Juan Carlos Machorro > Santamarina y Steta > Mexico City, Mexico > Lawyer Profile

Santamarina y Steta excels at representing development financing institutions, including local banks, international and multilateral institutions, as both lenders and borrowers; it also has expertise in financial workouts. Its active Monterrey office is regularly instructed by high-profile borrower clients in the northeast of the country and complements the ‘responsive’ team led by Juan Carlos Machorro from Mexico City; he has extensive experience in investment and manufacturing projects. Sergio Chagoya represents lenders, sponsors and borrowers in a range of financial transactions including public offerings, securitisations and privatisations; ‘exceptional lawyer’ Ricardo Orea advises banks and other financiers on energy, transport and asset-backed financing transactions; and Diego Ostos provides counsel on debt issuances and cross-border financial transactions. Of counsel Margarita Casarin – who works on syndicated and structured finance, project finance and infrastructure projects – is an additional name to note.

The ‘extraordinarily skilled’ practice at Santamarina y Steta is regularly instructed by local and international banks and developers, and energy, construction and telecoms companies for its assistance with the planning, development, execution, and financing of urban infrastructure projects. The group is directed by a trio of partners, comprising: Juan Carlos Machorro, who focuses on the development and implementation of investment and manufacturing projects in Mexico; Sergio Chagoya  (described by one client as ‘the lawyer you want in your legal team … the go-to person for closing difficult negotiations’), who advises lenders, sponsors and borrowers on infrastructure projects, public offerings and securitisations; and Ricardo Orea, who focuses on financing for energy, transport and social infrastructure projects, as well as asset-backed financing transactions. Diego Ostos is an additional key partner-level contact, and specialises in banking and finance, capital markets, project finance, infrastructure, M&A, PPPs and government procurement. Senior associate Margarita Casarin (corporate and financial law, including syndicated, structured and project finance) is also noted.

The energy department at Santamarina y Steta has become increasingly collaborative as a cross-practice offering from the firm in recent years, adapting to changes in the market that have necessitated a broadening of services to include foreign trade, dispute resolution, environmental, and restructuring expertise. Juan Carlos Machorro is a corporate, M&A and finance lawyer with 25 years of experience acting for energy sector clients in Mexico. He heads the department with primary support provided by associate Norma Álvarez.

With offices in Mexico City, Monterrey and Queretaro, Santamarina y Steta coordinates experienced teams to advise private equity firms and national and multinational corporates across the manufacturing, food, insurance, construction, telecoms and automotive industries involved in high-value, cross-border transactions. Co-led from Mexico City by Juan Carlos Machorro and Jorge León Orantes (who between them bring over 60 years’ corporate and transactional experience to bear), the practice group (some 50 lawyers’ strong) has a broad offering that encompasses the negotiation and execution of M&A and joint ventures, the drafting and negotiation of transaction agreements, legal due diligence and regulatory compliance proceedings. Additional key contacts includee securities expert Alberto Saavedra (also Mexico City); Guillermo Moreno in Querétaro, who, in addition to M&A, advises on government procurement and project finance matters; seasoned transactional specialist César Cruz Ayala in Monterey. Key associate support is provided by seniors Ilse Bolaños (cross-border M&A, joint ventures and corporate restructurings, along with general corporate and commercial matters), and Diego Acosta (corporate, M&A, e-commerce, and privacy and data protection.)