Mr Nicolás Dulce > Bruchou & Funes de Rioja > Buenos Aires, Argentina > Lawyer Profile

Bruchou & Funes de Rioja advises local and international clients on large, complex domestic and cross-border transactions across a wide range of sectors, including energy, industrials, financial services and agribusiness. The team’s deep bench of talent is also regularly called on for day-to-day support on corporate matters. Veteran transactional lawyer Mariano Luchetti, who also has a notable energy practice, co-leads the department alongside respected oil-and-gas specialist Javier Galli and María Winschel, who focuses on corporate law and governance matters. Firm founder and chairman Enrique Bruchou continues to support the leadership team, drawing on more than three-decades’ worth of high level experience. ‘Sharp and creative’ M&A lawyer Estanislao Olmos and real estate expert Exequiel Buenaventura bring further senior level expertise to the table, with an ambitious cohort of younger partners, including Santiago Balbi and Florencia Angélico (who was raised to the partnership in 2022) also prominent. While Pablo Falabella  left the firm to move in house at YPF, a high quality cadre of senior associates provide ample back-up, with Nicolás Dulce and Hernán Alal among the key names. Since publication, Dulce has been raised to the partnership – effective as of March 2024.

The ‘extremely kind and respectful’ Bruchou & Funes de Rioja electricity practice supports clients in the renewable and conventional power sectors with multidisciplinary advice covering regulation, project finance, corporate, M&A, tax and environmental matters. The team has been particularly active in public tenders for greenfield renewable energy projects, advising on bids, PPA negotiations, and financing. Mariano Luchetti advises major players involved in the generation, transportation, and distribution of electricity in Argentina, and co-leads the practice with the ‘outstanding’ Ignacio Minorini Lima, an experienced energy, public and regulatory law practitioner who also handles domestic and international arbitration proceedings. The practice can also call on the experience of corporate partner Exequiel Buenaventura, who advises a number of power sector clients. At associate level, seniors Nicolás Dulce (oil, gas and electricity) and María Laura Rozan (regulated industries; power generation, transportation and distribution) are the main contacts. Associate Dolores Cedrone moved in house at Citco Group in February 2023. Since publication, Dulce has been raised to the partnership – effective as of March 2024.

Bruchou & Funes de Rioja’s regulatory and commercial oil-and-gas expertise sees it regularly called on to advise multinational and domestic industry players on big-ticket transactions in the sector. In addition to M&A and regulatory work, the team is also prominent in exploration and production, and has played a key role supporting large upstream operators on the development of the Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas formation. Unconventional hydrocarbon development, liquefied natural gas infrastructure project work and energy transition are other active areas. Javier Galli, ‘one of the lawyers with the most knowledge and experience in the sector’, leads the practice and is recognised for his exceptional transactional and operational record. Corporate law and M&A-focused partner Santiago Balbi also has extensive industry experience, with senior associate Nicolás Dulce providing the next line of support. Since publication, Dulce has been raised to the partnership – effective as of March 2024.