Mr Douglas Doetsch > Mayer Brown > Chicago, United States > Lawyer Profile

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.

Mayer Brown’s major investment in the Latin America market continues to deliver rewards. Its presence in Mexico and Brazil, the latter through Tauil & Chequer Advogados, has given it access to the region’s most dynamic capital markets, additionally ensuring it involvement in the further uptick in Brazil IPOs and follow-on offerings. The practice remains noted for energy and infrastructure bonds, high-yield and investment grade bonds, private placements, liability management and structured financings. The Latin America team is also active in SEC reporting for businesses in the region. The firm’s excellent connections to investment banks consistently puts it in the frame for major engagements and it is continually building its issuer client base. Douglas Doetsch is head of the Latin America practice and a leader in securitisations, especially future cash flow securitisations. Juan Pablo Moreno previously practised in Colombia and is admitted in New York and Illinois; he is active in bank financings and capital markets transactions in the region, particularly in Brazil. New York partner David Bakst also has a long track record in Latin America capital markets offerings. Washington DC and New York partner Christopher Erckert is at the forefront of project bonds and private placements. Carlos Motta provides on the ground Brazil expertise in Tauil & Chequer Advogados‘ Sao Paulo office; while the November-2021 arrival of Jonathan Pacheco (from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP), as a partner in Washington DC further reinforces the group, particularly in relation to Brazil offerings.

Mayer Brown remains noted for project bonds and conventional project finance. It has achieved further growth in renewables and LNG, and continues to be heavily involved in infrastructure and PPP projects. In particular, the Latin America practice has impressed in toll road, metro and mass transit project financings in Peru, Panama, Colombia, Chile, Brazil and elsewhere. The team has also landed a series of engagements in smaller markets such as Uruguay, Paraguay and El Salvador. A growing portion of the practice group’s caseload now involves ESG and sustainability-linked financings. The firm has longstanding connections to banks and financial institutions, although the Latin America team is building links to sponsors, borrowers and issuers of project bonds. Washington DC and New York-based ‘essential lawyer‘ Christopher Erckert leads the project bonds and Latin America projects practice and is prominent in financings driven by commercial banks, DFIs and project bonds. Chicago’s Douglas Doetsch heads the Latin America group and is an established figure in project finance. Washington DC partners Gabriela Sakamoto, who was born in Argentina, and Juan Pablo Moreno are also key Latin America project finance specialists.