The Legal 500

Latin America: International firms

Capital markets

Within: Leading lawyers

Antonia Stolper - Shearman & Sterling LLP

Within: Capital markets

Shearman & Sterling LLP has maintained an impressive market share of big-ticket transactions in major economies such as Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, as well as a flourishing practice in smaller nations including Panama. It has worked on a series of headline IPOs, including SEC-registered offerings, and recently advised new client PagSeguro Digital, a Brazilian financial technology solution provider, on its $2.6bn IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in what was the largest IPO of a Brazilian business since 2013. Additionally, it advised major Brazilian domestic airline, Azul, on its $624m IPO, also on the New York Stock Exchange. In another headline deal, the firm advised Citigroup Global Markets and Credit Suisse Securities (as initial purchasers) in the $650m Rule 144A/Reg S IPO of Vista Oil & Gas on the Mexican stock exchange (BMV); this was the first Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) IPO in Latin America and the first oil and gas E&P-focused listing in Mexico. The firm is also active in Argentina, especially in debt transactions and continues to be a leading player in sovereign issuances, particularly on the underwriter side. Outside of Latin America’s major economies, the firm continues to make a further impression, notably advising Panama’s Banco General on its $550m senior notes offering. Head of the Latin America group Antonia Stolper is hugely experienced and a giant of the market, including in both sovereign and private sector issuances across the region. Stuart Fleischmann is a big player on the underwriter side, most notably in Mexico and Brazil. Manuel Orillac is another pivotal member of the practice and has advised on a string of recent deals in Panama. Grissel Mercado was elected to the partnership in January 2018 and has a fine record in representing Latin American sovereign and corporate issuers. São Paulo partner Robert Ellison is one of the foremost names in Brazil and continues to advise on many of the headline deals that emerge from the jurisdiction. All named individuals are New York-based unless stated otherwise.

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Corporate and M&A

Within: Corporate and M&A

Shearman & Sterling LLP has demonstrated great determination to build out its M&A practice in Latin America. Having promoted São Paulo’s Jonathan Kellner, a fluent Spanish and Portuguese speaker who is a ‘star in his field’, to partner in 2016, it then promoted São Paulo-based Andrea Campos to counsel in 2017. This comes at a time when the firm is experiencing notable growth in Brazil inbound transactions along with deals in other key economies such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia and elsewhere. The core Latin America team has done well to target existing firm clients, including corporates and sovereign wealth funds. Kellner worked alongside New York partner Robert Freedman to advise GE Capital Global Holdings on its acquisition of a 25% stake in YPF Energía Eléctrica from Argentine oil-major, YPF. A New York team led by global M&A head (and global co-managing partner of the firm) George Casey, advised Liberty Global on its $9.3bn spin-off of Liberty Latin America. In another headline deal, it also advised Citigroup’s Mexican subsidiary Citibanamex on the sale of its asset management arm to global investment manager BlackRock. Other key partners include Latin America regional head Antonia Stolper, Manuel Orillac and Robert Ellison in São Paulo.

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United States: Finance

Capital markets: global offerings

Within: Capital markets: global offerings

‘A respected name for global capital markets’, Shearman & Sterling LLP ‘stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in Latin America’; particularly in Brazil, where sources highlight its ‘great relationships with underwriters’. In a recent example of its regional strength, the firm advised Brazil’s PagSeguro Digital on its IPO and secondary offering on the NYSE, which raised around $2.6bn — New York-based Harald Halbhuber led that deal with support from the Sao Paulo office. The firm also sets itself apart through its Canada expertise. Recent work in that area included Jason Lehner, who splits his time between Toronto and New York, advising the underwriters on Ontario Teachers’ Finance Trust’s $2bn private placement of notes listed on the Irish Stock Exchange (now trading as Euronext Dublin). Other key contacts include Antonia Stolper, who heads the Latin America affinity group from New York, and Stuart Fleischmann, who splits his time between New York and Sao Paulo.

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