Mr Fernando Alonso > Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP > Miami, United States > Lawyer Profile

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP‘s dedication to Latin America brings it a wealth of inbound and outbound deal engagements, along with a number of intra-regional matters. It has an experienced team in Miami that has served the region for decades, complemented by colleagues in New York, Washington DC, Houston and elsewhere. The practice is particularly noted for cross-border financial institutions M&A, including Latin American banks acquiring assets in the US. It is also at the forefront of digital infrastructure deals, and is growing its presence in representing family offices and private equity funds; the firm has advised a series of Latin American family offices on their investments into the US and is increasingly active in fund formation engagements for Latin American financial institutions. Moreover, it is widely recognised for its advice to multilateral agencies in connection with their investments in Latin American entities. Long having had a focus on Central America, the Caribbean and the Andean region, the team is now gaining increasing profile in southern Latin America – particularly Chile. Fernando Alonso chairs the Latin America and Iberia practice groups and has an outstanding reputation in M&A, joint ventures and other corporate transactions. Fernando Margarit is a leader in subsea and terrestrial networks, while Uriel Mendieta has further developed the team’s position in digital infrastructure deals and remains active on a broad range of corporate deals.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP continues to make considerable progress in representing commercial and agency lenders in Latin America financings, while also expanding its borrower client base. It is the ‘go-to law firm for development finance institutions based in Washington DC‘ and recently advised IDB Invest in relation to multiple financings to Latin American financial institutions. The firm also frequently advises Latin America-based banks in connection with accessing funding. It  remains at the forefront of financings in the digital infrastructure sector and impresses in the wider energy and infrastructure areas, including the financing of desalination plants and other major projects; it advised the lenders on the financing of Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile’s (Codelco) desalination plant in Chile. Fernando Alonso is chairman of the Latin America team and has an established record in big-ticket financings. Washington DC-based Vera Rechsteiner is key to many of the firm’s agency lender relationships, along with Uriel Mendieta and Washington-DC’s Alejandro Silva, who has close connections to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), having previously been assistant general counsel at the organisation. Named individuals are based in Miami unless stated otherwise.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP‘s core Latin America practice is located in Miami, where the team has an extensive background in M&A and corporate transactions, financings, securities offerings and fund formations. The Miami practice has experienced an uptick in engagements from private equity houses and Latin American family offices with investments across the region. Its deep connections have led to a number of intra-regional deals and it has maintained its formidable record in bank M&A, including inbound transactions into the US; it represents a multitude of large Latin American banks on M&A transactions, securities offerings, fund formations and financings from international banks. It also acts for a series of US-based banks and financial institutions in connection with their Latin America interests, including financings. The Miami group continues to be active in agency-led financings, most notably for Inter-American Investment Corporation (IDB Invest), a regular client for Uriel Mendieta, who is also noted for digital infrastructure, including subsea fibre optic cables and terrestrial cables; Fernando Margarit is a specialist in this area and is also active in Latin America. As head of the Latin America practice, Fernando Alonso is a leader in M&A, financings and securities offerings, with the corporate team being best known for transactions in Central America, the Andean region and the Caribbean, along with a growing deal flow in Brazil.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP continues to see growth in its practice, driven in part by its strong connections to multilateral agencies and DFIs. It remains active in Central America project financings and has landed a series of substantial engagements relating to projects in Guyana. The firm is additionally at the forefront of digital infrastructure and subsea fibre optic cable projects; as well as being noted for public-private partnership transactions and other key areas such as desalination plants. Fernando Alonso is chair of the Latin America group and a real authority on transactions in the region, including project financings and energy M&A. Washington DC-based Vera Rechsteiner has an extensive record in Latin America projects and is a key relationship partner for IDB Invest, alongside Uriel Mendieta, who is noted for subsea fibre optic cable systems, terrestrial fibre projects and other digital infrastructure matters. Fernando Margarit is another key name on telecoms and subsea cable systems, while Washington DC’s Alejandro Silva is a regular adviser to International Finance Corporation on Latin America project financings. The firm is also rated for projects in Chile, with New York counsel Christian Rudloff being admitted to practice in Chile, Mexico and New York; along with Washington DC associate James Channing, who is dual qualified in Chile and New York. Since publication, Rudloff has left the firm – effective as of February 2025.

With ‘deep experience’ in the M&A practice, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP works in coordination with its capital markets and data security departments to advise on M&A due diligence, regulatory matters, and corporate restructurings. Counting mortgage and utilities companies amongst its client roster, the team’s scope of work also includes REIT M&A, energy M&A, and public and private transactions. The group is co-led by Richmond lawyer Steven Haas, who covers strategic acquisitions and divestitures, shareholder activism, and public company sales, and Washington DC-based Steven Patterson, a key contact for public and private securities offerings. In Houston, Michael O’Leary is skilled in private equity, joint ventures, and spin-offs, while Miami-based Fernando Alonso handles M&A in the finance sector, often representing foreign clients in their US acquisitions.