawyers

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Corporate and M&A

Corporate and M&A - ranked: tier 3

Estudio O'Farrell

The ‘resourceful team’ at Estudio O'Farrell is commended for ‘taking the time to understand the client’s business’. The group is particularly recognised for its strong profile in energy matters (largely due to the firm’s close relationship with YPF), but it is also routinely involved in deals in the agribusiness and infrastructure areas. Recent work saw practice co-heads Ricardo Castañeda and Uriel O´Farrell pair-up to advise YPF and YPF Energía Electrica on a $275m subscription agreement with EFS Global Energy and GE Capital Global Energy Investments. The team also includes Ernesto Genco, who has a ‘great business mind’.

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Dispute resolution

Dispute resolution - ranked: tier 3

Estudio O'Farrell

Estudio O'Farrell’s litigation practice, which is led jointly by Daniel Calatrava and Francisco Astolfi, has a particularly prolific record in the automotive sector – the energy, life sciences and aviation industries are also significant sources of instructions. Recent work includes representing Ford Argentina in a class action relating to the contractual terms governing car purchases. The firm also provides ongoing advice to Turkish Airlines on air transport claims. Other key clients include Farmcity, Medicus and YPF.

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International trade and customs

International trade and customs - ranked: tier 3

Estudio O'Farrell

Satisfied clients of Estudio O'Farrell assert that its ‘strong advice and expertise provide successful results’. Department lead Gustavo Enrique Müller is a ‘great resource for finding the best solutions for international trade and customs issues’ and heads a practice that regularly advises on import and export regimes, trade remedies, tariff classifications, customs law and international agreements and treaties. Ford Argentina, ASB Technologies and Araucaria Rail Technology are key clients.

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Labour and employment

Labour and employment - ranked: tier 4

Estudio O'Farrell

At Estudio O'Farrell, lawyers impress with their ‘strong availability’ and ‘great quality advice’. José Luis Zapata leads a team that also includes ‘very clear and assertive’ senior associate Ignacio Agustín Castiglione. Key highlights included advising Vossloh Cogifer Argentina on its collective bargaining agreement with the main railway union, Unión Ferroviaria. Ford Argentina also turned to the group to assist with negotiations with automotive industry workers’ union, SMATA.

Next generation lawyers

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Public law

Public law - ranked: tier 2

Estudio O'Farrell

Estudio O'Farrell’s public law and economic regulation department continues to increase its market share of complex litigation; the group also advises on public procurement, PPP arrangements and regulatory issues. Highlights included group head Jorge Muratorio advising Grupo Concesionario del Oeste and Autopistas del Sol in the renegotiation of concession contracts. Fernando García Pullés is also recommended and advised Casino Buenos Aires in a claim aiming to prevent clauses of the concession contract of the Casinos of Ciudad de Buenos Aires from being arbitrarily and unilaterally modified by the state.

Leading lawyers

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TMT

TMT - ranked: tier 2

Estudio O'Farrell

Estudio O'Farrell’s TMT offering has a strong focus on regulatory matters under the leadership of high-profile economic regulation expert Agustín Siboldi. The group is particularly well known for its prominent telecoms practice and it is a popular choice for administrative litigation in the telecoms sphere. Recent mandates saw the team file an unconstitutionality action challenging a provincial law on behalf of Claro Argentina and Telmex Argentina. The group also advised Telefónica de Argentina and Movistar Argentina on amendments to the country’s media and telecoms law and the proposals for the new regulatory framework. Other key clients include Comunicaciones y Consumos, Nextel Communications Argentina and Personal Argentina.

Leading lawyers

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Tax

Tax - ranked: tier 3

Estudio O'Farrell

The ‘outstanding’ Estudio O'Farrell impresses with its ‘valuable, effective and expedient advice’. Under the leadership of ‘exceptional advisor’, Miguel Tesón, the tax group has a broad focus that spans transfer pricing, transactional matters and tax litigation. Recent work includes advising the federal government on the local, provincial and federal tax aspects of a PPP project to develop and improve water resources. The growing prominence of the firm’s tax practice was recently reflected in the partner promotions of Valeria Estathio and María Celina Valls. Guillermo Lalanne is also a key contact.

Leading lawyers

Next generation lawyers

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Argentina: Energy and natural resources

Electricity

Energy and natural resources: Electricity - ranked: tier 1

Estudio O'Farrell

Estudio O'Farrell’s practice, which demonstrates broad capability in both regulatory and transactional matters, is commended for its ‘strong commitment to the client’. The ‘creative and problem-solving’ team is led jointly by the ‘very experienced’ Uriel O´Farrell and economic regulation specialist Agustín Siboldi; it also benefits from the senior experience of ‘fantastic administrative law partner’ María Agustina Fanelli Evans and Fernando Raúl García Pullés. Recent highlights include advising Argentina’s largest electricity distributor, Edenor, on the renegotiation of the electricity distribution concession agreement for the City of Buenos Aires and the north of Buenos Aires province. It is also assisting Pampa Energía with the auction proceedings for three new power electricity generation plants. Compañía General de Electricidad, Energy Consulting Services and YPF Energía Electric are also on the department’s books.

Leading lawyers

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Oil and gas

Energy and natural resources: oil and gas - ranked: tier 2

Estudio O'Farrell

Estudio O'Farrell’s oil and gas practice, which sits within the firm’s public law and economic regulation department, has a strong focus on regulatory and contentious issues. Led jointly by Uriel O´Farrell and Agustín Siboldi, the team covers a wide range of upstream and downstream matters including exploration, transportation and distribution. The firm’s strong links to YPF ensures key roles on major projects and in one notable mandate it is representing YPF on its joint venture with Petronas to develop the La Amarga Chica concession. The group also recently advised Gas Natural Ban on the renegotiation of the license agreement for natural gas distribution in Buenos Aires and the north of Buenos Aires province.

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