Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen > Buenos Aires, Argentina > Firm Profile

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen > The Legal 500 Rankings

Argentina > Banking and finance Tier 2

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen advises domestic and international corporates and financial institutions on project financing, debt restructuring, trade finance and equity and debt capital markets matters. Sovereign and sub-sovereign debt engagements are covered too, with banking, consumer credit and securities regulation other areas of expertise. The ‘excellent’ team has also been at the forefront of sustainability finance activity in Argentina, working on the first green bond, social bond and sustainability-linked bond issuances in the country. Capital markets and corporate finance lawyer Diego Redonnet co-leads the practice alongside versatile banking and capital markets’ veteran, María Gabriela Grigioni, and hugely experienced name partners Mariano Grondona and Alan Arnsten. At associate level, senior Alejo Muñoz de Toro is the key figure, handing securities issuances of securities, financial debt restructuring process, syndi1cated loans and project finance, along with forex compliance advisory. Intermediate Nahuel Perez de Villarreal is also noted. Former senior Nicolás Aberastury moved in house in late 2022. Since publication, Muñoz de Toro has been raised to counsel - effective as of Janaury 2024.

Argentina > Competition and antitrust Tier 2

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen advises domestic and international clients on Argentine competition and antitrust regulations, regulatory clearance and approval filings, competition and antitrust litigation, and anti-competitive behaviour investigations. The practice is also called on for support on multi-party cross border matters and is notably active across the telecom, pharmaceuticals, technology, automotive and agriculture industries. Team lead Luis Barry is well known for his expertise in antitrust, competition, product liability and consumer law. Moreover, he has built an increasingly consolidated department: dedicated counsel María Carolina Abdelnabe Vila is another key name, with expertise spanning consumer protection, fair trade, data protection law, product liability and legal technology; with further support provided by Clara Rodriguez Llanos (raised to counsel in January 2023) and semi-senior associate Sonia Del Regno. Since publication, Abdelnabe has been raised to the partnership - effective as of January 2024.

Argentina > Compliance Tier 2

Clients call on Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen for assistance with the preparation of compliance programmes and anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-fraud and anti-money laundering prevention procedures. The practice handles the full range of corporate governance, compliance, and corporate ethics matters, with the team particularly well-known for its focus on data protection law and privacy, as well as compliance training and due diligence. María Gabriela Grigioni, who has a strong banking and finance practice, heads the team alongside disputes, litigation and technology law expert Arnaldo Cisilino. Associate Natalia Sofia Guttner moved in house at Mercado Libre in July 2022.

Argentina > Consumer law Tier 2

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen represents manufacturers, importers, distributors, retail companies and financial institutions in extrajudicial claims made by consumers and before administrative agency hearings. The practice also handles claims management, the adaption of products and services to consumer protection regulations, product liability issues and class actions. Consumer law specialist Luis Barry (who also handles competition and antitrust matters), leads the team, with senior associate María Carolina Abdelnabe Vila – whose practice areas include consumer protection, fair trade, data protection law, product liability and legal tech – providing key support. Since publication, Abdelnabe has been raised to the partnership - effective as of January 2024.

Argentina > Corporate and M&A Tier 2

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen handles complex, cross-border deals for corporate and private equity clients across a wide range of sectors, leveraging its office network in Chile and New York to cover pan-regional and domestic Argentine transactions . Energy and agribusiness have been particularly active areas of work during the last 12 months, with the team also prominent on fintech and healthcare matters. In addition to its strong M&A capability, the practice provides extensive corporate advisory coverage, supporting clients on day-to-day corporate, tax, antitrust, environmental and regulatory issues. The team continues to draw on the vast experience of veteran transactional lawyer Jorge L. Pérez Alati, who co-leads the practice alongside respected M&A lawyer (and "go-to" name for private equity clients), Santiago Daireaux; and Eugenio Aramburu, an experienced M&A practitioner who has worked on multiple buyouts and cross-border deals. Transaction-focused Tomás Pérez Alati is another key name, taking up senior roles on the practice’s most important deals following his promotion to partner in 2022. The firm strengthened its second line with the June 2022 hire of Nicano Berola (from Zang, Bergel & Viñes Abogados) as a senior associate; he focus on corporate matters, M&A, venture capital, and mining and natural resources.

Argentina > Fintech Tier 2

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen advises digital banks, payments companies, prepaid-card providers and cryptocurrency exchange platforms on a wide range of regulatory, transactional and day-to-day commercial matters. Vastly experienced corporate finance veteran Diego Redonnet is the main contact and practice head.

Argentina > International trade and customs Tier 2

Clients turn to Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen for advice across all contentious and non-contentious customs operations. The  practice covers foreign exchange regulations, export and import financing and anti-dumping regulations, and is well known for advising on the trade-and-customs aspects of M&A; it also has experience challenging legislation and administrative acts allowing for the collection of retroactive export duties. Experienced tax partner Manuel Benites, who handles international trade, customs law and customs litigation, co-leads the team with Andrés Galindez, who has a focus on contentious trade matters. Counsel Germán Martín Quirán provides additional support, particulary regarding anti-dumping investigations, with export and import duties, and customs value matters also among his key areas of activity.

Argentina > Labour and employment Tier 2

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen is well known for is vast experience handling collective and individual litigation – as well as administrative proceedings – before Argentine governmental authorities, including the Argentine Ministry of Labor and Social Security Affairs, labour courts and other authorities. The team is also called on for its expertise in M&A labour due diligence, immigration, stock option plans and day-to-day labour advice. The practice’s strong leadership team includes labour veteran Julio César Stefanoni Zani; labour and social security specialist Julio Javier Lococo; experienced labour law expert Enrique Alfredo Betemps; and Geraldine Moffat, who joined the team from Bruchou & Funes de Rioja towards the end of 2022. Associates Verónica Benegas, who advises on labour and social security regulations, and Matias Fuse (who also made the move across from Bruchou & Funes de Rioja), lead the second line. Since publication, Fuse has been raised to counsel - effective as of Janaury 2024.

Argentina > Real estate Tier 2

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen has a strong track record in residential real estate, and industrial and urbanisation projects in the greater Buenos Aires area, with gated community developments and power generation sites two areas of notable expertise. The team handles all aspects of real estate law, from assisting clients with the drafting of preliminary sales contracts and obtaining of permits and approvals from national, provincial and municipal authorities, to construction agreements, financing, lease contracts and sales. Leasing and property management have been particularly active areas during the last 18 months. Guillermo Quiñoa is an authority on real estate and construction law and co-leads the practice alongside M&A and financing partner Santiago Daireaux; and Eugenio Aramburu, who advises on M&A, private equity, venture capital, corporate law, and project and corporate finance. The team was strengthened at associate level with the April 2022 hire of real estate and construction-focused senior, Rosario Stoppani.

Argentina > Tax Tier 2

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen provides comprehensive tax advice on domestic and international transactions and matters, with the team particularly noted for the depth of its litigation practice, which handles federal, provincial and municipal tax cases. The team is further recognised for its expertise in the planning, development and implementation of procedural strategies for client defences in disputes with tax authorities and governmental agencies. Tax planning and the tax aspects of M&A, debt restructurings and company reorganisations are additional areas in which the practice is regularly active. Manuel Benites has more than four decades' tax litigation and cross-border taxation experience. He co-leads the team alongside tax claims and litigation expert Luis Nuñez; customs litigation specialist Andrés Galindez; and Facundo Fernández Santos, who focuses on transactional work, tax planning and transfer pricing. Further support comes from counsels Matías Corte (tax litigation) and Germán Martín Quirán (customs); and Cristina Di Benedetto who is sought out for her expertise in hydrocarbon tax and royalty claims.

Argentina > TMT Tier 2

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen’s full service TMT practice handles a range of telecommunications, regulatory, intellectual property, data, privacy, e-commerce and freedom-of-speech matters. The group also has experience across TMT M&A, subsea fibre optic cables, licensing, rights collections and consumer protection. Experienced name partner Mariano Grondona – who handles telecom regulation, privacy matters, product liability and TMT-related dispute resolution – leads the practice alongside Arnaldo Cisilino, who undertakes work related to internet claims, data protection, and new projects and products. Associates Pía Politi (data law and technology) and María Carolina Abdelnabe Vila (data protection regulations, antitrust and consumer protection) lead the second line. Since publication, Abdelnabe has been raised to the partnership - effective as of January 2024.

Argentina > Bankruptcy and restructuring Tier 3

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen is known for representing creditors, debtors, trustees and ad hoc creditors’ committees in judicial and out-of-court workouts and debt restructurings, for both local and foreign parties. Companies turn to the firm for counsel on complex debt reduction, restructuring and recapitalisation matters, with the team also recognised for its expertise in extrajudicial preventive agreements (APEs). A large practice leadership team is comprised of well-known transactional lawyer Alan Arntsen; capital markets and transactional partner Diego Redonnet; litigation-focused Lautaro Ferro; banking practitioner María Gabriela Grigioni and Guillermo Quiñoa, who covers real estate and litigation.

Argentina > Dispute resolution Tier 3

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen covers the complete spectrum of contentious advice, handling complex litigation proceedings in a broad array of commercial and public law disputes at all levels of the court system in Argentina. Disputes spanning multiple jurisdictions and fora, and class actions and mass litigation are particular areas of expertise, with the team also known for its track record in both investment and commercial arbitration cases. Arbitration and complex litigation specialist Laurato Ferro co-leads the team with the deeply experienced Luis Incera (litigation, insolvency, bankruptcy and family law), and Arnaldo Cisilino (civil and commercial litigation, class actions, data protection and privacy). Experienced litigation and arbitration practitioner Guillermo Quiñoa, who also undertakes real estate and construction law, provides additional senior level expertise. Key support comes from counsels Nicolas del Hoyo (product liability and banking & finance litigation), and Pía Politi (technology and media litigation; data privacy matters).

Energy and natural resources > Oil and gas Tier 3

Oil-and-gas transactional work is a key focus for Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen, which supports clients on M&A deals, joint ventures, due diligence, innovative investments and strategic acquisitions. The practice has been particularly active in the unconventional hydrocarbons segment (supporting the drafting of legislation to unlock the Vaca Muerta shale play), and has also advised on transnational pipeline and LNG terminal matters, along with federal and state energy regulatory work. Veteran oil-and-gas practitioner Francisco Romano draws on more than two-decades of industry experience, including a spell in-house with oil major Chevron. He co-leads the the team with senior partner and cross-border transactional and financing expert Alan Arntsen, who has a strong energy and infrastructure track record. Partner Nicole Jaureguiberry is the main contact for all environmental law matters. Senior associate Joaquín Ojeda Goncalves has left the firm and taken up a role with Colombo & Hurd.

Argentina > Environment Tier 3

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen handles a complete range of environmental work from compliance, regulatory matters, administrative proceedings and litigation, to due diligence and other environmental aspects of M&A transactions. Led by partner Nicole Jaureguiberry, the team is well known for representing not-for-profit conservation organisations and advising clients on the national and international regulatory frameworks governing the carbon bond markets.

Argentina > Insurance Tier 3

Insurers, reinsurers and brokers call on Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen for advice on M&A transactions as well as representation in class actions brought forward by consumer associations. The practice also acts for clients with claims against insurance companies for insured events, from their initial stages through to judicial claims. Name partner Mariano Grondona -who handles transactions and litigation in the sector- leads the practice, with senior associate Lucila Guerrero, an aeronautical and insurance expert, providing key support. Since publication, Guerrero (whose practice also takes in commercial and aviation matters), has been raised to the partnership - effective as of January 2024.

Argentina > Intellectual property Tier 3

Multinational consumer, food, energy and technology clients turn to Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen to handle their trade mark portfolios. The firm is particularly noted for the strength of its patent litigation offering and expertise on new technology transfer legislation. The practice is co-led by the ‘collaborative’ Fernando Alonso, who litigates on trade marks, patents and trade names, and also handles advertising and privacy law matters; and IP expert Julio Lago. Completing the partner-level group, Santiago Fiorito handles a range of advisory and litigation work related to trade marks, patents, advertising, copyright, technology law and trade secrets.

Argentina > Public law Tier 3

Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen’s public law team handles a wide range of work, including representations in public procurement proceedings before federal and provincial governments, advice on concessions, licensing and regulatory compliance. The team is particularly sought out for its expertise in regulatory and supply contract matters in the pharma, medical and biotech sectors, as well as the heavily regulated financial services industry, and has developed a niche NGO practice too. Promoted to the partnership in 2022, Nicole Jaureguiberry leads the practice, with key support coming from associate Luciana Casagrande. Former fellow associate Joaquín Ojeda Goncalves left the firm in November 2022.