Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados > Lima, Peru > Firm Profile

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados > The Legal 500 Rankings

Peru > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

‘Transactional powerhouse' Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados has ‘an international outlook and is able to work very well with other law firms in other countries’. As a large full-service firm, it is able to draw on broad experience when assisting with M&A transactions and is one of the most active practices in the country, in terms of M&A deal volume. Mauricio Olaya heads the practice and leads on many of the firm’s top deals; also a key practitioner, Juan Carlos Vélez ‘brilliantly manages to specify, in addition to the legal aspects, the economic, financial and commercial aspects of any transaction’. Senior partner Ricardo De la Piedra is also recommended; moreover, the partner level group was deepened further with the March-2021 hire of Víctor Lazo, who joined from Lazo, De Romaña & CMB Abogados. At associate level, senior Diego Muñiz is noted for his considerable experience in general corporate advisory matters and cross-border transactions. The team was strengthened at this level too, with the arrival of Raúl Vizcarra – formerly a principal associate at Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uria – in August 2022.

Peru > Intellectual property Tier 1

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados is home to a ‘professional team’ which ‘can carry out comprehensive and highly effective strategies’. A core focus of the practice is trade mark filings and litigation, with other areas of expertise encompassing unfair competition, antitrust, and criminal and administrative law mandates. As a former president of the Peruvian Association of IP Lawyers (APPI), Marta Fernandez-Pepper is well known in the Peruvian IP market and heads up the practice, utilising her extensive experience in trade mark, patent and copyright issues. Bruno Merchor-Valderrama is an expert in patent law and has particular experience of the life sciences sector, while Piero Calderon-Oliva is a name to note for IP rights issues, with expertise in anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy actions. Senior associate Johana Calderon-Valencia adds expertise in administrative proceedings and non-contentious issues to the team, while associate Roxana Bacalla-Izquierdo handles innovation and technology patents. Since publication, Fernandez-Pepper has left the firm - effective as of May 2023.

Peru > Competition and antitrust Tier 2

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados offers a broad array of competition and antitrust advice, including unfair competition, consumer protection, anti-dumping and M&A-related matters. Practice co-head Pierino Stucchi is a name to note for risk prevention and compliance, as well as the representation of clients in administrative and judicial proceedings. Fellow practice co-lead José Antonio Bezada is experienced in the removal of bureaucratic barriers in a range of industry sectors and also handles competition litigation. Senior associate Carlos Rodas, whose previous roles include time at both OSIPTEL and INDECOPI, is particularly noted for preventative advice; while associate Maria Ramos, in turn, is recommended for antitrust work. The team also grew at junior level with the addition of Jose Quintana, who arrived as an associate from INDECOPI in early 2021. Since publication, Stucchi, Bezada and seniors Rodas and Rodrigo Pelaez have left to establish their own firm - effective as of April 2023.

Peru > Compliance Tier 2

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados caters to a roster of international conglomerates, as well as smaller domestic companies and trade associations, regarding the development of compliance programmes and risk management strategies. It is particularly experienced in compliance-related competition, consumer protection and personal data privacy protection matters. The team is jointly lead by Mauricio Olaya, Pierino Stucchi and Ian Paul Galarza, with José Antonio Bezada and senior associate Marco Antonio Ruiz Martinez also active in the practice. Olaya has considerable experience in the implementation of compliance models, while Stucchi, an INDECOPI alumnus, is a name to note for competition and risk prevention matters. Galarza brings white-collar crime expertise to the department and handles anti-money laundering issues and the prevention of terrorist financing.

Peru > Dispute resolution Tier 2

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados offers clients ‘very deep knowledge of litigation in Peru’, and acts for large domestic and international companies on tax, labour and corporate disputes, both litigious and arbitral. Practice co-head Fernando Meléndez is recommended for civil and commercial litigation, while fellow co-head Edwin Pezo handles tax litigation and arbitration, primarily in the construction, energy, fishery and insurance industries. Ericka Angulo was recently promoted to senior partner and handles civil, commercial and constitutional litigation in the real estate, insurance and foreign investment sectors, as well as in relation to the sugar industry. Associates Mateo Salinas (litigation, constitutional law and contentious administrative matters) and Julissa Yamani (a procedural specialist) are also recommended; but former senior Carla De Los Santos left for Campos | Arbitraje e Infraestructura in January 2022.

Energy and natural resources > Hydrocarbons Tier 2

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados advises key players in the up-, mid- and downstream segments of the oil-and-gas industry on corporate and regulatory matters. It also provides advice regarding environmental matters, occupational health and safety regulations, and contentious issues – including cases brought by regulators such as OSINERGMIN and the Peruvian environmental protection agency (OEFA). Recent mandates have seen the team -led by practice head Daniel Palomino– handling primarily permitting, compliance, commercialisation and administrative work. Palomino leads on most matters and is a name to note, particularly for disputes matters. Key associate support is provided by Tim Vela; specialised in environmental law, oil and gas, and occupational health and safety regulation in the energy sector as a whole, he joined from a public-sector role at OEFA in early 2021.

Peru > Labour and employment Tier 2

Full-service firm Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados draws on strength from related practice areas to handle labour and employment issues and acts for both companies and individuals. The practice is known for its specialist expertise in labour matters pertaining to port operation companies and has recently been handling collective bargaining issues, downsizings, reorganisations and judicial procedures for businesses in the oil and gas, mining, electricity and banking sectors. Practice head Ricardo Herrera has notable expertise in labour, procedural and constitutional law, while César Puntriano is a name to note for collective bargaining issues and litigation, and María del Pilar Flórez handles immigration matters. Ricardo Vilchez has a comprehensive knowledge of labour law in the fishing industry, while Boris Sebastiani is experienced in litigation and audits carried out by the labour authority.

Peru > Lifesciences and healthcare Tier 2

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados offers clients ‘experience in their field, speedy responses, and a willingness to always look for solutions’. The practice has a strong focus on regulatory and IP matters and caters to clients in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and cosmetics markets, among others. Its multidisciplinary team includes lawyers, pharmacists, engineers, and veterinarians, and is co-led by Marta Fernandez-Pepper and Bruno Merchor-Valderrama. Fernandez-Pepper heads the IP team and is recommended for trade marks and domain names, patents, copyrights and sanitary regulation, among other areas; Merchor-Valderrama also handles IP matters, with a focus on patents in the life sciences sector. Senior associate Liz León-Cabezudo is another key member of the team with expertise in IP, competition, regulatory, administrative and corporate law. Since publication, Fernandez-Pepper has left he firm – effective as of May 2023.

Peru > Tax Tier 2

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados’ tax law practice handles the full gamut of tax matters, with a focus on litigation, planning, compliance, audits and M&A and financing-related tax issues. The team caters to high-net-worth individuals as well as large international and domestic businesses. Practice head Fernando Castro brings strong corporate experience to the team and is recommended for transactional matters; while Daniel Ono is a tax litigation expert experienced in a wide range of sectors – including automotive, industrial, pharmaceutical and consumer products. Jorge Otoya was recently promoted to principal partner and is well versed in cross-border transactions; while Frezzia Saavedra is a name to note for tax compliance matters. At the associate level, César Castillo and Cesar Angulo are recommended.

Peru > TMT (Technology, media and telecoms) Tier 2

‘Approachable, practical lawyers with a business focus‘, Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados handles the full range of TMT matters, with a focus on telecoms, regulation and competition matters. On the telecoms front, the team advises clients on licensing, concessions, registrations and contentious proceedings; while in relation to media and technology, the practice handles regulations regarding advertising, consumer protection, unfair competition, antitrust and data privacy issues. The team is led by name partner Jorge Muñiz  , Pierino Stucchi   and José Antonio Bezada ; with Stucchi handling regulatory matters pertaining to the radio and television, and telecoms sectors, as well as data protection issues and litigation; and Bezada recommended for cyber security and competition matters, among other areas. Senior associate Carlos Rodas  and associate Alexander Flores   are also key practitioners.

Peru > Bankruptcy and restructuring Tier 3

At Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados, practice head Anthony Lizárraga Vera-Portocarrero and senior partner Guido Muñiz act in the firm’s key bankruptcy matters, including advising the main shareholder in the long-running, multimillion-dollar bankruptcy proceedings of Doe Run; and working for Pepsicola Panamericana in the similarly long-term bankruptcy proceedings of CEPSA. The team predominately advises creditors, with associate Jackeline Acevedo providing frequent assistance with matters. Associate Gino Ontaneda provides support on the practice group’s debt restructuring work, such as aiding construction company Andrade Gutierrez with its own debt restructuring, and advising banking entity ICBC Peru on the restructuring of debts held by mining and public utilities companies.

Energy and natural resources > Electricity Tier 3

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados' electricity practice handles contractual work for both power generation/distribution clients and companies from other sectors, negotiating electricity supply contracts for the latter. Rolando Salvatierrra leads a team whose recent mandates include advising on a concession contract for joint venture Hydro Global Peru regarding the multimillion-dollar San Gaban III Power Plant, and representing Consorcio Electrico Villacuri in a contractual dispute before the administrative tribunal. The team handles the gamut of power-sector advisory, as demonstrated by its on-going corporate and regulatory advice to energy holding company Invenergy Group for over a decade. Providing key associate support, Hilda Fernandez and Renato Vasquez both advise on electricity, administrative and corporate law.

Peru > International trade (IT&C) Tier 3

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados has significant depth in its international trade offering, with various team members benefitting from experience in the Peruvian Customs Office, Tax Court of Peru and various international logistics entities. Practice head Eduardo Gonzalez, who previously acted as consultant to the Ministry of Foreign Trade, oversees matters ranging from advice on port and airport services, tax-customs treatment and audit procedures to international transactions, foreign trade planning, and preventive and corrective audits.

Peru > Public law and regulation Tier 3

The administrative law team at Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados is led by Pierino Stucchi and Rolando Salvatierrra, and houses a number of practitioners who can draw on public-sector experience at relevant government regulators. With a strong focus on administrative and sanctioning proceedings, the team also handles bureaucratic barriers; matters and offers strong ancillary support on competition-related issues. Stucchi focuses on economic administrative law, public procurement and regulatory matters, while Salvatierra has over 25 years’ specialisation in public law matters pertaining to the electricity sector. José Antonio Bezada handles regulatory issues and litigation in the food and beverage or healthcare sectors. Jose Quintana arrived as an associate from an in-house role at INDECOPI in March 2021.

Peru > Banking and finance Tier 4

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados operates a combined, 10-strong banking, finance and capital markets practice which is led by veteran practitioner and financial regulation specialist Sergio Oquendo. Firm founding partner Jorge Muniz is also an integral practice-group member, while younger partners Guillermo Flores and Rocío Izquierdo oversee the banking and finance component, and capital markets area, respectively. Flores’ recent mandates including credit agreements for engineering projects along with leasing and leaseback arrangements; on the latter, he was assisted by senior associate Fátima Villavicencio, a specialist in leasing transactions. The team often advises borrowers, such as acting for Banco BBVA Perú on obtaining multi-jurisdictional financing facilities and loan agreements; most recently this includes a $150m financing facility by Spanish lender Instituto de Crédito Oficial, led by Oquendo with assistance from senior associate Alesandra Azcárate, who focuses on cross-border acquisitions and financings. Fellow senior Alfredo Lau-Tam  led on matters regarding the negotiation of term loan facility agreements and  also as regards debt restructuring mandates. However, February-2021 hire Jeanette Aliaga subsequently left the firm at year’s end; (she has since moved to Benites, Vargas & Ugaz).

Peru > Capital markets Tier 4

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados operates a combined capital markets and banking practices under the overall leadership of  Sergio Oquendo and with the capital markets segment directed by Rocío Izquierdo, who has experience in securities regulation, litigation and transactions. The team counts Banco BBVA as a frequent client, recently advising it on a private offering of structured bonds and issuances of certificates of deposit and commercial papers. Senior associate Alfredo Lau-Tam focuses on local market structures, leading the practice group’s advice on a number of matters including the structuring and liquidation of investment funds. Banking partner Guillermo Flores frequently advises on international employee shares schemes, while senior associate Alesandra Azcárate provides support on matters such as share acquisition. However, securities specialist Jeanette Aliaga left the firm in December 2021 and has since moved to Benites, Vargas & Ugaz.

Energy and natural resources > Mining Tier 4

At Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados, practice head Daniel Palomino leads advice to mining companies -such as Dynacor Gold Mines and Fresnillo- on obtaining permits, property rights and exploration authorisations, as well as defending these rights against illegal extractive activity. The team provides regulatory advice on environmental and health and safety legislation, and represents clients in disputes - such as a recent tax dispute for Dynacor and an administrative sanctioning procedure for Fresnillo. Another area of experience is due diligence on Peruvian mining projects for international clients, such as Chinese insurance client SINOSURE and UAE mining company Fura Gems. Key senior associate, Tony Bustamante - a former in-house lawyer at both Gold Fields La Cima and the Peruvian Environmental Protection Agency - has 'vast knowledge in mining issues'  and leads on matters related to environmental mining sanctioning procedures.

Peru > Real estate Tier 4

Muñiz, Olaya, Meléndez, Castro, Ono & Herrera Abogados handles the preparation and negotiation of high-end land or project management agreements for national and multinational real estate developers, as well as sponsors, investment funds and insurance funds. Practice head Yuri Vega is well-versed in corporate and construction-related mandates; while Elard Dianderas leads on municipal regulation and administrative authorisation work, including the acquisition and development of shopping malls along with condominiums, housing and office blocks. Associate Anthony Muñoz Sivana focuses his practice on contracts, acquisitions and financial matters related to real estate and construction and generally works closely with Vega on all transactional and construction matters related to real estate and infrastructure

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru