DLA Piper Perú > Lima, Peru > Firm Profile

DLA Piper Perú > The Legal 500 Rankings

Peru > Real estate Tier 1

‘The extremely efficient‘ real estate team at DLA Piper Perú is supported by a strong global network and acts for a range of large domestic and international companies on corporate and public law issues, and dispute resolution. As well as handling transactional matters, the practice offers expertise in regulatory issues around land use, zoning and construction, and administrative matters, including permitting. Practice head Hernán Velarde’s broad expertise includes M&A, and real estate financing, and he is particularly experienced in the leisure and agricultural sectors. At the more junior end of the team, associates Andrea Pinillos, Yaritza Rivera and Johana Quezada are recommended. Pinillos handles civil and registration matters, Rivera deals with contractual matters and due diligence on transactions and Quezada has a broad real estate practice that includes contractual, urbanisation and municipal matters.

Peru > Banking and finance Tier 2

DLA Piper Perú is able to draw on expertise from its vast global network (such as the firm’s New York-based head of banking and finance in Latin America, Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja) to handle cross-border deals with ease. Experienced in both transactional and regulatory matters, the nine-strong Lima-based group advises borrower and creditor clients across all types of financings  and associated matters, and also handles a fair amount of cross-over work in the corporate arena, including M&A and reorganisations for banks, finance entities, insurance companies and investment fund managers. With over 20 years’ experience in capital markets and banking matters, Sergio Barboza co-heads the team in conjunction with Ricardo Escobar, who handles financing transactions and projects work and is experienced in the infrastructure, telecoms, energy, mining, and oil and gas sectors, among others. A strong senior-associate bench includes Melissa Padilla (financings, refinancings and debt restructuring along with corporate and transactional matters, as well as particular expertise regarding development and multilateral-finance agencies’ processes, policies and requirements); Reyna Silva-Santiesteban (focused on projects matters, she has notable expertise in financial structuring; Farah Torres (whose practice centres on regulatory matters concerning the financial system, stock market and insurance) and transactional practitioner Juan Carlos Ramírez Malatesta.

Peru > Dispute resolution Tier 2

DLA Piper Perú is well placed to handle cross-border mandates by virtue of its considerable global network; indeed, with its increasing focus on Latin America, the practice has recently handled a number of LatAm regional mandate,  as well as a domestic Peruvian caseloads. The multidisciplinary team handles a broad range of disputes work, including commercial litigation, arbitration and white-collar crime. José Marcelo Allemant is recommended for corporate criminal and compliance matters; Carlos Nuñez is a name to note for infrastructure projects, including contractual, corporate, financial and arbitral matters; Guillermo Hesse focuses on the resolution of conflicts in the financial and corporate spheres, along with civil litigation in general; and Hernán Jordán -who was promoted to partner in 2021- handles commercial trials and arbitrations, primarily in the energy, mining and insurance sectors. Principal associates Javier Abusada and Víctor Velásquez (arbitration and dispute boards) are also recommended, with Abusada bringing over 30 years’ litigation experience to the team.

Peru > Projects and infrastructure Tier 2

Under the leadership of Carlos Nuñez, the projects and infrastructure team at DLA Piper Perú offers international expertise and a multidisciplinary approach to clients engaged in all stages of project development. Financing matters are a core area of focus for the team, alongside dispute resolution, PPPs, licensing and construction matters. Practice head Núñez – the sole partner in the practice – has a wealth of experience in the structuring and execution of public and private infrastructure projects, and acts as the Chair of the Peruvian Society of Construction Law. He is supported by a strong team of seven associates, which includes principal associate Víctor Velásquez, a name to note for contracts work and arbitrations involving infrastructure projects, and senior associate Reyna Silva-Santiesteban, who handles contractual, corporate, financing and administrative matters.

Peru > Capital markets Tier 3

DLA Piper Perú‘s team act for issuers and underwriters on matters such as IPOs, certificates of deposit issuances, listings in LatAm markets and offerings of high-yield bonds, combined with advice on compliance with regulatory obligations. ‘A reference in the market‘, Sergio Barboza heads the practice; his recent mandates include leading advise to Santander Consumo on its public offerings. He was aided by senior associate Nelly Espinoza who ‘knows the details of the rules, the risks, the market trends, but above all brings creativity and constructive energy to transactions‘; she focuses on compliance and authorisation and sanctioning procedures. As well as domestic work, the team also handles cross-border matter, recently assisting with an early redemption of bonds involving bondholders domiciled both in Peru and internationally.

Peru > Corporate and M&A Tier 3

Praised by clients for her experience and detailed approach to each transaction, DLA Piper Perú’s practice co-head Janilú Badiola focuses primarily on the highly regulated industries’ sector, although her recent mandates also include advising global tech consultancy Webhelp Group on its acquisition of 75% of a Peruvian company. The practice handles all stages of transactional work, from due diligence to closure, including the drafting and negotiation of transaction documents and all required regulatory analysis – from tax matters to merger control. Co-head and leader of the LatAm private equity group Luis Vargas acted for Industrias Basa on its acquisition of a company as part of its expansion; while fellow co-head Fernando Lanfranco, who impresses clients with his ‘great knowledge of the market and its players’, handles acquisitions for a range of firms and has a niche in advising family businesses.

Peru > Labour and employment Tier 4

DLA Piper Perú advises multinational companies on compliance and litigation work regarding the hiring and dismissal of personnel, along with planning and remunerative restructurings, often as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Practice head Cecilia Guzmán-Barrón has significant experience in cases relating to sexual harassment, equality issues and employment audits and due diligence, while associate Flavia Granados specialises in labour inspection procedures and the design of defense strategies during judicial labour processes. Other team-wide work areas include equality issues and union negotiations.

Peru > Tax Tier 4

DLA Piper Perú‘s practice head Erik Lind ‘is a recognised and respected lawyer‘ in the sector, with his team further praised for its ‘results orientation and meeting of objectives‘. Lind advises on the tax aspects of multimillion-dollar corporate transactions, compliance reviews and tax obligations, as well offering advice to high-net-worth individuals and family-owned businesses, particularly in the financial, construction, farming and mining sectors. Support comes from senior associate Luis Miguel Sambuceti, particularly as regards planning and audits.

Latin America: International firms > Banking and finance

DLA Piper LLP (US) has maintained a steady flow of energy and infrastructure financing engagements, while also remaining active in debt restructurings across the region. It continues to represent a range of international banks, multilaterals and DFIs, and Latin American borrowers. The firm’s extensive network of offices in Latin America itself, plays a key role in many of its headline matters, including a number of recent debt restructuring engagements. New York partner Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja is co-regional head of banking and finance for Latin America, and is an experienced figure in project finance. Lima partner Sergio Barboza is the other co-regional head, while San Diego’s Raul Farias provides further project finance expertise in the energy and infrastructure fields. San Juan partner José Sosa-Lloréns has extensive financial services regulatory expertise. However, project finance specialists Amala Nath and  Dino Barajas moved to Morrison Foerster (July 2021) and Baker Botts L.L.P. (January 2022), respectively (Nath has subsequenly become assistant General Counsel at the International Development Finance Corporation, as of July 2022). Agency finance practitioner Gregory Smith  has also left the firm.