Ignacio Pallarés > Latham & Watkins LLP > Madrid, Spain > Lawyer Profile

Latham & Watkins LLP has a highly integrated Latin America practice with many team members crossing various disciplines at the same time as having high levels of core specialisation. Over the years, it has advanced to the forefront of energy and infrastructure transactions in the region, which now includes growth areas such as renewables and energy transition. While it has historically focused on investments going into Latin America, it is now increasingly active in cross-border transactions into North America by businesses in Brazil, Mexico, Chile and other jurisdictions. Moreover, it is leveraging its status as a leader in start-ups and emerging companies to target this sector in Latin America; it advised Avenir Growth Capital on its $111m Series B funding of Chile-based Xepelin, a provider of B2B payments and financial services for SMBs in Latin America. New York partner Antonio Del Pino, global chair of the Latin America practice, has an outstanding record in M&A and private equity transactions. Madrid’s Ignacio Pallarés has a long history of representing Spanish corporates in their investments in Latin America. Washington DC’s Carlos Ardila, a Colombian native, was promoted to partner in January 2023; he has impressive experience in corporate transactions and financings. Dual-qualified (Argentina/New York) associate Francisco J Lanusse is one-to-watch.

Latham & Watkins LLP, which has recently made waves in the Spanish M&A market with the hiring of dealmaker Alejandro Ortiz from Linklaters in September 2022, is prepared to handle high-end M&A on behalf of household name clients from the worlds of telecoms, energy, healthcare, private equity and infrastructure, among other sectors. The team possesses a ‘practical and complete transactional vision‘ which is ‘complemented by a strong legal knowledge of commercial, corporate and M&A matters‘. The group is jointly led by María José Descalzo, a key contact for energy and infrastructure-related deals, and Ignacio Pallarés, who excels in cross-border divestitures and acquisitions involving public and private entities. Ignacio Gómez-Sancha is adept at assisting with M&A, capital markets, takeovers and restructuring matters, while Jose Antonio Sánchez Dafos stands out for his strong track record in PE and venture capital investments in Iberia.

Noted for providing ‘a holistic service covering all potential angles in a transaction’, Latham & Watkins LLP‘s Madrid-based private equity practice acts for a stellar client roster comprised of leading global investment funds, PE houses and multinational corporations. With extensive expertise in both sale and buy-side mandates, the team handles big-ticket investments in a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, real estate, technology and financial services. Department head Ignacio Pallarés, a key point of contact for several of the firm’s most significant PE clients, leverages his international experience to advise on high-end divestments and acquisitions across Europe, North America, Asia and Latin America. In addition to his solid credentials in the PE market, Jose Antonio Sánchez Dafos is a reference for venture capital deals in Iberia. Alejandro Ortiz, who joined from Linklaters in September 2022, has a proven track record in leveraged buyouts and exits.