Zang, Bergel & Viñes Abogados

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Zang, Bergel & Viñes Abogados (ZBV) was founded in 1975 as the result of the merger of two long-standing law firms. ZBV is known for its culture of learning, not limited to theory but also drawn from international practice. Moreover, several lawyers have a long-standing record teaching in public and private law schools and in postgraduate courses. In addition, most of their attorneys have attended or are currently attending graduate courses in foreign universities, or participate in internship programmes in renowned law firms abroad, which allow them to experience the practice of law across multiple jurisdictions.

Legal counselling services rendered by ZBV comprise a wide variety of fields and are provided with an innovative multilingual approach based on the needs and goals of its clients. The main areas of business and law that ZBV covers are arbitration, mediation and litigation; real estate, construction and agribusiness; environmental law, energy and natural resources; mining law; labour law; capital markets and financial operations; banking law; corporate law; business debt restructuring; mergers and acquisitions; foreign investments; tax law; insurance; antitrust; intellectual property; administrative law; and media, entertainment and telecommunications.

ZBV played a leading role in the privatisation of state-owned companies, either as legal counsel for the government, the companies undergoing privatisation or participating investors and international groups, or through the drafting of the initial legislation. Today, ZBV continues to act as legal counsel for some of these privatised concerns.

ZBV is regarded as the country’s leading law firm in the property and construction field and, with its broad experience of the market, it has conceived and developed projects that have profoundly changed the design and implementation of real estate transactions in Argentina.

Another strength of ZBV is its capital markets, banking and financial operations department, which handles work associated with the private and public trading of shares and securities, the drafting and negotiation of domestic and international bank loan facilities, leasing operations, securitisation of mortgages and pledges, project financing, derivatives, investment funds and trusts, and other securities.

In banking, ZBV provides counselling services on regulations, contracts, opinions, litigation, and their attorneys have experience in providing counselling to financial entities, including on their incorporation, compliance with applicable laws, loan transactions, discount operations, advances, leasing, deposits, exchange, mergers, and winding-up and liquidation.

In recent decades, the capital markets and finance practices of ZBV and their attorneys have been one of the most actively involved in Argentina, providing legal counsel to approximately one third of the major Argentine companies listed in Argentina (Buenos Aires Stock Exchange), the US (NYSE– NASDAQ) and Brazil, with transactions covering multiple jurisdictions.

The merger and acquisitions, corporate, and foreign investment practices of ZBV are also highly regarded for their extensive expertise and experience on a wide range of transactions and corporate issues. ZBV drafts and negotiates sale and purchase or investment agreements and also performs due diligence proceedings. ZBV has represented local and foreign clients in the execution of acquisitions of interests, incorporations, joint ventures, mergers, spin-offs, transfer of goodwill, business cooperation contracts, as well as in the drafting and negotiation of shareholders’ agreements, put and call options, and management and stock options contracts. ZBV is also most active in private equity and venture capital transactions.

In addition, over many years ZBV has focused on insolvency procedures and restructuring transactions. ZBV has worked in this area in many well-known and relevant bankruptcy, insolvency and corporate or debt restructuring cases, having some of the most highly regarded lawyers in this field.

ZBV increased its traditional IP strength with the acquisition of an IP law firm and trademark and patent agency in 2009. ZBV gathers the most renowned names in the IP scene. In fact, ZBV was involved in the first trial related to biotechnology in Argentina.

ZBV has a staff of experienced attorneys in the telecommunications, media and entertainment fields which have rendered counselling services to domestic and international companies.

Finally, the arbitration, mediation and litigation department is headed by the former chairman (2007-2009) of the General Arbitration Tribunal of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange. The department also counts on prestigious lawyers, including former judges or secretariats of commercial or civil courts in Argentina.

ZBV professionals contribute on a continuous basis to legal publications, both nationally and internationally; they lecture at both local and international universities or other organisations, they are members of different committees in several chambers of commerce (such as the American Chamber of Commerce, the Spaniard Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the German Chamber of Commerce, the Israeli Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Corporations, among others) and they are frequently invited to address audiences at seminars organised both in Argentina and abroad. They have also been selected for their peers for inclusion in different guides as best lawyers recommended in Argentina.

www.zbv.com.ar