DLA Piper Mexico > Mexico City, Mexico > Firm Profile

DLA Piper Mexico > The Legal 500 Rankings

Mexico > Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 2

The five-strong team at DLA Piper Mexico is fronted by senior partner Gerardo Lozano Alarcón, who according to a client is ‘probably the best arbitrator in Mexico’. The practice enjoys a solid, Mexico-related caseload, particularly in relation to the energy sector where current matters include representing a major retailer in an ICC dispute concerning a long-term power-supply contract, and a major electricity entity concerning a gas-supply dispute. Lozano, who has truly extensive experience as an ICC arbitrator and acting before ICDR, UNICITRAL, ICC and LCIA tribunals, co-heads the practice in conjunction with Kate Brown de Vejar, global chair of the firm’s international arbitration practice. The team was further reinforced with the July-2021 arrival of former ICSID counsel, Gabriela Álvarez Ávila, from Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle S.C..

Mexico > Life sciences Tier 3

The life sciences practice at DLA Piper Mexico assists clients with obtaining licenses and authorisations, including regulatory approvals, from the relevant authorities. It remains particularly active representing clients in constitutional amparo appeals against administrative authorisations. Other areas keeping the team busy include clinical trial matters, regulatory advisory on imports, and transactional operations. Key contacts in the team include: corporate law expert Jorge Benejam, who has a strong focus on highly regulated sectors; Eduardo Gallastegui, one of the lawyers who participated in the Federal Health Law reform; and corporate and transactional partner Xavier Mangino.

Mexico > TMT Tier 3

A longstanding presence in the TMT sector, DLA Piper Gallastegui y Lozano's small, but sturdy practice, is a recurring choice for a broad swathe of the media and entertainment clients, including IT, broadcasting, advertising, entertainment, censorship, and internet and online services. Praised for being ’at the forefront of technological matters’, the department, which is currently representing two major companies in satellite-related mandates, is led by partner Eduardo Gallastegui, who has a strong track-record handling corporate transactions; and Jorge Benejam, who specialises primarily on regulated-industry matters including antitrust, life sciences, telecoms, banking and foreign trade. Recent work highlights include due diligence in the TMT sector, business-plan design and implementation, spectrum allocation, M&As, financings and licensing. The department was further strengthened with the July-2021 arrival of Gabriel Contreras Saldívar, as counsel, from the Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones, the industry's regulatory body.

Mexico > Banking and finance Tier 4

DLA Piper Mexico has been steadily strengthening its practice over the course of its time in the Mexican market, to the point where it has a 12-strong department focused on a full array of finance transactions, whether local or cross-border. Partners Edgar Romo, who is praised for being ‘well-versed in banking matters and a great lawyer’; and Diego Martinez, who is skilled in regulatory banking mandates, co-head the team. The practice represents both financial institutions, and the debtor/borrower side (frequently with public companies), regarding credit facilities, structured finance, project finance, securities offerings and restructurings. Other key members of the practice include counsel Manuel Hallivis, who is ‘very good at handling hotel financings’; and senior associate Adolfo Obregón.

Mexico > Capital markets Tier 4

Global full-service giant DLA Piper Mexico houses a growing Mexican capital markets practice headed by Xavier Mangino, whose broad expertise spans debt and capital markets, securitisations and structured finance, in addition to corporate and commercial law, banking and finance. Other specialisms include peer-to-peer lending, leveraged finance, corporate governance and M&A. He is closely supported by Diego Martinez, a former manager of banking projects at the CNBV (National Banking and Securities Commission) who specialises in private and public debt and equity offerings, securitisation and asset-backed finance; and counsel Cristián Gastelum, who draws on his previous experience working at the CNBV (as deputy general director of issuer supervision) and the National Insurance and Surety Commission (CNSF). Since publication, Mangino has left the firm for Holland & Knight LLP (as of March 2022), taking one counsel and two associates with him.

Mexico > Corporate and M&A Tier 4

Supported by the firm’s global office network and M&A practice group, DLA Piper Mexico boasts an established corporate practice co-led by managing partner Eduardo Gallastegui and fellow 25-year-veteran Xavier Mangino Dueñas. It receives a healthy flow of inbound investment mandates, and has recently undertaken significant inbound cross-border M&A in the pharmaceutical and media sectors; it is, moreover, a key component in the firm’s increasingly busy regional practice. Additional partner level capability is provided by Jorge Benejam (M&A, anti-trust and regulated markets’ matters); and Edgar Romo, who covers mergers and acquisitions, finance, banking, real estate, capital markets, and corporate governance. Key associate support comes from seniors Manuel Hallivis and Adolfo Obregón. Since publication, the firm has hired former practice co-head Álvaro Garza-Galván and fellow corporate practitioner Mauricio Valdespino, part of a six-strong influx of partners from White & Case S.C. in January 2022.

Mexico > Real estate Tier 4

Backed by the firm’s global real estate practice capabilities, DLA Piper Mexico's local, six-strong practice offers a broad array of services, including financing, fund formation, acquisitions and divestments, planning, development, construction and leasing. Department head Gabriela Alaña is praised by clients for being a ‘formidable lawyer’ and has particular expertise in ‘build-to-suit’ developments, while her broader practice frequently involves mandates concerning industrial, office, retail and multi-family and resorts projects.

Mexico > Energy and natural resources Tier 5

Hailed as ‘an expert and a reference in the field’, partner Marcelo Paramo – former General Director of Legal Affairs at the Energy Regulatory Commission), heads the energy practice at DLA Piper Mexico, which is active across the oil-and-gas and renewables segments, for both local and international clients, primarily regarding regulatory matters and acquisitions. Project finance and corporate partner Edgar Romo offers key support to the practice, which also represents clients in administrative proceedings and contractual disputes with regulated entities, as well as before regulators and authorities. Since publication, the practice has been further strengthened with the January-2022 hire of Roberto Ríos from White & Case S.C.; his ample practice covers project finance, infrastructure, public-private partnerships and energy.

Mexico > Dispute resolution: litigation

Mexico > Projects and infrastructure

Latin America: International firms > International arbitration Tier 4

Kate Brown de Vejar, based in Mexico City, and Paris-based Michael Ostrove co-chair the international arbitration department at DLA Piper LLP (US), which -in terms of the Latin American aspect of the practice- has undoubtedly benefitted from the firm’s substantial development throughout the region in recent years. Senior partner Gerardo Lozano Alarcón works alongside Brown de Vejar in Mexico City and has extensive experience in arbitral matters – both local and international. In Lima, where the firm continues to represent Metro de Lima Línea 2 in ICSID proceedings against the Republic of Peru, Guillermo Hesse focuses on complex commercial arbitrations. The team can also call on Florida-based associate Harout Samra, who is focused on international arbitration work in both the public and private sectors. The firm has further strengthened its Latin American arbitration capability with the February 2021 hire of Ricardo Alarcón (from Shearman & Sterling LLP) as associate director of the practice at the Bogota office; and the promotion of Houston-based Allissa Pollard to partner. However, Ileana Blanco has retired and Buenos Aires-based Mariana Lozza departed in December 2020 to join the Argentine State Attorney’s office as lead counsel. Since then, in late July 2021, the firm has hired former ICSID counsel Gabriela Álvarez Ávila (from Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle S.C.) to join its Mexico office.

Latin America: International firms > Banking and finance

DLA Piper LLP (US)‘s bold expansion of its Latin America practice, including US-based and Latin America-located teams, is paying considerable dividends. The firm brought in further senior figures in 2020, including Los Angeles-based project finance specialist Dino Barajas from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, San Diego partner Raul Farias from Sempra Energy and New York partner Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja from Baker McKenzie LLP. The firm’s extensive presence in Latin America itself has helped land it a steady pipeline of engagements from regional lenders. The wider team has impressed in alternative financing arrangements, including a team led by Raul Farias that advised Mexico-headquartered Crédito Real on a $50m loan from Barclays Bank, that was collateralised by the mark to market of certain swap transactions. Mexico is a particular forte for the firm, through key Mexico City partner Edgar Romo. Puerto Rico partner José Sosa-Lloréns is active in PPP financings and other transactions in the region, while New York’s Christopher Paci has a key role in financings that have a capital markets component. However, multilateral agency and DFI financings specialist Gregory Smith  and former of counsel Amala Nath both moved to Morrison & Foerster LLP in July 2021. Since publication, Barajas has left the firm for Baker Botts L.L.P., effective January 2022; William Candelaria has also left.

Latin America: International firms > Projects and energy

DLA Piper LLP (US) significantly expanded its US-based Latin America team in 2020, notably with the arrivals of Los Angeles partner Dino Barajas from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and San Diego-based Raul Farias from Sempra Energy. The enlarged group has a particularly strong standing in conventional power and renewables, especially in Mexico, although the firm has an extensive record in Latin America-wide engagements, thanks in part to its strong local teams in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and elsewhere. Despite the slowing deal flow in Mexico, the Latin America group maintained strong activity levels with a series of wind, solar and thermal power projects along with oil and gas projects. A powerful team in Mexico City, including Edgar Romo and Marcelo Paramo, has provided a significant impetus to the firm’s ability to win big-ticket engagements in the jurisdiction. The firm is also building its presence in PPP (P3) infrastructure projects. Led by the its impressive Puerto Rico team, the firm advised Quanta Services and ATCO on their new joint venture, LUMA Energy, as winning bidder in the $1.6bn public-private partnership transaction to operate and maintain the transmission and distribution assets of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). Key agency lender and DFI specialists Gregory Smith and counsel Amala Nath left the firm in July 2021. Since publication, Barajas has left the firm to move to Baker Botts L.L.P., effective January 2022.