Estudio Grau

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Estudio Grau is proud to be considered one of the most reputable and respected law firms in Peru, with more than 75 years of experience. The firm is considered a trusted adviser of top-notch clients across sectors and borders with long-standing professional relationships – some spanning over 50 years. Estudio Grau is recommended by international publications as a leader in several areas of practice.

Who’s Who Legal 2012, Chambers and Partners Global 2012 and Chambers and Partners Latin America 2012 recognised Estudio Grau ‘for its innovation and creativity’ and recommended as ‘one of the leading law firms in mining and environmental practice with strong focus on corporate transactions’, with associates and partners nominated for banking and finance, corporate/M&A, dispute resolution, projects, real estate, tax, labour and employment, mining and environmental areas, including partners Miguel Grau as mining senior statesman, Cecilia Gonzales as leading mining practitioner and listed in the Top Twenty Mining Experts in Latin America, and Juan Carlos Escudero as leading lawyer in banking and finance and corporate issues. IFLR 2012 recommends Estudio Grau for its corporate and M&A practice in Peru.

Banking and finance: The corporate banking and finance leverages into its practice its sophisticated knowledge of different sectors (real estate, natural resources, retail, services and infrastructure), its experience advising different players in transactions, transnational companies and leading domestic and international banks including Barclays, Scotiabank, Interbank, Banco de Crédito del Perú, IFC and IADB.

Corporate/M&A: The year 2011 came with many challenges, important investment and M&A projects. One of the most relevant M&A deals in 2011 involved the firm advising HudBay Minerals on the acquisition of the Constancia copper project within the acquisition of Canadian mining company Norsemont Mining for approximately US$522 million; on the transfer of mining rights in the framework of Iamgold Corporation’s reorganisation and on an option agreement and equity position for Mexican Silver Mines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Alto, to acquire 100 per cent of La Arena project a wholly owned subsidiary of Iamgold Corporation in Peru. Also, Estudio Grau advised Inca Pacific Resources on the acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares by Compañía Minera Milpo in the TSX Venture Exchange; Spanish EPYPSA on a public private partnership agreement in order to build the first automated underground parking lot in San Isidro’s Financial District; and helped Falabella on an option for acquisition of rights to develop an additional Open Plaza Commercial Center and Hipermercados Tottus supermarket retailer in Peru.

Real estate: Promoted to partner in 2011, Raúl Ravina heads Estudio Grau’s real estate department, which provides comprehensive advice on urban property and rural land, advising clients in complex processes such as physical-legal diagnosis of surface rights of a mining project for Siena Minerals; supervising of land properties identification for Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration; performing legal diagnosis of land surfaces and land acquisition for hydrocarbon company Savia Perú; and a due diligence report on land acquisition for an automotive business. The department also offers ongoing advice to Grupo Falabella, which includes Sodimac Perú, Saga Falabella, Hipermercados Tottus and Open Plaza on the acquisition of new property development activities. A GIS (geographical information system) for capturing, managing, analysing and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information is offered as a client-tailored product and is aimed at evaluating social, legal and environmental conflicts over rural and urban land in projects from a wide array of sectors.

Environmental: Estudio Grau was the first law firm in Peru to establish a dedicated department for environmental law. Today, the division covers the following main areas: environmental financial consulting, environmental management systems, carbon markets, biotechnology, biodiversity, social responsibility and community relations. Chambers Latin America highly recommends Estudio Grau’s environmental department as a leader in Peru. Representative clients include Antamina, BASF Peruana, Buenaventura, Cementos Lima, Goldfields, Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration Limited, LAN Airlines, Corporación Lindley (Coca-Cola) Votorantim Metais, Shell, TASA and Grupo Telefónica. In November 2009, Estudio Grau was a finalist at the national contest Creatividad Empresarial 2009, the annual prize for innovative activity, a distinction awarded for the first time to a law firm in Peru. The same legal tool has earned a distinction as “technological innovation” in the category Ecobusiness at the national contest Ciudadania Ambiental 2009, organized by the Peruvian Ministry of Environment.

Estudio Grau is successfully and consistently growing, having increased their associates by 20 per cent. The firm is building new premises to house its excellent team and to welcome clients into a more suitable atmosphere.

www.estudiograu.com