Private Practice Powerlist: US-Mexico 2017 – GC Powerlist
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Private Practice Powerlist: US-Mexico 2017

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Adam Brenneman

Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 11 Law school attended: George Washington University, University of Pennsylvania Law School Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Banking, Bankruptcy, Capital Markets, M&A, Project...

Alejandro E. Camacho

Partner | Clifford Chance

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 33 Law school attended: Cornell Law School Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Bank Finance, Capital Markets Admissions: New York Alejandro Camacho has been...

Alejandro González Lazzeri

Partner | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 15 Law school attended: Universidad Iberoamericana, Northwestern University School of Law (Fulbright Scholar) Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Banking, Corporate Finance Admissions: Mexico, New...

Alexandro M. Padrés

Partner | Shearman & Sterling

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 21 Law school attended: Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (LLB), New York University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Cross-border Finance,...

Allan T. Marks

Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 26 Law school attended: University of California, Berkeley Law School Languages spoken: English, French (conversational), German (conversational), Spanish (conversational) Principal practice areas: Project Finance and Development...

Alvaro J. Mestre

Partner (Energy and Natural Resources) and Chairman Mexico Desk | Squire Patton Boggs

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 21 Law school attended: Georgetown University Law Center Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Compliance, Cross-border M&A, Global Project Development Admissions: District of Columbia,...

Alyssa A. Grikscheit

Partner | Sidley Austin

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 23 Law school attended: Harvard College (BA), College of Europe, Diploma of Advanced European Studies, University of Michigan (JD) Languages spoken: English, French and Spanish Principal...

Amy R. Shapiro

Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 14 Law school attended: Yale College, University of Pennsylvania Law School Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Corporate, Cross-border Finance, Private Equity Admissions: New...

Antonia E. Stolper

Regional Managing Partner | Shearman & Sterling

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 28 Law school attended: Yale University, New York University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Corporate Governance, Structured Finance...

Antonio Del Pino

Partner and Latin America Practice Global Co-chair | Latham & Watkins

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 22 Law school attended: New York University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Corporate, Banking and Finance, Energy, M&A, Projects Admissions:...

Armando Rivera Jacobo

Counsel | Debevoise & Plimpton

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 15 Law school attended: Escuela Libre de Derecho (Mexico City, Mexico), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven – Faculty of Laws (Leuven, Belgium), Columbia Law School (New York, USA)...

Arturo Carrillo

Partner | Paul Hastings

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 20 Law school attended: Harvard Law School Languages spoken: English, Italian and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Corporate Finance, M&A Admissions: New York Undertaking –...

Bob Kartheiser

Partner | Paul Hastings

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 32 Law school attended: Columbia Law School Languages spoken: English, French, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: Corporate, M&A, Project Development and Finance Admissions: New York...

Boris Dolgonos

Partner | Jones Day

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 22 Law school attended: University of Virgina Languages spoken: English, French and Russian Principal practice areas: Capital Markets Admissions: New York Boris Dolgonos has worked as...

Boyd G. Carano

Partner | Vinson & Elkins

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 32 Law school attended: Georgetown University Law School Languages spoken: English Principal practice areas: Energy Transactions and Projects Admissions: California, District of Columbia, New York, Texas...

Carlos E. Martinez

Partner, Head of Latin American Practice Group | Proskauer Rose

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 30 Law school attended: State University of New York, Harvard Law School Languages spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: Corporate Finance, M&A Admissions: New...

Carlos T. Albarracín

Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 18 Law school attended: Universidad de Belgrano (Argentina), University of Virginia (LLM) Languages spoken: English, Portuguese (conversant) and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Finance Admissions:...

Carlos Viana

Partner | White & Case

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 19 Law school attended: Yale Law School (JD), Yale University (BA) Languages spoken: English, French (proficient) and Spanish Principal practice areas: Acquisition Finance, Bank Finance, Project...

Carolina Walther-Meade

Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 20 Law school attended: Stanford Law School (JD) Languages spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: Energy Finance, Infrastructure Finance, Project Finance Admissions: New York...

Chantal E. Kordula

Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 20 Law school attended: Amherst College, Harvard Law School Languages spoken: English, French and Spanish Principal practice areas: Acquisition Finance, Leveraged Finance, M&A, Project Finance Admissions:...

Christian Hansen

Partner | White & Case

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 26 Law school attended: Johns Hopkins University, New York University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Asset Finance, Banking, M&A Admissions:...

Christopher L. Mann

Partner | Sullivan & Cromwell

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 26 Law school attended: Harvard Law School Languages spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Leveraged Finance and Lending, M&A, Project Development and...

Christopher P.B. Erckert

Partner | Mayer Brown

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 28 Law school attended: Oglethorpe University, Columbia University Languages spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate and Securities, M&A,...

Daniel D. Bartfeld

Partner, Global Project, Energy and Infrastructure Finance Practice Group Leader, and Latin America Practice Group Co-head | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

Private Practice

Partner, Global Project, Energy and Infrastructure Finance Practice Group Leader, and Latin America Practice Group Co-head Dan Bartfeld is the practice group leader of the Milbank’s Global Project, Energy and...

Denise M. Grant

Partner | Shearman & Sterling

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 28 Law school attended: Georgetown University Law Center Languages spoken: English Principal practice areas: Project Development Finance Admissions: District of Columbia, New York Denise Grant has...

Duane McLaughlin

Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 19 Law school attended: University of Wisconsin, Columbia Law School Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Acquisition Finance, Capital Markets, Leveraged Finance, M&A, Private...

Gregory Tan

Partner | Shearman & Sterling

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 22 Law school attended: King’s College London Languages spoken: English Principal practice areas: Finance, Project Development Admissions: England and Wales, Hong Kong, New York Gregory Tan...

Howard Kleinman

Partner | Dechert

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 26 Law school attended: New York University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Corporate Finance, M&A Admissions: New Jersey, New York...

Humberto Padilla Gonzalez

Partner | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

Private Practice

Law school attended: Universidad Panamericana (Law Degree), University of Texas School of Law (LLM) Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: M&A, Corporate Finance, Government Investigations, Private Equity, White...

Jorge U. Juantorena

Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 25 Law school attended: Cornell University, New York University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Corproate Governance, M&A Admissions:...

José F. Sanchez

Partner | Sidley austin

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 25 Law school attended: Harvard University, Stanford Law School Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Litigation, Securities and Derivatives Enforcement, Regulatory Admissions: California and...

Jose L. Valera

Partner | Mayer Brown

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 30 Law school attended: South Texas College of Law (JD), Catholic University of Peru (JD) Languages spoken: English and French Principal practice areas: Energy Projects Admissions:...

Joy K. Gallup

Partner | Paul Hastings

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 25 Law school attended: New York University School of Law Languages spoken: English Principal practice areas: Banking, Capital Markets, Corporate Finance, Restructuring Admissions: New York What...

Juan Francisco Méndez

Partner | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 18 Law school attended: Columbia Law School Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Cross-border Corporate Finance, M&A Admissions: New York Juan Francisco Méndez’s practice...

Kim Nemirow

Partner | Ropes & Gray

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 14 Law school attended: Northwestern University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Government Enforcement, White Collar Crime Admissions: District of Columbia,...

Lewis R. Cohen

Partner | Hogan Lovells

Private Practice

Law school attended: Benjamin N Cardozo School of Law (JD), Clark University (BA) Principal practice areas: Asset Finance, Aviation Finance, Derivatives and Structured Products, Securitization, Structured Finance Admissions: New York...

María Luisa Cánovas

Partner | Jones Day

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 23 Law school attended: Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (Spanish law degree), Southern Methodist University (LLM) Languages spoken: English, French, Portuguese (working knowledge) and Spanish (native) Principal...

Maria-Leticia Ossa Daza

Partner and Head of Latin America desk | Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 15 Law school attended: Fordham University School of Law (LLM), Sciences Po Paris/Sorbonne University (Master of Law), Sciences Po Paris (JD) Languages spoken: English, French, Italian,...

Michael L. Fitzgerald

Partner and Chair of Latin American Practice | Paul Hastings

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 37 Law school attended: Fordham University School of Law Languages spoken: English Principal practice areas: Banking, Capital Markets, Corporate Finance, M&A Admissions: New York Known as...

Miguel A. Zaldivar Jr

Partner; Co-head of the Firm’s Infrastructure, Energy, Resources, and Projects Practice | Hogan Lovells

Private Practice

Law school attended: Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, University of Illinois College of Law, University of Miami School of Law Languages spoken: English, Italian and Spanish Principal practice areas: Finance Admissions:...

Nicholas M. Berg

Partner | Ropes & Gray

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 12 Law school attended: Georgetown University Law Center Languages spoken: English and Spanish (conversational) Principal practice areas: Anti-Corruption/International Risk, Government Investigations, Litigation Admissions: Illinois and US...

Nicolas Grabar

Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 35 Law school attended: Harvard College, Harvard Law School Languages spoken: English, French, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Corporate Governance Admissions: New York,...

Paul A. O’Hop

Partner | Squire Patton Boggs

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 28 Law school attended: University of Notre Dame Law School (JD), Georgetown University Law Center (LLM in International and Comparative Law) Languages spoken: English and Spanish...

Per B. Chilstrom

Partner | Clifford Chance

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 17 Law school attended: Georgetown University Law Center Languages spoken: English and Spanish (proficient) Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Corporate, M&A Admissions: New York What have...

Raquel Bierzwinsky

Partner | Chadbourne & Parke

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 16 Law school attended: Universidad Iberoamericana, New York University School of Law Languages spoken: English, Hebrew, Portuguese and Spanish (native) Principal practice areas: International Finance, M&A,...

Rhett A. Van Syoc

Partner | Kirkland & Ellis

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 13 Law school attended: University of Virginia School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish (conversational) Principal practice areas: Energy, Infrastructure, M&A Admissions: New York, Texas...

Richard C. Lorenzo

Office Managing Partner (Miami) | Hogan Lovells

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 21 Law school attended: University of Miami School of Law Languages spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: International Arbitration, Litigation Admissions: Florida and US...

Richard J. Cooper

Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 30 Law school attended: Duke University, LSE, Columbia Law School Languages spoken: English Principal practice areas: Bankruptcy and Restructuring, Finance, M&A, Private Equity Admissions: New York,...

Roderick O. Branch

Partner | Latham & Watkins

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 16 Law school attended: Harvard Law School Languages spoken: English, French, Italian and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets Admissions: Illinois, New York Roderick Branch is...

Roland Estevez

Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 14 Law school attended: Hofstra University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish (native) Principal practice areas: Energy Finance, Infrastructure Finance, Project Finance Admissions: New...

Roland Estevez

Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 14 Law school attended: Hofstra University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish (native) Principal practice areas: Energy Finance, Infrastructure Finance, Project Finance Admissions: New...

Rubén Kraiem

Partner and Practice Lead for Latin America Initiative | Covington & Burling

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 35 Law school attended: Harvard Law School Languages spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: M&A Admissions: New York With well over three decades of...

Sabrena Silver

Partner | Linklaters

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 21 Law school attended: Fordham University School of Law Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Acquisition finance, Structured Finance, Asset-based Facilities, Private Equity, Trade...

Sergio A. Pozzerle

Partner | Sidley Austin

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 19 Law school attended: Yale Law School Languages spoken: English, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: M&A, Project Development, Project Finance Admissions: Texas Working...

Sergio A. Urias

Partner | Kirkland & Ellis

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 14 Law school attended: Escuela Libre de Derecho (JD – Mexico), Harvard Law School (LLM – US) Languages spoken: English (native) and Spanish (native) Principal practice...

Sergio J. Galvis

Partner | Sullivan & Cromwell

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 32 Law school attended: Harvard Law School Languages spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: Equity and Debt Capital Markets, FCPA and Anti-Corruption, Leveraged Finance...

Steven P. Otillar

Partner | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 21 Law school attended: University of Houston Law Center Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: M&A, Project Development, Project Finance Admissions: England and Wales,...

Stuart K. Fleischmann

Partner | Shearman & Sterling

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 35 Law school attended: Villanova Languages spoken: English Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Structured Finance Admissions: New York Over the course of his 35 year career...

Taisa Markus

Partner | Paul Hastings

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 30 Law school attended: University of Illinois College of Law (JD) Languages spoken: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Ukrainian Principal practice areas: Cross-border Bank Finance,...

Todd Crider

Partner | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett

Private Practice

Law school attended: Columbia Law School (JD), Université de Paris IV Sorbonne (License d’histoire), Samford University (BA) Languages spoken: English, French, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, M&A,...

Tomer Pinkusiewicz

Partner | Gibson Dunn

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 19 Law school attended: University of Texas, Boston University School of Law Languages spoken: English, Hebrew and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Project Finance Admissions:...

Troy Alexander

Partner of Counsel | White & Case

Private Practice

Law school attended: Haverford College, Princeton University, New York University School of Law Languages spoken: English Principal practice areas: Corprorate, M&A, Project Finance Admissions: New York White & Case Partner...

Vijaya Palaniswamy

Partner | Linklaters

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 14 Law school attended: University of Georgia, Tufts University, Harvard Law School Languages spoken: English, French and Tamil Principal practice areas: Projects Admissions: New York One...

Werner Federico Ahlers

Partner | Sullivan & Cromwell

Private Practice

Number of years practice: 11 Law school attended: Yale Law School Languages spoken: English, Portuguese and Spanish Principal practice areas: Capital Markets, Leveraged Finance and Lending, M&A, Private Equity Admissions:...

For 30 years, The Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world. Now, with the Private Practice Powerlist, The Legal 500 initiates a new series identifying key individual practitioners with outstanding specialization in, and knowledge of, particular jurisdictions. Given the broader political context, the US-Mexico focus of this first Private Practice Powerlist could not be more timely: the lawyers named here will undoubtedly have a crucial role in what appears likely to be a relatively abrupt re-calibration of US-Mexico relations, particularly in the area of (bi-national) trade….read more

Future editions of the Private Practice Powerlist will, in a similar manner, seek to identify groups of key specialists with expertise in relation to other significant and critical jurisdictions.

Research of the Private Practice Powerlist has involved the canvassing of opinion from law firm partners and in-house counsel alike, as well as analysis of the career trajectories of the candidates considered for inclusion, so as to permit the identification of those practitioners with an engagement in the Mexican market that goes beyond just occasional involvement. In the undoubtedly complex, and quite possibly uncomfortable, process of bi-national re-accommodation that the US and Mexico are now facing, it is to this group of lawyers that we can look for the expertise to ameliorate the impact of the transformation. As such, they will be crucial in ensuring the continuity of business integration developed over the 20-plus years since the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994.

Our team of experienced researchers has assessed the candidates, analyzing both current practice and historical data to confirm the inclusion of individual practitioners. The US-Mexico Private Practice Powerlist includes not only highlights reflecting the work of the attorneys who have made the final list, but also future-facing commentary indicating – as far as is possible in such a fluid scenario – which legal and industrial sectors they perceive as likely to remain active despite the recasting of bi-national relations. Certainly, it is these individuals who will be the quiet protagonists that ensure business (and indeed, public entities and sub-sovereigns) continue to find the constructive and creative practical resolutions required to overcome the obstacles that arise during the forthcoming period of change.

Tim Girven
Editor, The Legal 500 Latin America

GC Summit: Taiwan 2025

Legal 500’s 2025 edition of the GC Summit Taiwan 2025 at the Mandarin Oriental Taipei raised the bar for GC-focused, content led events for corporate counsel in Taiwan. The event provided an invaluable opportunity for the in-house legal community in this dynamic and globally respected market to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping their profession in an increasingly complex global landscape.

Opening remarks were delivered by Joe Boswell, Global Editor of The Legal 500’s GC Powerlist series, who welcomed attendees and highlighted the Summit’s central theme of in-house lawyers leading with agility and foresight in a rapidly changing world. Boswell emphasised the strength and dynamism of Taiwan’s legal community, setting the tone for an afternoon of thoughtful and practical dialogue. He then introduced Lois Lin, Chief Legal Officer of Wiwynn Corporation, who officially opened the day’s proceedings with remarks on innovation, collaboration, and leadership within Taiwan’s corporate legal sector, particularly in regards to utilising AI and legal tech tools within a modern legal department.

The first panel Powering Digital Growth: Challenges and Opportunities in Taiwan’s Data Center Landscape, examined the infrastructure driving Taiwan’s digital expansion. Ken-Ying Tseng, Lily Kuo, and Chi Lee of Lee and Li discussed how legal teams can balance rapid technological growth with compliance, sustainability, and innovation, offering practical insights into the evolving regulatory environment surrounding data centres.

The second session, U.S. Tariffs, Export Controls, and Sanctions Under the New Administration: Implications for Taiwan’s Exporters, featured Winston Y. Chan and Matthew S. Axelrod, Partners at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Drawing on their experience as former U.S. government enforcement officials, they provided a compelling analysis of shifting U.S. trade policies under the new administration and their implications for Taiwan’s exporters.

Following this, Winning in the Federal Circuit: Recent Case Studies brought James Lin and Matthew Wawrzyn, Partners at FisherBroyles, to the stage for a fascinating discussion on Federal Circuit litigation strategy. Sharing lessons from cases they personally argued and won, the panellists provided attendees with practical takeaways on managing cross-border IP disputes.

The final session, AI for In-House Legal Teams: Evolution or Revolution?, explored the realities of AI adoption within corporate legal departments. Jolie Shu Chun Liao, Hsiao Wei (William) Tsai, Christine Yang, and Sabrina Chang shared insights into how technology is reshaping workflows, decision-making, and the role of legal teams across industries.

The event concluded with closing remarks from Joe Boswell, followed by drinks and canapés, where attendees continued the discussion in a relaxed setting. The GC Summit Taiwan 2025 reaffirmed The Legal 500’s commitment to providing a platform for Taiwan’s in-house counsel to share experiences, gain insights, and shape the future of the legal profession.