Marval O’Farrell Mairal > Buenos Aires, Argentina > Firm Profile

Marval O’Farrell Mairal > The Legal 500 Rankings

Argentina > Banking and finance Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal’s large banking and finance practice draws on the experience of 42 dedicated lawyers, including 11 partners, to provide banks and corporates with a full service offering covering all aspects of banking and finance law. The firm stands out for its deep expertise in bank M&A matters and has carved out a unique market position in Central Bank-related litigation, where it handles numerous forex, banking regulation and money laundering cases. The firm is also known for its formidable capital markets practice, which supports local and international clients across a range of complex cross-border and domestic securitisations, bond issuances and IPOs, as well as project and structured finance mandates. Respected banking lawyer and firm chairman Santiago Carregal leads the team alongside veteran banking specialist Gabriel Matarasso, who is sought out for advice on complex regulatory, anti-money laundering and forex matters. Other key senior names include Roberto Silva Jr , one of Argentina’s most active capital markets lawyers; Cecilia Mairal, a trusted counsel on highly complex and sensitive non-transactional banking matters; experienced capital markets partner Juan Diehl Moreno; and financing specialist Hernán Slemenson. The team’s next tier is led by recently promoted partners Sergio Talamo, who handles syndicated and bilateral loans among other financings; and Francisco Abeal, who takes on a range of regulatory and transactional work but it best known for specialist expertise in forex matters. The firm’s high quality training and talent pool has seen a number of associates take up roles with international banks and law firms during last 24 months, but the practice still boasts a capable second line, with experienced senior associate Manuela Lava and Pablo Lapiduz the main contacts at associate level. Since publication, Silva has been appointed head of the National Securities Commission by the incoming Millei administration - effective as of Janauary 2024.

Argentina > Bankruptcy and restructuring Tier 1

Creditors, shareholders, debtors and trustees turn to Marval O’Farrell Mairal’s large bankruptcy and restructuring practice for support on complex , cross-border restructurings and bankruptcies. The team has been involved in Argentina’s largest and highest-profile in and out-of-court restructurings and -through its New York office- is able to support clients in cases heard before New York courts. Best known for its creditor-side track record, the firm’s multi-service capabilities allow it to draw on the expertise of banking, finance and litigation experts to provide a comprehensive service in major restructurings. Vastly experienced counsel Martín Campbell is a stand-out practitioner with more than 35 years of insolvency experience. He leads a strong senior team that includes Julio César Rivera (disputes); Gonzalo Fontana  (judicial bankruptcy proceedings) and Roberto Silva Jr  (banking and restructuring). Since publication, Silva has been appointed head of the National Securities Commission by the incoming Millei administration - effective as of Janauary 2024.

Argentina > Competition and antitrust Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal stands out for handling a high volume of merger filings and maintaining a top-quality antitrust investigation unit, which participates in the most demanding and complex investigations conducted by the Antitrust Commission. The team’s expertise is sought out by clients across Latin America, with the firm assisting companies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Uruguay on a range of competition, economic regulation and internal compliance matters. Practice head Miguel Del Pino is a widely respected competition law specialist with more than two decades' experience handling competition and antitrust matters. Partner Santiago del Rio also dedicates his practice to competition law and is another key senior contact. Experienced senior associate Gabriela Ariel Irizar (antitrust and litigation) and associate Ignacio Mora (competition law) provide additional support.

Argentina > Consumer law Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal stands out for the depth of its expertise in complex consumer claims and class actions, assisting clients before various consumer protections agencies and designing legal strategies to defend against allegations of infringements to consumer protection regimes. The firm is also a go-to option on consumer liability matters across a range of sectors, most notably in the tobacco industry, where it maintains the largest tobacco product liability practice in Argentina. Other notable areas of work include outlining compliant recall and retrofit strategies, providing advice on labelling requirements and assistance with adapting products, services and sales plans. The practice is led by the experienced triumvirate of Leandro Castelli (product liability claims and complex litigation); Fernando Montes De Oca (automotive industry litigation) and Facundo Viel Temperley  (procedural law; class actions; and civil, commercial, consumer and product liability cases). A cohort of experienced senior associates, including Alejo Gascón, Lorena Cozzarin and Gabriela Dibble, lead the second line.

Argentina > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal’s marquee corporate and M&A practice is a consistent presence in Argentina’s largest and most sophisticated M&A deals, advising international and local corporates and private equity firms on a wide-range of cross-border and domestic transactions in multiple sectors. In recent years the firm has become increasingly prominent in pan-regional deals, coordinating transactions across Latin America, mirroring work historically led by US firms in the region. The size and range of expertise within the practice is unmatched and sees the firm called on to provide advice on day-to-day business matters, corporate structures and restructurings, with close integration with the highly-rated tax department a further differentiator. Highly experienced and respected corporate lawyers Pablo Artagaveytia and Pablo Viñals Blake co-lead a team of exceptional depth and experience. Firm chairman and formidable M&A lawyer Santiago Carregal; veteran transactional specialist Pablo Garcia Morillo; and private equity and venture capital expert Diego Krischcautzky are key figures in the group. The department’s roster of senior lawyers also includes Diego Chighizola, who has a strong practice in agribusiness and real estate transactions; and Barbara V Ramperti, an M&A lawyer with particular expertise in the acquisition of new business lines, joint ventures and reorganisations. A younger generation of partners – including  María Macarena García Mirri and María Laura Bolatti Cristofaro – provide further high level support, with the practice also able to call on the vast experience of the iconic Héctor Mairal for strategic advice and counsel. María Virginia Canzonieri, who focuses on commercial and corporate law matters and M&A transactions, is a key figure at associate level.

Argentina > Dispute resolution Tier 1

Consistently called on to handle large, complex, sensitive disputes, Marval O’Farrell Mairal advises domestic and international clients on high-value cases across all types of litigation and arbitration. The practice litigates before all levels of the courts in Argentina and regularly serves as counsel in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations in commercial, investor-state and bilateral treaty matters. The team also undertakes constitutional and administrative matters, as well as bankruptcy litigation. Practice head Ricardo Ostrower handles complex and politically sensitive litigation and arbitrations, and leads a formidable roster of senior talent that includes: Julio César Rivera (h), whose practice spans commercial litigation, international and domestic commercial arbitration, insolvency and constitutional law; Santiago Soria, an experienced energy and natural resources disputes lawyer; family law and inheritance disputes specialist Rodrigo García; and Elias Bestani, best known for his expertise in insurance, reinsurance, maritime and aviation disputes. Consumer law specialist Facundo Viel Temperley, who has expertise in consumer and product liability disputes; and arbitration and litigation practitioner Fernando Alemany, who was raised to the partnership in August 2022, are noted too. The practice can also call on the vast experience of honorary partner and litigation veteran Julio César Rivera. Since publication, senior associate Martín Vainstein has been raised to the partnership - effective as of December 2023.

Energy and natural resources > Mining Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal advises on all aspects of mining projects and mining operations, with transactional work a strong area of expertise. The team is also known for the quality of its offering in the areas of mining rights, project financing, environmental law, royalties, litigation and stakeholder management. Former practice head Luis Lucero has retired from the firm’s partnership, but continues to share his vast experience as of counsel. The team is now led by mining-focused Leonardo Rodríguez, who has more than two decades of dedicated industry experience. He is supported by a strong cohort of experienced associates, including Ignacio Alonso (mining-related litigation); Andrés Villarreal (mining M&A) and Agustina Dellacasa (mining M&A and project development). Associate María Mercedes Rudolph has left the firm.

Argentina > Environment Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal handles the complete range of environmental work, from regulatory matters and litigation to due diligence and other environmental aspects of M&A transactions. Environmental issues affecting manufacturing, infrastructure, oil-and-gas, and energy companies are a particular area of focus. On the litigation front, the firm handles a large portfolio of civil and criminal claims pending before the Argentine Supreme Court, as well as local and federal courts. The compact team is led by Francisco MacÍas, who has extensive environmental claims' experience (and also runs a busy oil-and-gas practice). Senior Gabriel Fortuna, who handles environment matters relating to the mining, food, energy, manufacturing and oil-and-gas sectors; and the experienced Jimena Montoya, a specialist in environmental regulatory matters, audits and due diligence, are teh key contacts at associate level.

Argentina > Insurance Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal handles the complete range of insurance and reinsurance work, including major disputes and administrative claims, regulatory advice, reinsurance claims, M&A, marine and aviation insurance, and product liability. Insurers also turn to the specialist 12-strong team for advice on day-to-day corporate matters and transactions. The team’s expertise defending insurance companies in collective and class actions and other types of mass litigation is also widely recognised in the market. Insurance expert and market reference Pablo Cereijido leads the practice and has more than 25 years' experience in the sector. The well-reviewed Elias Bestani, a specialist in insurance, reinsurance and maritime and aviation law, is another stand out senior name; additionally, the team can call on the vast experience of former practice head and of-counsel Albert Cappagli, a 40-year insurance-sector veteran. A capable second line is led by disputes, shipping and admiralty specialist María Victoria Rodríguez Mamberti; and Matias Acrogliano, who covers claims and regulatory work.

Argentina > Intellectual property Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal is the "go-to" practice for all transactional, contentious and tax-related IP matters. Having started out as an IP boutique before growing into a dominant full service operator, the firm boasts a formidable practice of more than 40 dedicated IP lawyers who handle the gamut of IP work - ranging from local patent, trade mark and copyright litigation and enforcement, to handling IP prosecution and portfolio management for clients across Latin America and the Caribbean. The practice is also able to draw on expertise from other departments of the firm, most notably in the area of criminal law, and offers clients extensive expertise in patent applications and  trade mark prosecution too. The team’s enforcement unit, which deals with damages arising from counterfeiting activities, is another differentiator. The practice calls on a deep pool of senior talent that includes Iris Quadrio, who supports domestic and foreign clients across a range of IP matters; trade mark expert Sergio Ellmann; patent litigation and filing expert Martín Bensadon; and IP litigation and anti-counterfeiting veteran Gustavo Giay. A strong cohort of younger partners provides further bench strength and includes Ignacio Sánchez Echagüe (patents); IP litigator Martín Chajchir; Juan M López Mañan (trade marks and domain names); Cristian D Bittel (patent prosecution – particularly for pharma, biotech and agribusiness clients); and Diego Fernández (IP transactional matters and IT and privacy related advisory), along with Andrés O’Farrell (criminal litigation, enforcement and anti-counterfeiting) and Eugenio Hoss (patents). Manuela Adrogue, who covers IT, data protection, privacy and IP asset transactions, is the key contact at associate level.

Argentina > International trade and customs Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal is at the forefront of international trade activity in Argentina and a "go-to" adviser on complex trade investigations, anti-dumping matters, import and export regulations, trade policy and foreign exchange controls. The team is also recognised for the depth of its expertise regarding customs valuations, rules of origin, tariff code classifications and associated litigation. The practice is co-led by Pablo Gayol, a reference on anti-dumping law, and Juan Pablo Rothschild, in turn an authority on customs law. The team’s deep roster of talent also includes deeply experienced partner Patricia López Aufranc (anti-dumping), and senior associate Juan Martin Sanz (customs). Former fellow senior Jazmine Daruich  moved in house in February 2023.

Argentina > Labour and employment Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal specialises in complex, sensitive labour matters for international corporates and embassies, among others. The practice is well-known for its labour litigation work, representing clients before all levels of the courts, and has developed proprietary software that helps to predict the outcomes of labour lawsuits to assist clients in planning defences. The team is equally adept taking on union negotiations, immigration matters, foreign currency salary payments, the winding down of Argentine subsidiaries and advising on the labour aspects of M&A transactions. One of Argentina’s most experienced labour litigators, Javier Patrón, leads the team; he is flanked by well-connected employment specialist Enrique Stile, and Diego Kelly, whose areas of expertise include compensation and union issues. Both provide significant senior-level support. Other key names include international labour and M&A expert Rodrigo Sola Torino; labour litigation veteran José María Llano; and Guillermo Osorio, whose practice is focused on representing high net worth individuals in complex labour litigations. The practice recently strengthened its ranks with the hire of five associates, including Luciana Abadin and Mariela Raczekowski who arrived from Bruchou & Funes de Rioja in November 2022.

Argentina > Life sciences and healthcare Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal combines its full-service capability with deep life sciences sector expertise to provide life sciences clients with highly specialised advice on M&A deals, regulation, compliance, contractual matters, IP and litigation. The firm is a regular presence on big-ticket M&A deals in the sector and is also noted for is track record supporting international life sciences companies entering the Argentine market. Team head Martín Mosteirin is a stand-out practitioner in the field and known for his ‘extensive experience’ of the industry. Senior associate Camila Leone rejoined the practice in March 2023 having completed an LLM in health law at Georgetown. Fellow associate Carolina Andrea Ramirez is also focused on the life sciences, particularly regulatory strategies and compliance.

Argentina > Public law Tier 1

One of the largest and most experienced public law-focused teams in Argentina, Marval O’Farrell Mairal is sought out by local and international clients for its deep expertise across a wide range of administrative and public law matters. The team handles public-private partnerships (PPP) and big ticket infrastructure projects, and has assisted a number of clients to navigate public procurement processes and secure or renew major government tenders and concessions. Sensitive regulatory negotiations, subsidies and supply deals are also areas of activity for the practice group, as are public law disputes work  – including contentious tariff annulments, and Central Bank-regulation and concession-contract disputes. The team is also active in investment disputes and international arbitration proceedings involving the state. Public ethics and the public law aspects of M&A are other areas of expertise. The formidable Héctor Mairal is one of the country’s foremost administrative law experts and co-leads the team with experienced administrative practitioner María Lorena Schiariti and Enrique Veramendi, a regulatory and administrative specialist who also undertakes constitutional and administrative litigation. The practice draws on a strong bench of supporting talent, including experienced dispute resolution partner Gonzalo Santamaria, and associates Milagros Ibarzábal (supply agreements) and Sofia Cimmarusti (public contracts and procurement).

Argentina > Tax Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal advises a high-profile portfolio of local and international clients across all aspects of tax law, including advisory work, tax planning and transactional matters, as well as litigation at all court levels. The stand-out practice is known for the depth of its expertise and experience handling sophisticated tax structuring, complex cross-border transactional work and high-stakes tax disputes. The team is also called on to provide support on regional tax matters involving other Latin American jurisdictions. The department, the largest in Argentina, boasts a deep bench of senior talent that is co-led by: María Inés Brandt, a go-to partner for high-level transactional and tax planning matters; corporate taxation specialist Walter Keiniger; international tax expert Gabriel Gotlib; and M&A tax veteran Fernando Vaquero. The senior team is also able to draw on the vast experience of veteran tax and customs of counsel, Horacio García Prieto. A talented second line of support is provided by senior associates Maria Paula Castelli (international tax); Sergio Vergara (tax litigation) and Luciana Virgile (corporate tax). Since publication, Vergara has been raised to the partnership - effective as of December 2023.

Argentina > TMT Tier 1

Marval O’Farrell Mairal provides clients with a ‘truly exceptional’ integrated TMT practice and is the go-to legal adviser on civil and contentious matters for Argentina’s big three telecoms operators, as well as telecoms infrastructure, subsea fibre optic cable and satellite providers. The group also has deep knowledge of all aspects of the television, software and online gaming sectors, and also handles blockchain, fintech and crypto-asset related matters. The ‘simply fantastic’ telecoms and broadcasting practitioner, Daniel Di Paola, co-leads the team alongside vastly experienced broadcast, internet, media and telecom partner, Javier Etcheverry Boneo; and IT and privacy expert, Gustavo Giay. Partner Diego Fernández contributes with extensive data protection, privacy and cybersecurity expertise.

Argentina > Compliance Tier 2

Marval O’Farrell Mairal houses a full service compliance practice capable of handling complex matters such as anti-corruption investigations and associated litigation. The group handles day-to-day compliance work, training and monitoring, and demonstrates a strong track record of working together with foreign lawyers, forensic IT experts, forensic accountants and PR consultants on sensitive cross-border matters. However, the June 2023 departure of specialist senior associate Gonzalo Márquez Alonso, followed by the exit of compliance specialist practice head Gustavo Morales Oliver  to joing FTI Consulting some three months later, has left the group in a process of transition. Administrative law partner María Lorena Schiariti, who has long provided high-level senior support on compliance matters, is currently leading the team with key support from dedicated senior associate, María Agustina Testa (compliance, anti-corruption and investigations).

Energy and natural resources > Electricity Tier 2

Marval O’Farrell Mairal ‘s power practice covers the entire electricity generation and supply chain, handling matters that range from public tenders for generation projects (including thermal, cogeneration, hydroelectric, nuclear, renewable energy projects) to international and local PPAs, as well as domestic and international power-related disputes. Leveraging the strength of its corporate and M&A practice, the team enjoys a steady flow of transactional work, but is also called on to provide specialist counsel on electricity sector regulation, with its renewable energy expertise particularly sought after. Deeply experienced energy sector lawyer Francisco MacÍas leads the team and is an authority on power transactions, contracts and regulatory matters. Regulatory and power sector-focused Gonzalo Santamaria provides additional partner-level support.

Energy and natural resources > Oil and gas Tier 2

The strength and depth of Marval O’Farrell Mairal’s full service offering has made the firm a natural choice for oil-and-gas companies seeking transactional, contractual, regulatory and dispute resolution advice. The practice is particularly strong in the natural gas space, but is comfortable handling work across the entire hydrocarbons supply chain. Exploration and production matters as well as midstream and downstream work are all covered, including specific LNG-related engagements. Energy transition and decarbonisation are other active areas. Well-regarded oil-and-gas veteran Francisco MacÍas has more than 20 years of industry experience and leads the practice, with former Total legal director and of counsel Arturo Pera the other key senior figure on the roster. Former practice head Ricardo Beller has exited the team, but the promotion of finance and energy lawyer Agustina Ranieri to the partnership and the hire of regulatory, energy and litigation partner Soledad Riera has ensured that the practice continues to offer clients senior-level expertise and experience.

Argentina > Fintech Tier 2

Marval O’Farrell Mairal advises early-stage start-ups, established fintech firms and financial institutions on regulation, anti-money laundering, payments, online lending, blockchain cryptoassets, tokenisation projects and initial coin offerings. The practice is led by Juan Diehl Moreno who has over two decades' experience handling a wide range of transactional and financing matters, and extensive knowledge in e-payments, blockchain and digital banking. Other key names in the team include associates Ignacio Paz and Pedro Colaneri.

Argentina > Real estate Tier 2

Transactional work is a key focus area for Marval O’Farrell Mairal’s real estate practice, which leverages the firm’s extensive M&A resources to support clients on pure play real estate transactions as well as real estate operations within the broader context of M&A deals. The team also counsels on sale-and-leaseback, financing and construction matters, and has carved out niche expertise in agribusiness land transactions and rewilding projects. Experienced transactional and financing lawyer Hernán Slemenson leads the team alongside corporate and M&A partner Diego Chighizola, who has extensive real estate financing and development experience.