José Manuel Abastos > Hernández & Cía > Lima, Peru > Lawyer Profile

The May 2023 arrival of former Philippi Prietocarrizosa Ferrero DU & Uria principal associate Carlos González Prada as a partner completed a recruitment process at Hernández & Cía that had previously seen the firm hire senior associates Natalia Gallardo and Tely Porcel (in Janaury and Septemeber 2022, respectively), profoundly consolidating the practice led by José Manuel Abastos and Jorge Reátegui. Abastos is a well known finance and transactional practitioner with particular expertise in relation to PPPs, concessions and infrastructure, while Reátegui’s strength in real estate matters translates in the public law arena into extensive know-how regarding the acquisition of rights, regulatory affairs, and licensing and certifications with regard to land and property usage. Administrative law specialist González Prada brings additional experience regarding sancitons and licensing to the group. Along with mandates in the highway concessions, mining and auotmotive sectors, recent activity has seen the team particularly active in the water and sanitation, retail and chemical areas.

The banking and finance team at Hernández & Cía is equipped to advise on domestic and cross-border transactions, including syndicated loans, secured loans, corporate loans and real estate loans, as well as project finance, leveraged finance and leasing arrangements. It acts for top regional and international banks, private investors, insurance companies and private funds and provides ancillary tax support on deals by drawing on strength from its top-tier tax practice. The team, which is jointly led by Juan Luis Hernández Gazzo, José Manuel Abastos and José Goyburu, includes a number of practitioners who have previously worked at major US-headquartered international law firms. Hernández is a veteran practitioner, who is well known in the market for financing deals; Abastos handles project financing, sovereign financing and capital markets matters; and Goyburu stands out for his knowledge of leveraged financing and distressed debt. Strong senior associate support is provided by Julien Labory-Alicq, who is fluent in Spanish, French and English; he has previously worked in the Paris office of Clifford Chance and is well versed in cross-border transactions. Diego Carrión left the firm in March 2022.

The ‘very professional and committed‘ projects team at Hernández & Cía is particularly experienced in advising clients on energy projects and water treatment matters, and also possesses in-depth knowledge of project financing, PPPs, bidding processes and concessions. The team, jointly headed by José Manuel Abastos and Brendan Oviedo, is able to advise both private organisations and government entities on domestic matters. Other key team members include senior associate Natalia Gallardo, whose recent work includes advising clients on the development of water and sanitation projects, and associate Ana Vidal, who has recently been involved in the structuring of infrastructure projects, as well as in the bidding process of two hospitals. Since publication, Vidal has been promoted to senior associate – effective as of February 2024.

Under the leadership of well-known practitioner Juan Luis Hernández Gazzo, Hernández & Cía is active in equity and debt transactions, regulatory mandates and investment funds work. The team is no stranger to cross-border transactions and the issuance of bonds, and also handles interactions with regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Hernández acts for high-profile banks and has previously acted for the Republic of Peru; his areas of expertise include transactions, restructurings, reorganisations and regulatory work. José Manuel Abastos  is a corporate practitioner with experience in bond issuances and sovereign financing, while at the senior associate level, Erick Calla offers expertise in stock market regulation and Gloria Zubizarreta is experienced in sovereign offerings and compliance matters. Diego Carrión left the firm in July 2022. Since publication, Calla and Zubizarreta have been promoted to principal associate – effective as of February 2024.