Banking & Finance: Venezuela
Alvaro Posada is "a committed lawyer with deep business knowledge," say sources, adding: "He puts himself in the client's shoes and acts accordingly."
Maritza Mészáros De Jeffcoat receives widespread recognition from peers, who hail her as "a reference for banking and finance work in Venezuela."
José Alfredo Giral earns peer respect for his foreign exchange controls knowledge.
Pedro Crisafulli stands out as a responsive and diligent finance lawyer. He focuses on credit facilities, project finance and capital markets.
Fulvio Italiani wins unanimous market praise for his capital markets knowledge. "He's a creative thinker who knows Venezuelan law inside out," say sources, "enabling him to find quick, viable and practical solutions."
Carlos Omaña has deep bond market knowledge, as he showed advising Deutsche Bank Securities and Evrofinance Mosnarbank on the government's 30-year bond issue.
Gustavo Reyna founded the firm 40 years ago and remains on hand to lend the department the benefit of his vast experience.
James-Otis Rodner receives widespread recognition and is described as "a key figure in the market with great transactional skills."
Jaime Martínez Estévez earns acclaim as a corporate finance all-rounder with vast experience.
Francisco Castillo-García is a highly experienced corporate generalist, lauded by clients as "a very accomplished lawyer and an expert for finance matters." He splits his time between Caracas and the USA.
Jorge Acedo Prato wins market praise for being "very thorough and prompt in his answers."
Carlos Eduardo Acedo Sucre heads the practice. "He's very articulate, thoughtful, and responsive," say sources, "and he has an innate ability for anticipating issues."
Rubén Eduardo Luján wins market praise for his deep knowledge of exchange control related-matters, and for his "superb English and premium client service."
Reinaldo Hellmund is a corporate finance and energy all-rounder, considered to be "the first choice in the market" for project finance.
Pedro Rengel Núñez is known for his corporate, tax and disputes expertise, and earns praise for his ability to apply generalist skills to financial mandates.
Juan José Delgado splits his time between the Caracas and Miami offices. He led the team's representation of Construtora Andrade Gutierrez.
María Cecilia Rachadell is a corporate finance all-rounder praised for his communication skills.
Founding partner Luis Esteban Palacios has extensive regulatory, project finance and capital markets knowledge. Clients praise his "sensible, proactive approach."
Alfredo Travieso Passios is an experienced market figure who provides experience and expertise in finance, corporate and tax matters.
Experts Based Abroad
Adolfo Paolini is a consultant with DAC Beachcroft LLP on insurance, banking and commercial law matters. He is active in academic circles and combines his current post with that of senior lecturer at the University of Buckingham. He is qualified in Venezuela and before relocating to the UK, he held academic positions at the Universidad Católica del Táchira in San Cristóbal.
Anabella Vegas of Gómez-Pinzón Zuleta is dual-qualified in Colombia and her native Venezuela. Before relocating to Bogotá, she worked as an associate at leading Caracas firm D'Empaire Reyna and as legal fellow at the Inter-American Investment Corporation in Washington, DC.
Ricardo Escobar of Peru's Pizarro, Botto & Escobar is qualified to practise in Venezuela and Peru. He specialises in project finance, syndicated loans, M&A and capital markets. Before joining Pizarro, Botto & Escobar, he worked as an associate at Caracas-based firm Rodríguez & Mendoza, as foreign associate with Whitman & Ransom and as senior attorney at Corporación Andina de Fomento.
Associate
Thomas Pate of White & Case LLP focuses his practice on project, bank and asset finance in Latin America. He is qualified to practise in Venezuela, where he also attended law school, before obtaining a JD and qualifying in Florida.