Alfaro Abogados

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A full corporate and finance services law firm: Alfaro-Abogados is an Argentinian full corporate and finance services law firm with correspondent offices in New York, London and Madrid. It was founded to participate as a player in international transactions, providing legal advice to local and foreign clients doing business in Argentina and Latin America.

Knowledge: Our lawyers have been involved in a broad spectrum of international transactions. They have been trained in the most prestigious universities in Argentina and abroad and many of them have received foreign training in the US and UK.

The firm has a strong practice in government relations, regulatory issues, mergers and acquisitions, antitrust, oil and gas, energy, infrastructure, real estate, investments and private equity funds, capital markets, trade finance, banking, insolvency, restructuring, arbitration, labour and international transactions.

Understanding the business of our clients is part of our knowledge: Alfaro-Abogados members have advised multinational corporations in international private transactions and in major public projects. It assists its clients in designing the best strategy, engineering the most convenient legal structure and implementing the transaction in an expedient and efficient manner while complying with a variety of regulatory matters.

Negotiation skills: Our members are trained and accustomed to negotiate on behalf of their clients. Their capacity to understand the different cultural, working and business patterns of the parties involved in an international transaction is one of their main assets, a key feature in the efficient and expedient implementation of the client’s objectives.

Experience: The law firm represents major players in a variety of industries such as banks, automobile, aircrafts, pharmaceuticals, private equity funds, food producers, wineries, health care, oil and gas, thus covering a wide spectrum of business activities where its lawyers have accumulated an invaluable expertise.

Mergers & acquisitions and antitrust: Alfaro-Abogados is one of the leading firms in M&A and has participated in multiple deals representing the largest buyout funds operating in Argentina as well as strategic investors. It closed, after ten months of negotiations and due diligence work, the largest oil and gas transaction of the year 2010-2011 for US$2,45 billion (see energy, oil & gas and mining below). In 2011 Alfaro-Abogados closed the acquisition of a fast growing local and international dot.com; it has conducted six due diligences for potential acquisitions and has been involved in one of the most important cases of antitrust.

Energy, oil & gas and mining: The firm provides advice in concessions and regulatory matters including permits, concessions, environmental issues, transportation, distribution, trading and marketing of hydrocarbons and minerals, acquisition of rights and import of exploration equipment. The firm has represented Sinopec from China in their acquisition of 23 concessions of oil and gas exploration in Argentina – the largest transaction of 2010 in Argentina.

Private equity investments: The firm has traditionally represented local private equity funds and has been involved in numerous acquisitions on behalf of foreign PEI funds and strategic investors. It is recognised as a premier law firm in this field.

Corporate governance, transparency and compliance: The firm provides legal risk analysis advice on political legal changes and crippling regulations that could affect the business of foreign companies in Argentina, on compliance, foreign corrupt practices and corporate manuals. Our lawyers are active in the main business associations of the activities and industries of our clients and are therefore aware of the issues affecting its activities. Alfaro-Abogados can therefore efficiently assist its clients in the implementation of their business strategies and avoid pitfalls.

Banking and finance: Alfaro-Abogados developed a niche in the market as experts in finance matters in different areas. Our law firm offers experience in public and private finance, including export and import finance; aircraft finance, and a track record that includes a variety of prestigious clients, among them multilateral organisations, governmental agencies, private and public banks, investment companies and governments.

International trade, distribution, agency and commercial agreements: The firm provides advice on international trade, commercial agreements, distribution, agency and sales agreements and protection of vested interests at termination. In 2011 it advised foreign companies, including an important Japanese automobile company, affected by new government regulations imposing import restrictions.

Employment, expatriates and transfer of personnel: The firm advises on foreign expatriates’ compensation and social security issues, visa and working permits, collective bargaining negotiations and labour litigation.

Protection of intellectual property rights: Licensing, registration and judicial protection.

Tax, customs and competition: The firm provides advice in tax planning for local and international transactions, customs and dumping.

Litigation, arbitration and mediation: Our firm acts as neutral and party arbitrator and mediators before local and international institutions. The firm has a strong alternative dispute resolution practice.

Languages: English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish.

www.alfarolaw.com