Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C. > Mexico City, Mexico > Firm Profile
Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C. Offices

GOLDSMITH 53 (PISO 3)
POLANCO III SECTION, MIGUEL HIDALGO
MEXICO CITY 11560
Mexico
Profiles
Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C. > The Legal 500 Rankings
Mexico > Banking and finance Tier 3
Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C.’s Mexican banking & finance practice continues to represent renowned financial institutions lending in the region, and has also augmented its notable track record regarding acquisition and project financing, refinancing and restructurings. The group, which is praised for its ability to ‘innovate at all times’, has also established itself as a solid option in the fintech segment, especially for structured finance transactions. Raúl Fernández-Briseño, who has a focus on structured finance and is recommended for being able to ‘think through issues when deals get stuck and come up with simple, logical fixes’; energy specialist Ariel Ramos; Francisco García-Naranjo, who reinforced the team with his arrival from White & Case S.C. in July 2021; senior counsel Jan Boker; and ‘detail-oriented’ associate Pablo Solórzano, are the key contacts of the team. Moreover, the practice works seamlessly with the firm's international network of offices, which gives it a significant punch when it comes to handling cross-border work. Former associates Aldo Jáuregui and Julio Martínez left in June and September 2021, respectively.Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Experienced team in secured, leveraged financings in Mexico.’
‘Raul Fernandez can clearly think through issues when deals get stuck and come up with simple, logical fixes. Pablo Solórzano is detail-oriented, gets concepts quickly and can control the critical path on getting deals done.’
‘The Mayer Brown team listens to the client and manages to innovate at all times. The partner is always present on calls.’
‘Good pricing, attitude, and availability of the partner. Raul Fernandez Briseño and Pablo Solórzano are always present.’
Key clients
BCP Securities, Credit Suisse Securities USA and Jefferies
Goldman Sachs
Alloy Merchant Finance
Scotiabank Inverlat
The Bank of Nova Scotia and Scotiabank Mexico
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
Proteak UNO
HSBC México
COVALTO
Banco Finterra
Banco Santander
APJUSTO
Work highlights
- Represented Goldman Sachs in a $50m whole loan purchase with Red Amigo Dal.
- Advised Bank of Nova Scotia on a $370m loan to Prolec GE for the acquisition of 100% of SPX Corporation Transformer Solutions.
- Represented Jefferies Group, BCP Securities and Credit Suisse Securities (USA), as initial purchasers of a $500 million issuance by Mexico Remittances Funding Fiduciary Estate of Series 2021-1 fixed rate notes secured by a remittances from Nueva Elektra del Milenio.
Mexico > Corporate and M&A Tier 3
Lauded as ‘an excellent firm’, and recognised for its global reach and notable presence in the corporate space in Mexico, Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C.'s practice continues to enhance its reputation in M&A related to the financial sector, and stands out as one of the most active firms in transactions in the spirits industry. Toll-roads, chemicals, renewable energy, automotive, maritime and logistics are also among the group's areas of sectoral expertise. The August-2021 hire of former White & Case S.C. corporate practice co-head Francisco García-Naranjo was a statement of intent to reinforce its presence in this domain. His experience in regulatory matters and financial and foreign investment transactions will combine well with that of Raúl Fernández-Briseño's, who is particularly adept at handling infrastructure, M&A, finance and restructuring transactions. Associate Sebastián Fernández Alonso is another name to note.Practice head(s):
Raúl Fernández-Briseño; Francisco García Naranjo
Testimonials
‘Mayer Brown is an excellent firm, they provide quick and objective answers. Their great differentiator is that they get involved in their clients’ business, acting as part of the company. The negotiating power of Mayer Brown’s lawyers and the patience to solve problems is a big differential as well.’
‘Concern for the clients, attention and support are the great differentials of the lawyers of this firm.’
Key clients
Casa Lumbre
Siemens Financial Services
Alloy Merchant Finance
Credijusto / Apjusto
Whirlpool
Exitus Capital
Casa Montelobos
Work highlights
- Represented Exitus Capital and its shareholders on the sale of 70% of the shares in Exitus to Blue Compass.
- Represented CL Proyecto Gran Malo and its shareholders in the joint venture with youtuber and influencer “@LuisitoComunica”, Bodegas La Negrita, celebrity agents and other minority investors, to produce and distribute a spicy tamarind tequila liquor.
- Advised the Bank of Nova Scotia in relation to a $370m loan to Prolec GE for the acquisition of 100% of SPX Corporation Transformer Solutions.
Mexico > Energy and natural resources Tier 4
The multidisciplinary team at Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C. has substantial expertise in the financing, development and regulatory aspects of large energy projects, as well as extensive experience in deep-water blocks and the upstream oil-and-gas segment in general, along with farm-out agreements related to E&P contracts. The team’s lawyers are regarded as being ‘highly knowledgeable of company’s businesses, which allows them to be efficient and time wisely resolving issues‘. The practice is co-led by Francisco Mendez who represents major international oil and gas companies on a broad range of matters, including up- mid- and downstream matters and notably including farm-ins/farm-outs in Mexico and throughout Latin America; moreover, he ‘invariably demonstrates great professionalism and practicality combined with an excellent understanding of the energy business helping to obtain efficient solutions‘. Fellow co-head Ariel Ramos is an energy and infrastructure veteran who primarily focuses on transactions related to the power, oil and gas, and energy-related infrastructure sectors, along with finance matters. The pair co-lead the international firm’s local practice in conjunction with Pablo Ferrante and José Valera in Houston. However, senior associate Julio Martínez Rivas left for Latham & Watkins LLP in New York in September 2021.Practice head(s):
Francisco Méndez; Ariel Ramos
Testimonials
‘They are highly knowledgeable of company’s businesses, which allows them to be efficient and time wisely resolving issues.’
‘Wide range of associate lawyers and partners of different expertise.‘
‘I have worked with Francisco Méndez as outside counsel in several M&A operations in Latin America. Francisco invariably demonstrates great professionalism and practicality combined with an excellent understanding of the energy business helping to obtain efficient solutions.’
Key clients
PC Carigali Mexico Operations (Petronas)
X-Elio Energy
BAS Corporation
ExxonMobil
Lukoil Upstream Mexico
Ecopetrol
Delek Group
Grupo Avanzia
Andino Chemical International
Guyana Bayshore
Grupo DPH
Work highlights
- Advised PC Carigali Mexico Operations on day-to-day matters concerning its joint venture and joint operating agreements in connection with 11 deepwater blocks, as well as on the compliance aspects of its oil-and-gas activities in Mexico.
- Advised the sponsors on the financing of the Perote II solar plant, located in the state of Veracruz, Mexico; the $44m debt package was provided by the International Finance Corporation and Sabcapital.
- Advised Lukoil on the preparation and negotiation of farm-out agreements, joint venture and joint operating agreements and compliance in connection with recently acquired deep-water blocks.
Mexico > Projects and infrastructure Tier 4
Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C. can bring to bear the considerable weight of its global presence and know how to assist advising clients on all types of infrastructure transactions—from project development and finance to the purchase and sale of infrastructure assets and infrastructure companies, with experience in energy, communications, and social and recreational infrastructure, among other areas. Dividing his time between Mexico City and Houston, the team is led by Ariel Ramos who focuses on transactions related to power, oil and gas; project and energy finance; energy-related infrastructure and EPC matters.Practice head(s):
Ariel Ramos
Latin America: International firms > Banking and finance
Mayer Brown‘s deep finance credentials and its extensive commitment to Latin America continues to pay dividends. It has broad capabilities across products, structures and geographies, and is particularly noted for specific niches such as future-flow securitisations and other structured finance transactions. The firm is also at the forefront of energy and infrastructure financings, along with additional growth in emerging segments such as fintech and private credit. It further benefits from an established team in Mexico City and its association with Tauil & Chequer Advogados in Brazil. Significantly, its impressive client base features an array of big-name international banks and DFIs. Chicago-based Douglas Doetsch heads the Latin America team and has an extensive record in infrastructure financings, structured credit and securitisations. New York partner David Duffee is co-head of the global lending group and has a fine record in Latin America acquisition financings and syndicated lending; this includes facilities for deals involving Latin American entities acquiring assets and businesses in the US and elsewhere. Washington DC’s Gabriela Sakamoto was born in Argentina and specialises in Latin America-related acquisition, project and structured finance. Chicago partner Juan Pablo Moreno is another pillar of the practice and has strong links to key banks. Mexico City’s Raúl Fernández-Briseño is also highly regarded. Francisco García-Naranjo González joined the Mexico City office from White & Case LLP in July 2021.Practice head(s):
Douglas Doetsch
Testimonials
‘Mayer Brown has supported us in several transactions during the year. They are an office in whom we can trust that they will provide us with a very professional service. In one of the transactions that we did, they found a very creative way to close the promissory note, so that all the banks felt comfortable with the proposed scheme while the powers of attorney were legalised in Mexico.’
‘In the transactions that I worked with Mayer Brown during the year I had to work with David Duffee, Partner in NY and Raúl Fernández-Briseño, Partner in Mexico. They both provided excellent service and were always available to resolve any issues that arose. With Raul in particular, he is a very trusting attorney and I appreciate his feedback.’
Key clients
Banco Bradesco
Banco Itau
Barclays Bank
BNP Paribas
Consorcio del Sur
Deutsche Bank
Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
Global Bank Corporation
Goldman Sachs
HSBC México
Work highlights
- Advised a lending syndicate of banks on the consensual restructuring of $1.4bn of debt previously owed by Brazilian sugar and ethanol producers Biosev and Biosev Bioenergia.
- Represented Deutsche Bank, as arranger, in a $100m credit facility with Distrito Especial, Industrial y Portuario de Barranquilla.
- Advised Goldman Sachs in connection with a R$800m investment in in a credit right investment fund (FIDC), established by Goldman Sachs together with one of Mercado Livre’s entities in Brazil.
Latin America: International firms > Corporate and M&A
Mayer Brown‘s Latin America M&A practice is primarily driven by energy transactions, especially in the oil and gas segment. Through Tauil & Chequer Advogados, its associated firm in Brazil, the firm has landed a series of headline deals in oil and gas, including those linked to Petrobras’s divestment programme. It advised Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CPDQ) on its acquisition, alongside Engie, of the remaining 10% stake in Transportadora Associada de Gás (TAG) from Petrobras; with the original acquisition of the 90% stake, this involved a total investment of more than BRL34.5bn – the largest M&A transaction in Brazilian history. The Latin America team has also advised on a number of LNG-to-power and gas-to-power M&A transactions, and continues to be involved in renewable energy deals in Chile. Houston partners Pablo Ferrante and Jose Valera have a huge amount of experience in energy M&A; in Brazil, Carlos Motta is a key name in Sao Paulo as is Alexandre Chequer in Rio de Janeiro; and in Mexico City, Raúl Fernández-Briseño is the key transactional contact. Vera De Gyarfas moved in-house in July 2021.Practice head(s):
Pablo Ferrante; Jose Valera
Testimonials
‘They have a very strong Latam practice. I was able to witness how they can successfully bridge cultural and legal differences. They can easily interact with US law firms, as well as local Latam law firms and Latam-based clients.’
‘To usual legal proficiency of top US firms, Mayer Brown adds great local knowledge for Latam deals as well as being a very effective interphase among all parties and advisors in the transactions.’
Key clients
Accenture
Aegea Saneamento
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ)
Ceiba Energy
Covalto
Locaweb
Sforza Group
TS Infraestrutura e Engenharia
Warner Media
Vista Oil and Gas
Work highlights
- Represented Warner Media in the sale of Red de Televisión Chilevisión to ViacomCBS Networks International.
- Represented Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CPDQ) in the acquisition (in conjunction with Engie) of the remaining 10%-stake in Transportadora Associada de Gás from Petrobras.
- Represented Covalto in the acquisition of 100% of the membership interests in Fortius Intermediate Holdings.
Mayer Brown Mexico, S.C. > Firm Profile
The firm: Mayer Brown is an international law firm with an established presence in Mexico offering both international and local capabilities to serve clients investing in areas such as energy, infrastructure, aviation, telecommunications and private equity. Our team has substantial experience handling all types of corporate, finance, M&A and regulatory matters to meet international standards. Moreover, we have the ability to negotiate complex and sophisticated contracts in English and Spanish.
Our experience in Mexico has grown over several decades. In 2015, as part of our business plan, we opened an office in Mexico City, solidifying our position as a market leader in the energy practice.
The firm’s lawyers provide a full range of legal services to leading global companies and financial institutions on matters such as complex cross-border deals and industry-specific issues. Key groups within Mayer Brown’s corporate and securities practice include mergers and acquisitions; private equity, funds and investment management; and technology transactions.
Mayer Brown’s banking and finance team in Mexico advises on innovative international, cross-border and domestic deals related to asset and project finance, bank lending, acquisition and leveraged finance, and trade finance, as well as structured finance and derivatives.
Mayer Brown has built a long and successful track record in working with international companies entering Mexico. Guiding clients through their acquisitions outside of their home market takes not just transactional legal knowledge but also an extremely well-judged approach to client service. Our fully integrated team works closely with clients, providing insight and solutions that other firms may struggle to present.
The firm’s Mexico City office has an in-depth focus on the oil, gas and power industry needs of our clients. Benefits we offer include:
- Detailed knowledge of Mexico’s new oil and gas legal and power frameworks, as well as substantial experience with similar legal frameworks in other Latin American countries, particularly Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
- Broad experience in tender processes organized by the Mexican government, its regulatory agencies and operating companies, and the successful preparation and submission of bid proposals.
- Highly refined skills in the negotiation and drafting of all kinds of commercial agreements related to the exploration, development, production and commercialization of oil and gas, including, among others, license, production-sharing, consortium, joint bidding, joint development and joint operating agreements.
- Highly refined skills in the negotiation and drafting of all commercial agreements related to power generation projects in a competitive environment, including fuel procurement and transportation, EPC and O&M contracts, and power sales agreements.
- A team of skilled bilingual and bicultural lawyers with experience in international oil and gas and electric generation matters, including lawyers who are licensed to practice law in New York and Mexico and in other jurisdictions in Latin America.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Energy | Francisco Méndez | ||
Energy | Ariel Ramos | ||
Energy | Lilia Alonzo | ||
Oil & Gas | Francisco Méndez | ||
Oil & Gas | Ariel Ramos | ||
Oil & Gas | Betyna R. Almeida-Covarrubias | ||
Oil & Gas | Lilia Alonzo | ||
Power | Ariel Ramos | ||
Power | Lilia Alonzo | ||
Corporate/M&A | Raúl Fernández-Briseño | ||
Finance | Ariel Ramos | ||
Finance | Raúl Fernández-Briseño | ||
Finance | Jan Boker | ||
Banking Regulatory | Jan Boker | ||
Projects Finance | Ariel Ramos | ||
Projects Finance | Raúl Fernández-Briseño | ||
Projects Finance | Lilia Alonzo | ||
Projects Finance | Jan Boker | ||
Infrastructure | Ariel Ramos | ||
Infrastructure | Raúl Fernández-Briseño | ||
Infrastructure | Lilia Alonzo | ||
Infrastructure | Jan Boker | ||
Telecomms | Raúl Fernández-Briseño | ||
Aviation & Airports | Raúl Fernández-Briseño | ||
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Betyna Almeida-Covarrubias | Counsel | View Profile |
![]() | Jan R. Boker | Counsel | View Profile |
![]() | Raúl Fernández-Briseño | Partner | View Profile |
![]() | Francisco García-Naranjo | Partner | View Profile |
![]() | Ariel Ramos | Partner | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of partners: : 3 Number of other fee-earners: : 17 Total staff: : 27Other
Partner : Francisco Mendez Partner : Ariel Ramos Partner : Raúl Fernández-BriseñoMayer Brown Mexico, S.C. > Firm Profile
Mayer Brown is a global law firm with an established presence in Mexico offering both international and local capabilities to serve clients investing in areas such as energy, infrastructure, aviation, telecommunications and private equity.
The firm’s Mexico City office has a particularly strong presence in the corporate and securities field with an in-depth focus on the oil and gas and power industry needs of our clients.
We regularly advise on innovative deals, both domestic to the international, involving M&A, acquisition finance and leverage, FinTech, asset and project finance, securitization/ structured finance and derivatives, chain supply finance, trade finance, project finance, bank lending, cross-border lending and regulatory finance.
Mayer Brown Mexico has been one of the few firms that has participated in several industries, such as alcohol (spirits), toll-roads, e-commerce, chemicals, renewables, automotive, pharma, shipping, among others.
We also have a long track record of successfully working with international companies entering Mexico. Guiding a client through its acquisitions outside of its home market takes not just transactional legal knowledge but also deep commercial instincts. Our fully integrated team works closely with clients, providing insight and solutions that other firms may struggle to present.
Our lawyers based in Mexico work closely with colleagues from Mayer Brown offices around the globe, including those in New York, Chicago, Charlotte, Houston, London, Paris, Hong Kong and Beijing.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Managing Partner | Oil & Gas | Corporate | Compliance | Francisco Mendez | fmendez@mayerbrown.com | +52 55 9156 3700 |
Energy | Infrastructure | Power | Project Finance | Finance | Ariel Ramos | aramos@mayerbrown.com | +52 55 9156 3666 |
Corporate | M&A | Finance | FinTech | Telecoms | Raúl Fernández-Briseño | raulfernandez@mayerbrown.com | +52 553650 9156 |
Finance | Banking & Finance | M&A | Regulatory | Francisco García-Naranjo | fgarcia@mayerbrown.com | +52 553650 3690 |
Finance | Banking Regulatory | Project Finance | Jan R. Boker | jboker@mayerbrown.com | +52 55 9156 3656 |
Energy | Oil & Gas | Corporate | Betyna Almeida-Covarrubias | balmeida@mayerbrown.com | +52 55 9156 3712 |
Staff Figures
Number of partners : 4 Number of other fee-earners : 19 Total staff : 30Languages
English (fluent) SpanishOther
:Press Releases
Mayer Brown promotes seven to counsel in Asia
24th January 2019Mayer Brown promotes seven to counsel in Asia
Hong Kong, 21 November 2018 – Mayer Brown has announced the promotion of seven lawyers in Asia to counsel. The appointments are effective January 1, 2019.
Mayer Brown promotes five to partner in Asia
24th January 2019Mayer Brown promotes five to partner in Asia
Hong Kong, 21 November 2018 —Mayer Brown has announced the promotion of five lawyers in Asia to partner. The appointments are effective January 1, 2019.
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