Mayer Brown LLP

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Mayer Brown LLP is one of the world’s leading law firms with more than 1,500 lawyers in offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. We represent issuers and underwriters in securities offerings, advise US investors and Latin American companies in private equity investments, joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions, and advise lenders and companies in acquisition financing, securitisation and structured financings, real estate investments and a variety of other transactions.

Our work in Latin America is handled by lawyers in our New York, Chicago, Houston, Washington DC and London offices. Our association firm in Brazil, Tauil & Chequer Advogados, offers clients advice on matters governed by Brazilian law.

Our primary Latin American practice areas include:

Banking and finance: Mayer Brown regularly represents banks and other institutional lenders and borrowers in syndicated acquisition financings, mezzanine financings and recapitalisations in Latin America. Recent transactions include our work for Bank of Nova Scotia on the award-winning $350 million financing for the acquisition of Aerodom, the principal airport operators in the Dominican Republic, representing the lenders on a $200 million secured credit facility for Cementos Argos to finance the acquisition of certain US cement assets of Lafarge, and representing the arrangers on a $235 million financing for Staatsolie, the Suriname state-owned oil company. We also regularly advise on restructurings, including our recent representation of a leading lender to Comercial Mexicana and our current representation of the Steering Committee of creditors of Trinidad Cement Limited.

Projects and infrastructure: Mayer Brown has one of the leading project finance practices in Latin America. We regularly represent sponsors and financial institutions in project and infrastructure financings throughout the region. Our experience includes projects in the power, renewables, oil and gas pipeline, refineries, petrochemical plants, mining, roads, ports and airports sectors. Recent work includes advising on award winning projects such as the Nuevo Pemex cogeneration facility in Mexico, the Boleo copper-cobalt-manganese project in Mexico, various of the IIRSA road projects in Peru, Lima International Airport, and the Via Quatro São Paulo Metro PPP project. We are also representing the Panama Canal Authority as procurement counsel on the Panama Canal Expansion Program.

Structured financing: Mayer Brown is a market leader in securitisation and structured financing in Latin America. We advise on the structuring and implementation of sophisticated derivative and securitisation transactions for receivables and other payment rights and are at the forefront of securitising “local” assets for sale to international investors. Recent work includes acting for Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley in connection with Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 SA’s first international bond offering, secured by international and domestic receivables of the company.

Capital markets: We regularly advise Latin American companies and their underwriters in high yield and investment grade bond offerings, medium and short term notes, bonds collateralised by a diverse range of receivables and equity securities. In 2011 we represented Banco Safra in its largest overseas bond issue to date in Brazilian currency, and HSBC Securities (USA) Inc in the establishment by HSBC Banco Brasil SA – Banco Multiplo of a $3 billion Global Medium Term Note Programme. Our work for major Latin American companies includes advising on their compliance and reporting obligations under the US federal securities laws and the delisting and deregistration of their ADRs.

Corporate/private equity: We regularly advise Latin American and other international businesses on their corporate transactions in the region. We also act for US private equity funds and hedge funds in connection with their private equity investments in Latin America.

Energy: We have a particularly strong practice in the energy sector in Latin America, where we advise oil & gas, power and renewable energy companies and project developers. Recent work includes representing Noble Energy in its disposition of assets in Ecuador, PRENEAL SA in its sale of two wind project companies in Mexico, and Ecopetrol SA, the national oil company of Colombia, in connection with the modernisation and expansion of the Barrancabermeja Refinery,

Tax planning: We often act as lead tax counsel on multinational transactions, coordinating tax advice in the countries involved to structure transactions in the most advantageous way. We also help clients plan, coordinate and implement their tax transfer pricing policies in the region and defend them where necessary.

Real estate: Our experience in handling real estate transactions in Latin America and the Caribbean ranges from the formation of real estate investment funds, to investments in real estate portfolio companies and public offerings by real estate companies, to joint ventures with local developers and operators. Recent work includes advising the Special Master to a US federal court judge on the disposition of a large real estate portfolio in Mexico.

Dispute resolution: Our litigation clients include some of the most successful businesses in Latin America. We have extensive experience of cross-border disputes and have represented our clients in both litigation and arbitration matters. We have particular experience in helping clients avoid, prepare for and resolve litigation matters in the United States.

www.mayerbrown.com