Latin America

Our team of over 300 litigators conducts cases in more than 70 countries., We have the largest dedicated group of international injunction specialists in the country. Our team has conducted arbitrations under virtually all of the major international arbitration rules. As one of the leading London teams of high-level strategists and robust counsel, our Latin American focused experience includes:

• Advising global corporates including BMW, Microsoft, Pfizer, Hewlett Packard, Prada and Christian Louboutin on IP protection, enforcement and commercialisation.
• Acting for a leading US financial institution in relation to a Serious Fraud Office investigation across Europe in respect of an alleged investment fraud in the region of US$350m.
• Representing claimants on fraud, asset tracing and recovery.
• Advising the world’s largest executive search organisation on its international franchising arrangements in the Middle East, South America (Brazil and Mexico) Poland, the UK and Portugal.
• Acting for Brazil's largest footwear manufacturer, on IP protection issues.

For high net worth (HNW) individuals and family offices, we act as personal advisors, dealing with carefully selected overseas professionals on behalf of our clients. Our experience ranges from immigration, tax and wealth management, residential property, and art law, to reputation protection, family law, families in business, and trust and succession disputes and planning. As experts in preserving, growing and transferring wealth, our Latin American related experience includes:

• Advising Brazilian HNW clients on UK investor visas and other economic citizenship programmes.
• Advising Brazilian HNW individuals on several tax issues in relation to inheritance, the purchase of prime London property and the creation of a trust for the family.
• Restructuring the assets of a HNW individual following his move to the UK.

For business owners, wealth owners and dealmakers, our teams manage cross-border transactions as an extension of a client’s internal management team - even when there is little or no UK angle. Our experience covers M&A, corporate finance, joint ventures, corporate restructuring, private equity, funds and financial services. We worked on 77 M&A deals in 2012, with a total value of £6.9 billion and we have a unique perspective on the growing importance of private capital within the mid-market. We have experience acting for Latin American businesses including:

• New World Carbon on biofuels scheme in Brazil and related products.
• United Phosphorus Limited on its expansion into developing markets, with two joint ventures in Brazil.
• All shareholders of Schneider Foreign Exchange Limited on the US$100m disposal to (Mexican) Monex Group.

We are connected to more property deals and players than any other firm in London. We advise a number of the leading entrepreneurs in the property industry alongside an equally entrepreneurially minded blue chip client base. Stemming from Latin America, this includes:

• Acting for Brazil's largest footwear manufacturer, on setting up its European flagship store in London.
• The joint venture of Delancey and Qatari Diar on the real estate aspects of their £557m purchase and long-term management of the Olympic Village after the 2012 Games.

We have one of the largest dedicated employment teams in London, acting for both employers and employees. We work with the most senior people within organisations, including the London operations of Brazilian financial institutions and luxury brands. We also work with corporates, advising on matters such as  day-to-day HR, restructuring projects or major litigation.