Jorge Benejam > DLA Piper Mexico > Mexico City, Mexico > Lawyer Profile

Competition and antitrust has been a focus of growth for DLA Piper Mexico in recent years and the team now handles a share of COFECE’s sector investigations, as well as being a valuable asset for the firm’s corporate and M&A practice. Illustrative of that link, corporate partner Jorge Benejam co-heads the department; he is especially familiar with the technical and regulatory aspects of the life-sciences, telecoms and technology sectors, as well as analysing potential antitrust issues for M&A transactions. His partner in leading the team is Antonio Cárdenas, a litigator with increasing involvement in antitrust and competition matters. At the associate level, Ana Marietta Rivero is also involved in a contentious capacity, while Regina Esparza, hired from Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, S.C. in September 2022, is an antitrust advisory specialist.

DLA Piper Mexico fields a compact 10-strong team in the corporate and transactional area, handling public and private M&A, the division and/or sale of assets, cross-border transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, the conducting of due diligence processes; preparation of MOUs, obtaining of governmental approvals and post-merger integration; the office can also handle relevant tax planning and structuring matters. Not insignificantly, the group also enjoys the benefit of sitting as part of -primarily- the firm’s largely unparalleled regional network of offices, and beyond that has access to the firm’s global capabilities. A trio of partners jointly-lead the practice: Diego Martinez focuses on general corporate matters with an emphasis on corporate finance, corporate governance matters and M&A – notably in the regulated sectors (he also has strong expertise in financial regulatory matters); while Álvaro Garza-Galván handles M&A, bankruptcy, restructuring, banking and finance, and securities transactions; the pair are also the office’s co-managing partners. The leadership group is completed by younger partner Mauricio Valdespino, whose practice is centred on M&A, private equity, corporate and commercial law. Additional partner level experience is provided by veteran practitioner María Eugenia Ríos Espinosa, who has particular knowledge of the labour aspects of corporate transactions and private equity deals; and Jorge Benejam, who has notable experience in competition matters as part of his broader corporate/M&A practice oriented towards the regulated sectors – particularly life science, telecommunications and technology. A solid associate bench includes seniors Jaime Ancer Fortea (complex corporate transactions and  general corporate and commercial issues) and Andrés Calderon (M&A, bankruptcy and corporate matters related to real estate and capital markets); intermediate José Luis Gutiérrez Ramírez, an April-2022 arrival from Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, S.C., is also noted.

Telecoms law is a standout strength for DLA Piper Mexico, its specialist team adept at assisting with some of the most complex regulatory issues in the market. Members of the department has more than 25 years’ experience in the area, assisting clients with licences and authorisations, negotiating interconnection agreements, and implementing new technologies. The team also supports clients in public tenders for concessions to use radio-spectrum frequency bands and to operate public telecommunications networks. On the media and technology fronts, the firm often advises on transactional, antitrust, and IP matters. A duo of lawyers jointly lead the group: Antonio Cárdenas, a specialist in bringing amparo proceedings and in administrative disputes, as well as counsel on regulatory matters and government relations; and Jorge Benejam, a corporate and M&A lawyer with numerous clients in the TMT space. Eduardo Gallastegui is no longer at the firm.