About

Number of years practice:

16

Principal practice areas:

Project Finance

Bar admissions:

New York

Languages spoken:

English

One of Linklater’s star young partners, Vijaya R. Palaniswamy was made counsel in 2014 and elected to partner a year later. He has been advising project sponsors, commercial lenders, multilateral development banks and regulated entities in the acquisition, development, structuring and financing of energy and infrastructure assets in Latin America since 2004, and has particular experience advising on structuring energy projects financed on a limited recourse basis. He is currently advising a number of Chinese and Philippine clients on project matters in Mexico in sectors such as telecoms, power and logistics.

Headline work includes advising KEPCO, Samsung C&T and Techint on the bidding, development and financing of the KEXIM-backed Norte II 433MW power project in the state of Chihuahua, the first such investment by Korean companies in the Mexican power sector; and consortium member GDF Suez in relation to the $743m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract awarded to ICA Fluor for the construction of the 291km Los Ramones Sur natural gas pipeline from San Luis Potosi to Apaseo El Alto, Guanajuato. Beyond this experience advising clients in the liquefied natural gas sector, Palaniswamy has also represented a number of first-time Latin American issuers.

What differentiates your Mexico-facing practice from those of your US competitors and peers?

I typically represent foreign companies investing in strategically important investments in Mexico, which often involve a New York finance component.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of advising Mexico-based clients from an office in the United States?

As most of our clients’ headquarters are in foreign countries, it actually is a benefit to be in New York where many of our clients have a presence in the city. We also have the added benefit of being close to their likely lenders.

What changes in the commercial and/or legal market do you anticipate in the 12 months ahead in Mexico?

As the US elections heat up, it is unclear what level of influence the political rhetoric will have on transaction timelines. It is also unclear how willing parties will be to invest or take significant business risks as the political climate gets more heated. In this climate, it is likely that transactions may have to build in greater flexibility to deal with a political environment that can shift at a moment’s notice.

What influence will legal technology have on US/Mexico working practices in the future?

I think it has already had a profound impact on enabling transactions to occur faster and smoother without the need to bring all parties together in a single location. The reduced need for travel has made transactions move smoother and quicker than previously.

What is your perception of in-house counsel’s priorities in terms of client service when working with US-based law firms?

Our clients typically look for counsel that are knowledgeable about how to get deals to a successful and efficient conclusion, while balancing the specific requirements they may have in their home jurisdiction or they may implement across their global portfolio.