Haynes and Boone LLP

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With about 550 attorneys and 12 offices worldwide, Haynes and Boone LLP is a leading Texas-based AmLaw 100 law firm with one of the largest Latin America practices in the country, led by partner Larry Pascal. The firm’s fully integrated Mexico City office was formed in 1994, consists of over 20 Mexican attorneys, law clerks, and US and South American licensed attorneys and is an essential part of the firm’s Americas practice group. The firm also has a permanently based Mexican partner, Alberto de la Pena, based in Texas, providing its clients immediate access to Mexican legal advice from its Texas base. Overall, the Americas practice group is comprised of over 50 attorneys working in Dallas, Houston, New York, Mexico City and Washington, DC. The firm is a member of two international networks – World Services Group, a multidisciplinary organisation with members in over 100 countries, and TechLaw, an intellectual property focused organisation.

In addition to its strong Mexican practice, the firm distinguishes itself with an important presence in South America, Central America and the Caribbean, having worked in more than 30 jurisdictions in the region. To meet the broad regional needs of its clients, it has on staff lawyers from Argentina, Mexico, Peru, and Spain and operates a foreign associate programme for both its Mexico City associates as well as foreign attorneys from other parts of the region, the latter in conjunction with its local correspondent firms. Haynes and Boone is frequently called upon to advise in multi-jurisdictional matters throughout the region, with two recent examples being advising Shell in the divestiture of its down stream retail operations in Central America, and its representation of Central American distributors in US litigation against Mars Inc.

The firm has a diversified client base, representing clients in a variety of economic sectors. Reflecting its Texas roots, Haynes and Boone has been very active in the region in the energy sector, having recently advised Shell, Siemens, Mirant, Chevron Texaco, Heyco Energy, Ecopetrol and the Kelcy Warren Group, among others, in Latin American energy matters. The firm also advised the Mexican government on the politically sensitive downstream privatisation of the natural gas sectors in the 1990s. It also has extensive experience with national oil and power companies in the region, including but not limited to, Pemex, Petrobras, Ecopetrol, FMC, Gamesa, PDVSA, EDEESTE (Dominican Republic), and Petroecuador.

In addition, Haynes and Boone has also been very active in the aviation sector in the region (particularly in the mergers and acquisitions and bankruptcy areas) on behalf of clients such as American Airlines, International Air Transport (IATA), Aviall, Grupo Taca, and Sabre.

Other economic sectors where the firm’s Americas practice group attorneys have been visible include financial services (securities, lending and bank regulatory work), real estate development, pharmaceuticals, mining and infrastructure. The firm is one of the few offering both US and Mexico litigation and international arbitration resources and has advised a large multinational in an ICC arbitration in Mexico City against a national energy company and, as mentioned above, advised several Central American distributors in connection with multiple actions brought in the US by a large US confectionary company.

Other practice areas where the firm is involved in the region include bankruptcy (where it was counsel to Grupo Mexico in the Asarco case in South Texas), franchising and international trade and compliance issues. It has placed growing emphasis on its Brazilian practice and is advising on a large international cartel case involving Brazil. It also earned the Latin American Trade Finance Deal of the Year when it acted on behalf of an Eike Batista entity in connection with a large cross-border credit facility. The firm has also been active advising Spanish companies with in-bound investments into the US and Mexico, particularly in the toll road sector.

Members of the Americas practice group have also been active in Bar associations. Two partners of the Americas practice group were former chairs of the international law section of the American Bar Association, and one has served as chair of the real estate law section of the International Bar Association. In addition, five partners have served as chairs of the international law section of the State Bar of Texas and practice chair, Larry Pascal currently serves as the chair to a Texas Supreme Court Task Force on modernising the international practice rules in the state. Several partners have taught courses on international law at US law schools. The group also publishes the annual update on South American energy in the Matthew Bender Energy Law and Transaction treatise. Larry Pascal is also serving as the North America chair for the World Services Group.

www.haynesboone.com