Raul Farias > DLA Piper LLP (US) > San Diego (Downtown), United States > Lawyer Profile
DLA Piper LLP (US) Offices
401 B STREET
SUITE 1700
SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4297
CALIFORNIA
United States
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Raul Farias
Work Department
Corporate
Position
Partner
Career
Raul Farias has substantial experience in M&A, finance, project development and other related transactions representing multinational corporations, financial institutions, funds and others in the United States and Latin America. He also has considerable experience in international IPOs, distressed sales and acquisitions, cross-border loan restructurings, DIP financings and other banking-related transactions.
He has significant industry knowledge in the financial sector, as well as the energy and infrastructure sector – including power generation, transmission and distribution, renewable energy, energy storage, oil and gas and liquefied natural gas.
He has led landmark transactions, such as a US$7.2 billion proposed acquisition of a pipeline in Peru and its US$4.1 billion in project financing, a US$3.59 billion sale of Peruvian assets (S&P Global Energy Deal of the Year 2020), a US$2.23 billion sale of Chilean assets (S&P Global Energy Deal of the Year 2020), Mexico’s first privately owned midstream assets, as well as many other key transactions in the United States and Latin America.
Raul is also experienced in international disputes, including successfully leading an ICC arbitration over the biggest undeveloped silver deposit in the world, working on a multibillion-dollar dispute in South America and advising Fortune 500 Companies on multiple foreign investment matters throughout Latin America.
He has served on the board of publicly listed companies, published articles on a variety of legal topics and participated as a panelist at legal forums dealing with cross-border transactions. He is experienced with corporate governance matters for private and publicly listed companies in the United States and Latin America and has constant dealings and interactions with C-suite executives in the United States and across multiple jurisdictions.
Languages
English, Spanish
Education
LL.M., New York University School of Law; J.D., Escuela Libre de Derecho; Master’s Degree National University of Singapore;
Lawyer Rankings
Latin America: International firms > Banking and finance
DLA Piper LLP (US)’s sizeable Latin America team in the US alongside practitioners in the region itself, provides a solid platform for a growing banking and finance practice. The firm has built an enviable client base, particularly Latin American borrowers, and is widely recognised for its geographic spread of engagements in project finance and large restructurings. The team was further strengthened by the hire of Latin America banking and finance specialist Robert da Silva Ashley from McDermott Will & Emery LLP in April 2023; splitting his time between New York and Miami, he brings wide-ranging experience in project finance and corporate lending, including wind and solar projects. Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja is co-regional head of Latin America banking and finance, and is another experienced figure in project finance and general corporate lending. Mexico City partner Edgar Romo and Lima’s Sergio Barboza, are also co-regional heads of the group, and are key figures within the team, along with José Sosa-Lloréns in Puerto Rico. Raul Farias, who splits his time between San Diego and New York has made a big impression in cross-border financings and refinancings, and has also led on a series of large-scale restructuring engagements; he was the lead partner in advising Mexico-based Crédito Real on its $2.9bn global debt restructuring encompassing six different jurisdictions and more than 45 different creditors.
Latin America: International firms > Corporate and M&A
DLA Piper LLP (US) has made rapid progress over the last five years with sizeable corporate and M&A teams in Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Mexico and Puerto Rico, along with Latin America-focused practitioners in Miami and New York. It continues to advised North American corporates, multi-latinas, family offices, private equity firms and sovereign governments. TMT, industrial manufacture, and energy and natural resources are key sectors. The firm’s strong connections in the region have resulted in a mounting number of cross-border engagements involving Latin American businesses looking to invest into other regional markets and into North America. The group is also active in fund establishments and relocations. Miami and New York-based Francisco Cerezo is chair of the US-Latin America practice and chair of the Latin America corporate and finance practice. Senior figure Marcello Hallake joined the New York office in January 2023 from Jones Day, bringing extensive experience in cross-border M&A – particularly in relation to Brazil; joining alongside him was Michael McGuinness, another senior name with a major focus on Latin America cross-border M&A. San Diego and New York-based Raul Farias is another recent hire, who has boosted the firm’s record in Mexico, Peru and Chile-related transactions. Puerto Rico associate Joseline Rodríguez is also highly rated. Since research concluded, the firm has strengthened its New York offering with the hire of Amadeu Ribeiro, a compliance, investigations and Brazilian competition law-focused practitioner (formerly at Mattos Filho), with effect from September 2023.
Latin America: International firms > Projects and energy
DLA Piper LLP (US) has a large team of Latin America specialists, spread across its US and Latin America offices. It has extensive connections to developers and project sponsors, and is increasingly building its presence in renewables and energy transition matters (including wind, solar, hydro and battery storage). The practice is also noted for PPP transactions, thanks to its headline role in advising LUMA Energy as the winning bidder in the PPP transaction for the management and operation of the transmission and distribution assets of the state-owned electricity utility in Puerto Rico. The firm is further noted for its M&A expertise in energy and infrastructure, including portfolio acquisitions of renewables assets. Marcello Hallake has joined the New York office from Jones Day, bringing significant energy sector transactional expertise. New York’s Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja is Latin America head of banking and finance and has an excellent record in project financings in the region. San Juan partner Miriam Figueroa is a key figure in PPPs and infrastructure projects. Santiago partner Diego Peña is also an integral team member, as is Raul Farias in San Diego/New York. Since publication, the practice has been furhter strengthened with the hire of Sao Paulo-based Bruno Soares from Allen & Overy LLP – effective as of February 2024.
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Tax > International tax
- Real estate > Land use/zoning
- Investment fund formation and management > Alternative/hedge funds
- Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices
- Real estate > Real estate
- Government > State attorneys general
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: transactions
Firm Rankings
- Media, technology and telecoms > Advertising and marketing: transactional and regulatory
- Industry focus > Cannabis
- Antitrust > Cartel
- Dispute resolution > E-discovery
- Tax > Financial products
- Finance > Fintech
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort
- Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Energy > Renewable/alternative power
- Finance > Structured finance: securitization
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- Intellectual property > Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing)
- Tax > US taxes: contentious
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Venture capital and emerging companies
- Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling
- Insurance > Advice to insurers
- Intellectual property > Copyright
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Insurance > Insurance: non-contentious
- Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions)
- Labor and employment > Labor-management relations
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: automotive/transport
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation)
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Environment > Environment: litigation
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: transactional
- Intellectual property > Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings)
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Healthcare > Service providers
- Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Finance > Project finance
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense