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    Looking back at 2012

    Market focus in Latin Lawyer Volume 11 Issue 10

    Tuesday, 8 January 2013 (3 days ago) by Marieke Breijer

    Marieke Breijer charts the key developments in Latin Americas legal market over the last 12 months

    ARGENTINA

    The Argentine legal market continues to feel the brunt of the governments antagonistic view of the bus iness

    sector, and firms continue to weigh up the best strategies for enduring the difficult climate. Perhaps the

    biggest news of the year was the decis ion ofNicholson y Cano Abogados to merge with the majority of

    Crdenas, Di Ci, Romero & Tarsitano, which combined to form a 130-s trong outfit in December in the belief

    that consolidation is key for survival.

    There have been developments els ewhere in the market for reasons unrelated to the state of the countrys

    economy. The firms that teamed up to form Mitrani, Caballero, Ros so Alba, Francia, Ojam & Ruiz Moreno

    three years ago chose to become independent again in April as Mitrani Caballero Ojam & Ruiz Moreno andRoss o Alba, Francia & Asociados. Four months later, Guillermo Teijeiro1 decided to break away from Negri &

    Teijeiro, which he co-founded in 1990, to set up tax boutique Teijeiro & Ballone, while his former firm is now

    Negri Buss o & Faria Abogados.

    Meanwhile, firms are increasing their attention on those practice areas that are keeping them busy. M & M

    Bomchil Abogados hired banking and capital markets specialist Francisco Susmel2 as ofcounsel from RB

    Industrial in July, while Estudio Beccar Varela moved into new territory by opening up a criminal law practice

    through the hiring of Manuel Beccar Varela3, the founding partner of criminal law firm Alonso Fernandez,

    Beccar Varela & Richards.

    One firm decided to take itself closer to international clients: at the beginning of the year, Cabanellas,

    Etchebarne, Kelly & Delloro Maini Abogados s enior capital markets partner Marcelo Etchebarne4 decided to

    relocate to New York, the heart of Latin American financing, and now the centre of the legal s torm between

    Argentina and holdout creditors from its defaulted bonds.

    BOLIVIA

    Bolivias legal market is small and not subject to frequent change, although 2012 saw a s ignificant scoop for

    Ferrere Abogados (Bolivia) there. The firm hired US lawyer Lindsay Sykes5, formerly an associate at Cleary

    Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, as partner in La Paz after she married the firms other Bolivian partner, Carlos

    Pinto.

    BRAZIL

    Within Brazils dynamic legal market lateral moves come thick and fast, and new firms have begun to pop up

    on a regular bas is. This year was no exception. The most high-profile newcomer of 2012 was Stocche Forbes

    Padis Filizzola Clapis Advogados, which hit the ground running in August. It was founded by seven partners

    from Souza, Cescon, Barrieu e Flesch - Advogados , including new name partners Andr Stocche6, Guilherme

    Forbes7, Paulo Padis8 and Henrique Filizzola9, as well as five former mem bers of the Machado, Meyer,

    Sendacz e Opice Advogados partnership, including the new firms fifth name partner, Alexandre Clapis10.

    Meanwhile, Xavier Bragana Advogados (XBA) spent 2012 increasing its headcount after a cordial s plit with a

    former name partner and his team in 2011. The firm boos ted numbers by 50 per cent when it hired five

    partners and a team of 18 associates from Pereira Neto | Macedo Advogados in May. It went on to bring in tax

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    partner Fabola Cos ta Giro11 from Machado Ass ociados - Advogados e Consultores in a matter of months.

    Meanwhile, Pereira Neto suffered further losses when partner Ivan Londres12 joined LO Baptista, Schmidt,

    Valois, Miranda, Ferreira, Agel, also in May. The firm reacted quickly and went on to merge with corporate

    litigation boutique Frana e Nunes Pereira Advogados, as well as making a series of promotions.

    Brazils highly anticipated new antitrust law finally came into force in May, prompting several firms to ramp up

    their competition manpower during the course of the year. Veirano Advogados targeted antitrust agency CADE

    to boost its capabil ities: the agencys former acting president, Olavo Chinaglia, is to become the third partner

    in the firms competition practice when his gardening leave ends in January.Arajo e Pol icas tro Advogados

    hired Bruno Peixoto13 and two ass ociates from law boutique Lanna Peixoto Advogados, while Campos Mello

    Advogados brought in Andr Gilberto14 as partner from his own firm, Marques Gilberto & Oliveira Felix

    Advogados. Lastly, Lobo & de Rizzo Advogados hired former CADE employee Patricia Agra Araujo15 from the

    concess ions and permiss ions oversight committee of So Paulo state.

    Various firms built on their real estate service offer too, partly due to Brazil hos ting two of the largest sporting

    events in the world the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. Veirano recruited real es tate

    partner Rodrigo de Castro16 and six associates from Campos Mello a los s Campos Mello compensated

    for by hiring Ivandro Trevelim17, a former Souza Cescon ass ociate, as partner in November. Meanwhile,

    Siqueira Castro Advogados hired partner Rossana Fernandes Duarte18 from TozziniFreire Advogados along

    with three associates to launch a new real es tate department. Machado Meyer needing to replenis h its real

    estate group following the departure of Alexandre Clapis hired the former legal manager of homebuilder

    Gafisa, Maria Flavia Seabra Gemperli19, at the start of November.

    A number of other firms were also seen investing in their tax departments. Barbosa Mssnich & Arago hired

    Paulo Marcelo Bento from Souza Cescon in June and TozziniFreire also added a tax partner in Rio by rehiring

    Leonardo Ventura20, who had previously worked at the firm, from Gaia, Silva, Gaede & Ass ociados in

    September.

    Aside from real es tate, Siqueira Castro invested heavily across the board. The countrys largest firm

    incorporated a six-strong IP team from De Vivo, Whitaker, Castro e Gonalves Advogados, led by partner

    Mrcio Gonalves21. The firm als o hired corporate M&A partner Affonso Cunha, who had been on a

    sabbatical after leaving TozziniFreire in 2011; added Adriana Coli Pedreira22, formerly an environmental

    manager at Ass ociao Brasileira dos Investidores em Autoproduo de Energia (ABIAPE), as head of its

    environmental department in Rio; and brought in partner Bruno Granzotto Giusto23 as head of criminal law.

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    In the latest s tage of the firms aggress ive hiring strategy in the run-up to its 50th anniversary next year, Arajo

    e Policastro made some significant hires outside of antitrust as well. It absorbed specialist international trade

    firm Venturi Sociedade de Advogados, adding partner Luiz Carlos Venturi24 and three other lawyers to its

    trade department. The firm also hired banking and finance and capital markets lawyer Daniel LopesMonteiro25 from investment fund Silverado Asset Management, and former Steel do Brasil Participaes

    general counsel Karina Lengler26. It further added tax litigator Bruno Faria27 from Bichara, Barata & Costa

    Advogados and real estate lawyer Luciana Oliveira28 from Mac Dowell Leite de Cas tro Advogados, as

    partners in its Rio office.

    Koury Lopes Advogados also made a s tring of notable hires in 2012 including: energy and public law partner

    Maury Lima e Silva29 from his own firm; Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr e Quiroga Advogados associate

    Fabio Ramos30, who joined as partner to head its insurance and reinsurance area; and Ivy Cassa31, who

    was previously managing partner at So Paulo-based insurance consultancy SPInsight, to focus on pens ionfund and insurance-related work.Azevedo Sette Advogados also strengthened its insurance efforts by hiring

    of counsel Antonio Siqueira Rodrigues , who left his post as general counsel at one of Brazils largest

    insurers, the Banco do Brasi l-Mapfre Group.

    Several other firms made lateral hires to improve or expand service offer in other areas. Mattos Filho poached

    partner Vilma Toshie Kutomi32 from Demarest e Almeida Advogados to head its labour department; Lobo &

    de Rizzo Advogados added project finance lawyer Felipe Creazzo33 from Chadbourne & Parke LLP; and

    TozziniFreire welcomed Rodrigo de Campos Vieira34 back into the partnership after a four-year s tint as chief

    legal officer at Brazilian m ining company Ferrous Resources. Trench, Rossi e Watanabe Advogados

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    (associated with Baker & McKenzie) hired Whirlpools legal director, Juliano Rebelo Marques35, to boost its

    litigation team in So Paulo, while Vieira, Rezende, Barbosa e Guerreiro Advogados continued its targeted

    lateral expansion, hiring litigator Carlos da Costa e Silva Filho36 from the partnership ofMattos Muriel

    Kestenerand maritime lawyer Bernardo Mendes Vianna37, who joined the firm from boutique firm Law

    Offices Carl Kincaid.

    Meanwhile, Neil Montgomery38, a prominent partner ofFelsberg, Pedretti e Mannrich Advogados, decided to

    leave the firm with a team of seven to join Santos Neto & Montgomery Advogados as name partner at the s tart

    of June. The move came s hortly after Felsberg partner Reinaldo Ma39 joined TozziniFreire as partner and

    coordinator of its China practice group.

    This year also saw the launch of several boutique firms in Brazil. In May, former TozziniFreire partner Marta

    Mitico Valente40 teamed up with former in-house lawyer Daniela Sigliano and eight other lawyers to form

    Mitico & Sigliano Sociedade de Advogados, a civil l itigation and corporate tax firm. Sales & Kesselring

    Advogados was set up by former Trench Rossi partners Ana Beatriz Kesselring41 and Rodrigo Sales42 in

    October, offering counsel on environmental and sustainabi lity matters.

    The bar associations investigation into the relationships between foreign and local firms saw one of the most

    prominent such cooperation agreements dissolve this year when Linklaters and Lefosse Advogados chose to

    go their separate ways in light of new regulations. While the firms will continue to work together after a 12-year

    history, the separation puts the spotlight on the future of other such relationships.

    CENTRAL AMERICA

    The Central American countries have an established hierarchy of law firms that only occasionally see lateral

    moves. From time to time, new firms and all iances are born, however. Costa Rica, among the regions larger

    legal markets, saw the creation of a new firm as a result of a long-standing relationship between FSV

    Abogados and three lawyers from Facio Abogados, who announced they were joining forces in March to

    create Sfera Legal. Regional firm Garca & Bodn added to its presence in Nicaragua, Honduras and El

    Salvador by opening an office in Guatemala, led by partner Roberto Carlos Avila Del Cid43.

    CHILE

    Chiles stable legal community saw little to alter the status quo. The bigges t hirer of the year wasAninat

    Schwencke & Cia, which boosted its numbers with three new counsel. The most prominent new arrival was

    energy lawyer Gonzalo Delaveau44, who left the partnership at Guerrero, Olivos, Novoa y Errzuriz to develop

    his new firms energy and natural resources area as well as carry out capital markets work. Litigator Cristin

    Banfi del Ro45 joined the firm from an associate pos ition at Larrain & Asociados , while the third hire, Javier

    Velozo46, came on board after eight years at the Chilean court of competition. In November, mining boutique

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    Nez, Muoz y Ca Ltda, Abogados added Kinross Gold in-house counsel and natural resources specialist

    Andrs Verdugo47 to the partnership.

    The market welcomed a new foreign player when Chilean firms SegurosLex and Amuntegui y Cia took on

    the name of UK firm DAC Beachcroft after the firms officially combined in November whereby DAC

    Beachcroft became the first European firm with a presence in the country.

    COLOMBIA

    The fact that Colombias economy is doing well has not escaped the attention of the international market, and

    there are rumours that more than one international firm has the country high up on its des tination wish list.

    Holland & Knight LLP made this a reality, opening in Bogot in the first half of the year. The local operation is

    led by the widely known and res pected Enrique Gmez-Pinzn48 founder of what is now Gmez-Pinzn

    Zuleta Abogados who returned to Colombia after having spent nine years at the firms Washington, DC,

    office. Since then, the firm has s napped up three well-known lawyers for its partnership (while being careful

    not to step on the toes of its closes t Colombian rivals). The firm hired Juan Carlos Valencia49 from his own

    boutique; labour law special ist Vicente Umaa50 from Citibank; and oil and gas lawyer Felipe Sandoval51

    from Southern Cross.

    One well-respected Colombian practitioners return was soon followed up by anothers departure, as

    esteemed Brigard & Urrutia Abogados managing partner Carlos Urrutia52 relocated to the US capital after

    being appointed ambass ador to the US by Colombias president, Juan Manuel Santos, in September. Carlos

    Umaa53 has assumed his managerial position at the firm.

    Elsewhere, there was l ittle movement between Colombian firms at partner level. Following a s eries of

    departures in 2011, Holgun Neira & Pombo started 2012 by bolstering its partnership through the addition of

    corporate and joint banking head Felipe Tras Visbal from Uribe Tras, and Pablo Valencia Agudo, in charge of

    the civil law and litigation departments, from Valencia Abogados. Posse Herrera Ruiz saw its competition

    head Jorge Jaeckel54 take his two as sociates back to his competition boutique, Jaeckel Montoya Abogados,

    after nine months with the firm, while Lloreda Camacho & Co Attorneys hired Carlos Jos Gmez55 from

    project finance boutique Gmez Latorre & Asociados to lead i ts project finance and infrastructure practice after

    the enactment of a new PPP law in the country.

    ECUADOR

    Ecuadors s table legal market saw the launch of an unusual collaboration between the countrys Prez

    Bustamante & Ponce Abogados and Chiles Carceln & Cia. Abogados, which have pooled together their

    energy and natural resources teams. The firms have established a strategic and non-exclusive alliance to

    exchange expertise and advise clients in both countries on mining a nascent indus try in Ecuador and the

    oil and gas sector, which Chile is beginning to explore.

    MEXICO

    2012 went off with a bang in Mexicos legal community as one of the countrys best-regarded labour lawyers,

    Oscar De la Vega56, took his es teemed labour team from Basham Ringe y Correa SC to establish Littler De

    la Vega, the local arm of US labour firm Li ttler Mendelson, which opened on 2 January. Labour law is a hugely

    competitive area in Mexico and Basham wasted no time in finding a replacement for De la Vega: the equally

    highly regarded Jorge de Presno57 and eight associates joined Basham from Thompson & Knight SC on 1

    February.

    With no time to recover, Thompson & Knight suffered further significant loss es in February when DLA Piper

    poached its entire Mexico City office to launch its own outfit in the country, leaving Thompson & Knight with jus t

    one energy partner in Monterrey.

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    Meanwhile, another of the newer (and aggress ive) newcomers to come to Mexico from the US, Greenberg

    Traurig SC, continued with the determined hiring spree it embarked on when opening in Mexico in October

    2011. The firm hired project finance lawyer Juan Manuel Gonzlez58 from Galicia Abogados in January, and

    brought on prominent energy lawyer Nicolas Borda59, who left the firm he founded, Borda y Quintana SC, inFebruary.

    Many in Mexico expect further reforms to the countrys energy law next year that will open the sector up to more

    investment from the private sector, so i ts unsurprising that Greenberg is not alone in making energy hires. In

    June, Chadbourne & Parke SC hired Miriam Grunstein60, a professor specialised in oil contracts and energy

    markets as international counsel for its project finance and energy groups, while Capn, Caldern, Ramrez y

    Gutirrez-Azpe SC hired Claudio Rodrguez-Galn61 from Woodhouse Lorente Ludlow, SC, as partner to

    head up its energy law department.

    In the year following the departure of its banking team, Juregui y Navarrete sought to boost its finance

    capabilities by incorporating banking and finance boutique Irurita Abogados SC in March, adding founder

    Miguel Irurita62 to the partnership. Mere months later, however, the firm took a new blow when partner Gabriel

    Gallo and two ass ociates left to set up Gallo Abogados. Elsewhere, White & Case bid farewell to Eugenio

    Seplveda, who had been pivotal in building the firms Monterrey office, when he announced he was to join

    corporate boutique Heather & Heather SC as of counsel in early June. Meanwhile, Baker & McKenzie (Mexico)

    hired Armando de Li lle63 as partner and head of its foreign trade and litigation practice in Mexico City, and

    Gonzlez Calvillo, SC hired Eduardo Miravete64, a new head of IP, from pharmaceutical company

    AstraZeneca.

    PERU

    The Peruvian legal market reached a miles tone in 2012 when the first international firm s et up shop. After

    years of looking for the right match, Baker & McKenzie LLP joined up with one of the countrys strongest and

    most established firms, now known as Estudio Echecopar, a mem ber of Baker & McKenzie International. The

    tie-up gives Baker a foothold in the capitals of each of the Andean Three countries of Chile, Colombia and

    Peru, while Echecopar will becomes Bakers 15th office in seven countries across Latin America. With

    Echecopar already one of the largest firms in Peru with market-leading practice areas in mining and energy,

    banking and finance, M&A work and capital markets, the merger s ees Baker absorb one of Limas top-tier

    firms. Parts of the market express ed surprise at the tie-up given the wide range of international firms

    Echecopar receives referrals from.

    The second most stirring developments of the year took place in one week in April, when two 2009 mergers

    unravelled. Four former Ludowieg, Andrade & Asociado partners Jos Ludowieg65, Rosa Mara

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    Ludowieg66, and Stella Ludowieg67 decided to spl it from Benites, Forno & Ugaz Abogados after their 2009

    merger, to join Barrios & Fuentes, Abogados. Hot on their heels , the lawyers behind Jorge Avendao

    Forsyth Abogados announced they were reverting back to their pre-merger practices, Estudio Jorge Avendao

    and Forsyth Abogados, after three years.

    Benites Forno los t another partner to a rival firm at the start of June when banking and finance and capital

    markets lawyer Freddy Escobar68 joined Estudio Ferrero Abogados along with one associate. Ferrero

    Abogados further boos ted its finance capabi lities by hiring Ignacio Lopez de Romaa69, a former Citibank in-

    house counsel.

    Meanwhile, Rodrigo, Elas & Medrano Abogados, which began the year by appointing Luis Carlos Rodrigo

    Prado70 as i ts new managing partner, has made a string of hires to strengthen its energy, tax and white-

    collar crime areas as part of a strategy to build its capabilities at counsel level. In February, the firm hired

    regulatory specialist Eduardo Quintana71 from energy boutique Santivaez Abogados, while tax lawyer Silvia

    Leon72 took up a role as counsel from the countrys tax court in May and Enrique Piedra73 came on board as

    counsel to develop the white-collar crime uni t from an anti-corruption pos t at the public prosecutors office.

    The firm also added Martin Mejorada74 from Jorge Avendao Forsyth Abogados to its real es tate

    department.

    At the start of the year, in a rare lateral move, Payet Rey Cauvi Abogados announced the return of corporate

    partner Italo Carrano75 after he had spent a decade at Miranda & Amado Abogados. Elsewhere, Rubio

    Legua Normand followed in the footsteps ofMuiz Ramrez Prez-Taiman & Olaya and Benites Forno as it

    opened an office in Trujillo in April, in part to assist the countrys social security agency in legal proceedings

    there. The firm lost partner Orlando De las Casas76who, only seven months after arriving from disbanded

    firm Jorge Avendao Forsyth, moved to Hernndez & Ca Abogados to head up that firms labour area.

    URUGUAY

    The main news in Uruguay this year was from Sanguinetti Foder Abogados, which hired tax lawyer Carlos

    Loaiza Keel77 from Olivera Abogados in February, the same month in which Sanguinetti Foder saw a

    partner leave to set up a boutique.

    VENEZUELAExpectations were high among Venezuelan law firms in 2012, with the presidential elections spurring more

    hiring activity than usual as som e predicted change on the horizon. But despite the close finis h, Hugo Chavz

    has kept hold of the reigns of power and the countrys law firms are now preparing for another year of political

    unpredictability.

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    A number of firms welcomed new faces .Araque Reyna Sosa Viso & Asociados partnership was bulked up

    over the course of the year. In March, the firm absorbed labour boutique Aguirre & Moschiano, adding new

    partner Alexis Aguirre78, and in the second half of the year the firm brought in two further partners Antonio

    Canova79 and Luis Alfonso Herrera80 from Bolinaga Levy, Mrquez & Canova.

    Those lawyers decis ion to join Araque Reyna signalled the end of Bolinaga Levy in October as two other

    name partners Victorino Mrquez81 and Francisco Bolinaga82 had already left for the labour and

    environmental law practices of rival firm D'Empaire Reyna Abogados that sam e month. DEmpaire Reyna

    also hired Humberto Romero-Muci83 from the firm he co-founded 15 years ago to co-head i ts tax practice. Tax

    was an area of focus for firms in the run up to the elections; Hoet Pelez Castillo & Duque also strengthened

    its tax area with former KPMG legal director Jess Sol Gil84 as i ts new tax head. Elsewhere, Hogan Lovells

    hired Diogenes Bermudez85, the Venezuelan general counsel of Petrobras, as counsel for its infrastructure

    and project finance practice, while WDA Legal made strategic additions in its corporate and arbitrationpractices, hiring Jos Miguel Azprua-Alfonzo86 and two other lawyers from his boutique firm, Azpal Legal,

    and independent practitioner Juan Carlos Alvarez-Espinos a87, as partners in November.

    INTERNATIONAL

    One of the bigges t stories of the 2012 international legal market was the demis e of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP,

    which played out over the first half of the year. As an increas ing number of high-profile partners found refuge,those with an interest in Latin Americas legal market waited to see what would become of its Latin America

    team, which had only joined Dewey in 2011 to help the firm fulfil its as pirations for the region. Led by Michael

    Fitzgerald88, the group included partners Taisa Markus89, Joy Gallup90 and Arturo Carril lo91, who stuck

    together in their search for a new firm. This May, they started work at Paul Hastings LLP in New York, with

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    Fitzgerald at the head of the Latin America practice giving their new firms profile a big boost in the region.

    Another firm to snap up former Dewey lawyers with Latin America experience was Allen & Overy LLP, which

    hired partner Gregory Smith92 and three associates for its project finance in Washington, DC. Before Deweys

    impending implosion became apparent to the outside world, finance partner Evan Koster93 who has

    subs tantial experience in Brazil and his team left the firm in favour of Hogan Lovells finance practice in New

    York.

    As far as lateral hires are concerned, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP accomplished one of the biggercoups of the year when i t snapped up corporate and capital markets partner Carlos Albarracn94 from

    Chadbourne & Parke LLP boosting its securities group in New York and giving it an increased focus on

    Mexico.

    Towards the end of the second half of the year it was Norton Rose that got the international legal world talking

    by announcing its decis ion to combine with Fulbright & Jaworski LLP next year to create a 3,800-strong

    international legal powerhouse, giving Norton Ros e extra energy and arbitration experience in Latin America.

    Shortly before Norton Rose announced the tie up, its London-based dispute head, Joseph Tirado95,

    announced he was m oving to Winston & Strawn LLP to co-chair its global international arbitration practice.

    Movements in Washington, DC, include Latin American arbitration specialis t David Orta96, who exchanged

    Arnold & Porter LLP for Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivans international arbitration group. Clifford Chance

    LLPs Washington office welcomed back Argentine practitioner Ignacio Surez Anzorena, after he spent three

    years at Chadbourne, while Linklaters LLP became the latest UK firm to set up shop there re-establis hing a

    presence after leaving a decade ago.

    Several other moves by Latin America-focused arbitration lawyers that took place over the year. In Texas, King

    & Spalding LLP welcomed former White & Case LLP associate Erika Serran Toussaint97 as counsel in

    Houston, but lost partner Juan Alcal98, who left to head Gardere Wynne Sewell LLPs Latin America dispute

    resolution practice in Austin. In February, Sidley Austin LLP settled in Hous ton to capitalise on the energy

    industry and its geographical proximity to Latin America, taking partners from seven other firms to do so.

    In New York, Baker & McKenzie hired partner Karyn Koiffman99 from Kirkland & Ellis LLP to boost its Latin

    American transactional team, while Allen & Overys New York office welcomed Freshfields Bruckhaus

    Deringer LLP energy partner Kent Rowey100 and infrastructure partner Dolly Mirchandani101 both of whom

    have significant clients from Latin America. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLPs office there added capital markets

    strength to its Latin America practice with the hire of partner Tomer Pinkusiewicz102 from White & Case in

    May.

    Greenberg Traurig LLP hired venture capital and private equity lawyer Daniel Green103 as shareholder in

    Silicon Valley to help the firm tap into Latin American deals in these practice areas.

    There were signs that the contingent of foreign firms in Brazil would augment at the start of the year when

    Hogan Lovells and Baker Botts revealed plans for offices in Rio de Janeiro, although neither have opened in

    the city as of yet. Linklaters felt the toll of the Brazilian bars ever more stringent rules on foreign firms

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    participation with the local legal market, announcing the diss olution of its cooperation agreement with

    Lefosse Advogados in October.

    IN MEMORIAM

    The Argentine market bid a sad farewell to a

    prominent member of the legal community with the

    pass ing of Ernesto OFarrell104, former chairman

    ofMarval, O'Farrell & Mairal and one of the

    architects of the firms institutionalisation. He died

    in September, aged 82.

    In September, Brazils legal communi ty mourned

    the loss of Demarest e Almeidas Orlando di

    Giacomo Filho105, who passed away aged 72 and

    will be remembered for his work in litigation and

    arbitration, and setting up the law firm association

    CESA.

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