Private Practice Powerlist: US-Mexico 2017
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
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...
Partner | Clifford Chance
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...
Partner | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
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...
Partner | Shearman & Sterling
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,...
Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
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...
Partner (Energy and Natural Resources) and Chairman Mexico Desk | Squire Patton Boggs
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,...
Partner | Sidley Austin
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...
Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
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...
Regional Managing Partner | Shearman & Sterling
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...
Partner and Latin America Practice Global Co-chair | Latham & Watkins
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:...
Counsel | Debevoise & Plimpton
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)...
Partner | Paul Hastings
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 –...
Partner | Paul Hastings
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...
Partner | Jones Day
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...
Partner | Vinson & Elkins
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...
Partner, Head of Latin American Practice Group | Proskauer Rose
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...
Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
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:...
Partner | White & Case
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...
Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
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...
Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
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:...
Partner | White & Case
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:...
Partner | Sullivan & Cromwell
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...
Partner | Mayer Brown
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,...
Partner, Global Project, Energy and Infrastructure Finance Practice Group Leader, and Latin America Practice Group Co-head | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
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...
Partner | Shearman & Sterling
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...
Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
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...
Partner | Shearman & Sterling
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...
Partner | Dechert
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...
Partner | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
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...
Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
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:...
Partner | Sidley austin
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...
Partner | Mayer Brown
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:...
Partner | Paul Hastings
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...
Partner | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
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...
Partner | Ropes & Gray
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,...
Partner | Hogan Lovells
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...
Partner | Jones Day
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...
Partner and Head of Latin America desk | Willkie Farr & Gallagher
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,...
Partner and Chair of Latin American Practice | Paul Hastings
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...
Partner; Co-head of the Firm’s Infrastructure, Energy, Resources, and Projects Practice | Hogan Lovells
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:...
Partner | Ropes & Gray
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...
Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
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,...
Partner | Squire Patton Boggs
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...
Partner | Clifford Chance
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...
Partner | Chadbourne & Parke
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,...
Partner | Kirkland & Ellis
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...
Office Managing Partner (Miami) | Hogan Lovells
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...
Partner | Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
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,...
Partner | Latham & Watkins
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...
Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
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...
Partner | Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
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...
Partner and Practice Lead for Latin America Initiative | Covington & Burling
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...
Partner | Linklaters
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...
Partner | Sidley Austin
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...
Partner | Kirkland & Ellis
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...
Partner | Sullivan & Cromwell
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...
Partner | Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
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,...
Partner | Shearman & Sterling
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...
Partner | Paul Hastings
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,...
Partner | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
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,...
Partner | Gibson Dunn
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:...
Partner of Counsel | White & Case
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...
Partner | Linklaters
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...
Partner | Sullivan & Cromwell
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
2017, a year that we can safely anticipate is likely to fundamentally change the traditional rulebook and part ways with historical precedents and stereotyped tendencies in the fields of commerce, trade and investment, and certainly law, among many others. “Adapt or fail” is the trend with which political scientists and economists alike generally agree on these days. But adapt to what? No one really can legitimately predict the specific ways in which the international political and economic landscape is going to change in the next few years, but it would not be presumptuous to assume that it will; dramatically so in fact.
Mexico is not only not an exception, but is rather in the eye of the storm, as the most recent inclinations against globalization aim straight at the country’s projects and plans. Protectionism thus challenges the very philosophical foundations upon which Mexico’s economy has been constructed during the past three decades.
Previous discourses, undoubtedly valid at the time, as to our country’s stability, growth, location, competitiveness and potential are taking the back seat to a concept that as recently as a few months ago, was not necessarily a business driver, but is now the most frequent headline: global political uncertainty, even in the most developed of nations, which naturally takes the meaning of market volatility to a whole new level.
We thus find ourselves immersed in a completely new context in which decisions will need to be taken without the aid of features or conditions that may have been taken for granted. It is now, probably more than ever (at least in recent memory) that the international business community will require adopting and executing these decisions based on the advice of individuals and firms that have had the greatest levels of experience within specific sectors, industries or practices.
From a Mexican viewpoint, we believe there is hardly an international location that stands out as much as New York City to become, yet again, the convergence hub for what businesses are about to experience in terms of a new world order. US lawyers and law firms that have been exposed to our country due to their practices, many of them with extremely knowledgeable and sophisticated work forces, will play a critical role in reshaping the commercial arena between our two nations.
Gonzalez Calvillo, S.C. is thus particularly privileged to collaborate with The Legal 500 in sponsoring this publication, which features the most recognized lawyers working across the United States, with the highest degree of specialization on matters relating to Mexico. We wish every one of them and their teams great success in the years to come, as this will undoubtedly become a measure of how well our country is to perform. As an institution, we also hope to continue to honor our role as instrumental tools in protecting and defending the interests of those who place their trust unto our care.
On 26 February, Legal 500 returned to Lagos to launch the latest edition of the GC Powerlist: Nigeria, hosted at the exclusive Metropolitan Club and attended by more than 100 senior in‑house lawyers from across the country. The evening brought together many of Nigeria’s most influential corporate counsel for a programme that blended recognition, thought leadership and high‑level networking in a setting that reflected the prestige of the series. Honourees were celebrated for the impact they have made within their organisations, their contributions to the wider legal ecosystem and their ability to drive innovation and strategic value across sectors ranging from finance and energy to technology and consumer markets.
The event opened with remarks from David Freeman, Global Business Development Manager at Legal 500, who spoke about the significance of the GC Powerlist in Nigeria and the evolving role of in‑house counsel as strategic leaders. He highlighted the growing influence of general counsel in shaping governance, regulatory engagement and business transformation, setting a purposeful tone for the evening.
The programme continued with insights from two distinguished speakers. Adedoyin Afun, Partner at Bloomfield, offered a forward‑looking analysis of Nigeria’s regulatory and transactional landscape, noting the increasing pressures and opportunities facing in‑house teams as they navigate compliance shifts, cross‑border transactions and the expectation to operate as commercial partners. He was followed by keynote speaker Angela Omo‑Dare, retired General Counsel of Stanbic IBTC Group, whose reflective address on leadership, ethics and the long‑term development of legal teams resonated strongly with the audience. Drawing on her extensive career, she underscored the GC’s role as an ethical steward, culture‑shaper and trusted adviser to senior leadership.
After the formal proceedings, guests enjoyed dinner and continued discussions on emerging trends shaping the Nigerian legal landscape, from regulatory reform and investment flows to legal operations and talent development. The atmosphere remained warm and engaged throughout, reinforcing the sense of community that has become synonymous with the GC Powerlist.
Overall, the GC Powerlist: Nigeria 2026 launch event ultimately reaffirmed Legal 500’s commitment to celebrating and elevating the work of general counsel in one of Africa’s most dynamic markets. With its combination of high‑calibre speakers, strong industry representation and meaningful recognition, the event stood out as a defining moment in the 2026 calendar and further strengthened the platform’s role as a convening force for leadership and professional excellence within Nigeria’s in‑house legal community.
Legal 500 extends its sincere thanks to Bloomfield Law for its invaluable support of this year’s publication.
