Firm Profile > Holland & Knight > Mexico City, Mexico
Holland & Knight Offices
PASEO DE LA REFORMA NO. 342
PISO 28, COL.JUÁREZ, DEL. CUAUHTÉMOC
C.P. 06600 MEXICO, DF
Mexico
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Holland & Knight > The Legal 500 Rankings
Capital markets Tier 2
Holland & Knight houses 10 lawyers who handle a variety of capital markets matters, including asset securitisation; MBS cross-border deals; toll road securitisations, sub-sovereign securitisations, SPACs, and, most recently and actively, FIBRAs and CKDs. The team advised Fibra Educa on its MXN$9.43bn debut on the Mexican Stock Exchange; it continued to assist key client Fibra Uno, the first and largest Mexican REIT, on several matters, most recently a successful MXN$9.2bn debt issuance; and acted for Mexico’s state-owned consumer lending agency, INFONACOT), on a MXN$2bn notes issuance as part of its MXN$10bn debt programme. A 'stand-out market figure', Guillermo Uribe, whose expertise includes FIBRAs and real estate financing, leads the team; Alejandro Landa is another notable practitioner while senior counsel Adrián Gay provides key support; associates Jorge González Carlini and Santiago Soldevilla are also active. Other clients include FibraUno, Bricks Acquisition Company, Fibra Inn, Fibra HD, and Helios – CKD Fund.
TMT Tier 2
The ‘excellent’ practice at Holland & Knight has ‘expertise in telecommunications matters and it offers tailor-made solutions for the client’. A well-known figure in the telecoms sector, Luis Rubio Barnetche -whose practice includes corporate and M&A and international trade and customs- ‘has developed a unique knowledge of TMT matters’; ‘is customer-oriented, fully available and very good at networking’; he heads-up the ‘very client-focused’ team and vry much sets its style and culture, according to clients. The practice covers all areas of TMT, including telecommunications, satellites, media, wireless services, quadruple play, e-commerce and cloud services and communications, advising on transactions, disputes, and antitrust and regulatory matters. In highlight work the team acted for longstanding client Eutelsat (through its subsidiary Satmex) in an investment arbitration proceeding against the Mexican government before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) for breach of several provisions under the Mexico-France Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT); it is also advising government entity Telecomunicaciones de Mexico regarding the Red Troncal (a project born out of the 2013 Constitutional Reform in the telecoms sector) on several aspects, including an FTI review of the bidding rules from a regulatory and antitrust perspective and accompaniment with the PPP bidding procedure. It also assisted another key, longstanding client, Telefónica regarding the 2.5 GHz auction carried out by the Mexican telecommunications regulator and in which the client was awarded two spectrum blocks with nationwide coverage. Working alongside Rubio Bartneche are practice co-head Octavio Lecona, who also handles corporate and M&A mandates; and senior counsel Blanca Luevano. Other clients include American Tower Corporation, McAllen Data Center, Maxcom Telecomunicaciones, and Arkadin Mexico.
Banking and finance Tier 3
Another firm with considerable activity in sub-sovereign financing, Holland & Knight is valued by clients for being a team of ‘young lawyers who provide outstanding service, meet deadlines and deliver high-quality responses’. The team has a strong focus on real estate and infrastructure finance and frequently acts on the Mexican side of cross-border transactions. In sub-sovereign matters, the practice represented key client Banco Multiva on its $1.09bn financing to the state of Chihuahua and its $800m financing to the state of Coahuila. In other highlight work, it advised Santander on the project financing and subsequent syndicated loan granted to Sunwing Group subsidiary CM Hotel for the construction of a hotel licensed by the Planet Hollywood brand; and Global Jet Capital, as borrower, on a $900m cross-border credit facility for the acquisition and refinancing of business assets. Alejandro Landa is a ‘hard-working lawyer with expertise in regulation and extension of credits’; he leads the banking and finance practice and co-heads the financial services practice with Guillermo Uribe, who also handles capital markets; support comes from senior counsels Adrián Gay and Selene Espinosa, and associates Aldo Gonzalez Melo, José Luis Villareal, and Gerardo Rotzinger. Other clients include Banamex, North American Development Bank, Buenavista Renewables, New Island Capital, and Bancomext.
Energy and natural resources Tier 3
Holland & Knight has become a well established presence in the market, recommended for both its hydrocarbons and power sector-related advice. The firm represents clients from all corners of the market, including investors, lenders, sponsors and public sector entities, regularly advising on regulatory, transactional and infrastructure issues. The team is currently advising Advance Clean Energy on the $160m development of an 80MW solar power project in Sonora. Other major clients include Howard Midstream Energy Partners, Elite Energy, and Oak Creek Energy. José Antonio Prado and the 'outstanding' Carlos Ochoa jointly lead the well-regarded team.
International trade and customs Tier 3
A relatively new practice, which started life in 2016, the team at Holland & Knight ‘is able to provide concrete, practical and extremely helpful advice’ and has been growing and establishing itself advising an interesting roster of clients. The team provides legal counsel on contentious and non-contentious matters, with recent highlights including its continued assistance to Pacific Alliance for Sustainable Tuna (PAST) -a group consisting of four leading fishing companies in Mexico- in its successful attempt to obtain Marine Stewardship Counsel (MSC)-certification. In other work, the team has advised on matters ranging from NAFTA verification-of-origin and renegotiation procedures, imports and exports, WTO disputes and permits, to other trade and customs and regulatory issues including Brexit. The department is led by Luis Rubio, whose practice also includes corporate and transaactional matters; clients appreciate his ‘service vocation coupled with great experience’. Carlos Vejar, who was previously general counsel for international trade at the Ministry of Economy, is another key contact. Other names to note in the five-strong team include associate Josafat Paredes and senior counsel Blanca Luévano.
Projects and infrastructure Tier 3
Holland & Knight clients report being 'very pleased by the firm's work for us, the lawyers flexibility, their creativity, and their attention to our unique needs'. The team reacent advised major client, Bancomext, on a $420m financing to Eólica Mesa la Paz for the development of a 306MW wind power project. The team also advised Buenavista Renewables on the $30m refinancing of a solar-power project in Chihuahua. Both very experienced, practice head Alejandro Landa and Carlos Ochoa are praised for their 'overall fine service'.
Real estate Tier 3
Holland & Knight fields ‘an impressive group of professionals, not only knowledgeable in the legal discipline but also great to work with. Moreover, they have amazing response times’. The eight-strong practice (which can also draw on the support of the firm’s international network) provides national and cross-border advice on real estate transactions related to the hospitality, industrial, commercial, retail, residential, sporting and fractional segments, on the development, financing, construction, and planning of real estate projects; tax structuring and planning; environmental matters; assets securitisation deals, securitisations, FIBRAS, CKDs, and SPACs; and real estate in the energy sector. The Mexico City and New York offices were retained by Marriot International, recently, to advise on its joint venture with Thor Urbana for the development and operation of a Ritz Carlton hotel in Costa Canuva, Nayarit. In the FIBRA segment, the Mexico team advised regular client Fibra Uno on a MXN$9.2bn debt issuance; and Fibra Educa on its debut on the Mexican Stock Exchange, which raised almost MXN$9.43bn. Luis Moreno and Guillermo Uribe co-lead the team; Roxana Burciaga, Selene Espinosa, senior counsel Adrián Gay, and associate Jorge González Carlini are all active practitioners. Other clients include Bancomext, PB Exhibit, Western Alliance Bank, PETRONAS, Bricks Acquisition Company, Fibra Inn, Fibra HD, Helios – CKD Fund and Victoria CKD Fund (Parks Hospitality Group).
Corporate and M&A Tier 4
Holland & Knight has built up a strong local practice, now led by the highly rated Luis Rubio. The team handles a broad mix of domestic, regional and international matters for its diverse range of clients. Notable highlights include advising Water Surface Technologies, an affiliate of Canada's Walter Group, on the Mexican aspects of its sale to private investment fund ONCAP. As well as high-profile transactional matters, the team provides regular day-to-day counsel to a long list of international clients, including Dufry and UPS. Other key partners include Octavio Lecona and Alejandro Landa, who is well regarded for his energy expertise.
Tax Tier 5
Senior counsel Eugenio Grageda leads the newly-established and relatively small practice at Holland & Knight , having arrived from Turanzas Bravo & Ambrosi in July 2018. Praised by clients and peers alike, he is a ‘state of the art attorney’: ‘always available’, ‘exceptionally intelligent and creative, and very attentive’, with ‘outstanding coordination with his US team’. The practice, which offers ‘good value for money’, benefits from the firm’s international network and advises clients on domestic and international corporate reorganisations, investment vehicles, start-ups and financing structures, as well as on the design of tax-efficient strategies for different types of transactions; expansion into Mexico; and offshore tax compliance. It also undertakes tax audits, legal challenges and before various local, state and federal regulatory and governmental agencies; estate tax and succession planning; and compliance with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).
Dispute resolution
Holland & Knight is especially well regarded for international arbitration where it handles a mix of commercial and investment treaty disputes. Salvador Fonseca has developed an excellent reputation in this area, while the recently promoted Carlos Vejar is also extremely experienced. Recent highlights include advising Eutelsat on a major ICSID claim against the Mexican government concerning a satellite concession. The firm also has a strong track record in commercial litigation.
Latin America: International firms > International arbitration > International arbitration Tier 5
Holland & Knight's recent highlights include representing Eutelsat in an investment treaty arbitration proceeding against the Mexican government for due to a breach of the provisions of the Mexico-France bilateral investment treaty. In other work, Carlos Vejar is leading advice to a Mexican state-owned entity in a multimillion-dollar construction arbitration relating to the construction of a hydroelectric plant. Other key team members include Luis Rubio Barnetche and Salvador Fonseca, also in the Mexico office; and Adolfo Jimenez and Brian Briz in Miami.
Holland & Knight > Firm Profile
Holland & Knight is a global law firm with more than 1,340 lawyers practicing in over 200 areas of law in 28 offices throughout the world, including Mexico City, Bogotá and London. Among the largest U.S.-based law firms, Holland & Knight provides representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law. Interdisciplinary practice groups and industry-based teams provide clients with access to attorneys throughout the firm, regardless of location.
Holland & Knight is one of the few U.S.-based firms with a full-service office located in Mexico. Our Mexico City office is a key component of our Latin America Practice, helping provide broad representation for clients across the region. Members of our Mexico Practice have extensive experience assisting various public and private sector interests, including advising the Mexican government; state, local and other municipal governments; foreign and domestic investors; and small companies to large multinational corporations. In particular, our team was instrumental in the development of the real estate capital, structured finance and securitization markets, including the formation of the largest real estate investment trusts (REITs) in Mexico.
Holland & Knight Mexico City was established in 2013. The firm currently has eight partners and more than 40 attorneys and legal professionals. Our hands-on experience is enhanced by working relationships established with leaders in Mexico’s business and government sectors.
Main areas of practice
Our Mexico City office offers our clients a one-stop shop with full-service practice capabilities. We have assisted the Mexican government in the analysis, design and drafting of key current legislation and regulations, and have been a leading participant in the establishment of the Mexican securitization industry. We also have significant experience in the energy sector, including oil and gas, electricity, liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewables, biofuels, and government procurement. The firm also has participated in several of the nation’s most significant and pioneering transactions, as well as has designed structures for several large-scale deals that are currently considered to be a standard in the financial markets.
Our Energy Team collaborates with our corporate and financial services practices, allowing the firm to participate in important energy and finance projects. This multi-practice teamwork allows for a comprehensive in-house approach to better serve our clients and provide innovative solutions, including on several government-sponsored energy projects.
We offer a multidisciplinary mergers and acquisitions (M&A) practice that includes corporate lawyers well-versed in antitrust, taxation, labor and employment. Our in-depth experience allows us to provide comprehensive services throughout the entire transaction process. Our attorneys frequently advise clients in connection with joint ventures, strategic alliances, divestitures and liquidations, and corporate governance. Our capabilities in this area include due diligence of target companies, negotiation of sale and purchase agreements, design and implementation of purchase or sale structures, and procurement of regulatory approvals.
Our Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) attorneys have deep knowledge of the industry and combine their private practice, public sector and executive-level experience to provide innovative representation. We have served as lead counsel in major transactions that have shaped the telecommunications market in Mexico, particularly the mobile and satellite industries. Our efforts have helped develop a public policy concerning infrastructure deployment, government procurement in the industry, efficient use of radio frequency bands and competition issues.
Our dispute resolution attorneys have successfully represented clients in some of Mexico’s largest and most complex litigation and arbitration cases involving commercial and investment matters.
The International Trade attorneys provide specialized consultancy of the scope and application of different matters contained in international trade agreements signed by Mexico, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Our team is well-versed in international trade strategies, customs procedures, regulatory compliance, unfair trade practices, investments, government procurement and disputed resolutions mechanisms under all free trade agreements, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and bilateral investment treaties.
The firm’s understanding of cultural differences and its multilingual capabilities (fluency in English, Spanish and more than 20 other languages) enable our office to play a key role in transitioning a case through multiple jurisdictions. Our attorneys are go-to references on corporate, finance and energy-related topics. They are committed to providing superior client service and employing a practical real-world approach to all matters in order to achieve clients’ short- and long-term goals.
Holland & Knight has extensive experience in the following areas: corporate finance; structured finance; bank finance; IPOs; project finance and infrastructure; public finance; corporate, and mergers and acquisitions; antitrust; energy; real estate; telecommunications; tax; litigation and dispute resolution; labor and employment; regulatory and technical barriers to trade; international trade competition; immigration; intellectual property; environmental; and international arbitration.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project finance and infrastructure | Alejandro Landa | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Energy and Project finance and infrastructure | Carlos Ochoa | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Energy | Jose Antonio Prado | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Capital markets, Real Estate | Guillermo Uribe | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Corporate, M&A and Telecommunications | Luis Rubio | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Banking and finance | Alejandro Landa | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Litigation and alternative dispute resolution | Salvador Fonseca | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Labor and employment | Leslie Palma | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Environmental | Héctor Velasco Perroni | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| International trade and international arbitration | Carlos Véjar | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Telecommunications and M&A | Octavio Lecona | +52.55.3602.8000 | |
| Taxation | Eugenio Grageda | +52.55.3602.8000 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
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Ms Selene Espinosa | View Profile | |
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Mr Salvador Fonseca | View Profile | |
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Mr Adrián Gay Lasa | View Profile | |
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Mr Eugenio Grageda | View Profile | |
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Mr Daniel Jimenez | View Profile | |
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Mr Alejandro Landa | View Profile | |
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Mr Octavio Lecona | View Profile | |
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Ms Blanca Luevano | View Profile | |
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Mr Carlos Ochoa | View Profile | |
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Ms Leslie Palma | View Profile | |
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Mr José Antonio Prado | View Profile | |
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Mr Luis Rubio Barnetche | View Profile | |
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Mr Guillermo Uribe Lara | View Profile | |
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Mr Carlos Vejar | View Profile | |
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Mr Héctor Velasco Perroni | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Other fee-earners : 20+ Total staff : 40+Languages
Spanish English (fluent) Dutch FrenchMemberships
AmCham American Chamber of Commerce International Chamber of Commerce ABA (American Bar Association)Other
Partners : 8 Senior Counsels : 7Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Capital markets
- TMT
- Banking and finance
- Energy and natural resources
- International trade and customs
- Projects and infrastructure
- Real estate
- Corporate and M&A
- Tax
- Dispute resolution