Alejandro Linares Cantillo

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Latin Lawyer 250

Latin Lawyer Reference

Alejandro Linares Cantillo

Managing Partner

Alejandro chairs the M&A business unit and is a member of the project finance practice group of Gómez-Pinzón Zuleta. He consistently leads local and cross-border corporate transactions and reorganizations, spin-offs, acquisition of assets and tender offers, among others. He is an attorney from Universidad de los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia and earned a graduate degree in finance at Universidad de los Andes and an LLM from Harvard Law School. He also earned a graduate diploma on international tax from Harvard University. He has more than 25 years of professional experience; he worked for several years at important positions in the public sector, including the Office of the President, the National Planning Department and the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. He has been included in the list of arbitrators of the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá, is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA) and the International Law & Practice Section of the American Bar Association (ABA). Alejandro has been a lecturer both for undergraduate and graduate students for more than 20 years in areas such as international economic law, international investment law, public finance law and business law. He is currently the Vice-President of the Legal Services Chamber of the National Association of Businessmen (ANDI). Besides being the managing partner of the firm, he focuses his practice in complex cross border M&A transactions for corporate clients. He has represented the Santo Domingo group in the acquisition of Cine Colombia and Almacenar, and in connection with the merger between Bavaria and SABMiller for US$ 7.8 billion, the largest deal in Colombian history. Alejandro has also represented Mercantil Colpatria in the joint venture with GE Money with respect to Banco Colpatria and in its acquisitions of Colfondos, sold by Citigroup, and recently of Termoyopal, a distressed power generation asset. He has represented Avianca airlines in the LBO of Tampa Cargo and in its recent integration with Taca airlines as well.

Major Transactions

Counsel to Grupo Santo Domingo in the acquisition of Cine Colombia and Almacenar.
Main legal counsel to Bavaria´s shareholders in the Bavaria S.A. - SAB Miller merger for an amount up to USD$ 7.8 Billion. Transaction awarded by international publications, including Transaction of Year 2005 by LatinLawyer.
Counsel to Editorial Planeta in the acquisition of a majority stake in Casa Editorial El Tiempo S.A.
Counsel to Banco Colpatria´s shareholders in the selling of a share stake to GE Money.
Advisor in the merger Emgesa S.A. E.S.P. - Betania S.A. E.S.P.

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