Award Winning Multidisciplinary Latin America Team Joins Winston & Strawn in New York

NEW YORK – Winston & Strawn LLP is pleased to announce the addition of the highly regarded New York-based Latin America Practice from Chadbourne & Parke (now Norton Rose Fulbright). Nine veteran partners and one newly named partner will join Winston’s New York office. The group brings significant experience in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financings, private equity and fund formation, joint ventures, corporate reorganizations, and international arbitration and litigation. 

Representing U.S. Fortune 500 companies and private equity funds, foreign private issuers, international funds, sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities, and a wide array of other clients, the new Winston group is particularly well known for its work with Latin America-based corporate and private equity clients, U.S.-based clients involved in Latin America, and clients in the Iberian Peninsula. Corporate lawyers Talbert Navia and Allen Miller, who were co-heads of the Latin America Practice at their former firm, lead the team. Talbert and Allen have worked together for over twenty-five years and have led some of the largest and most innovative transactions in the region. 

“The addition of this top-notch group of partners with significant leadership experience, combined with the cross-border nature of their work across sectors and practice areas, will enable us to grow our international footprint and provide opportunities to expand our existing relationships with clients in Latin America,” said Winston Chairman Tom Fitzgerald. “Collectively, the group has developed a significant client base of leading companies and institutions on the ground in Latin America over the years, as well as a strong network of outstanding local law firms practicing in the region. We are very excited about introducing our Winston clients to this network.” 

“This group substantially enhances our corporate and litigation practices in New York across multiple disciplines,” added Winston Vice-Chairman Michael Elkin. “At the same time, the addition of such a distinguished set of practitioners enables us to pursue a powerful multidisciplinary strategy to expand our Latin America practice across the firm. We are particularly excited about the opportunities arising from the group’s deep experience in the energy, infrastructure, and natural resources sectors.”

Members of the group are consistently ranked among the leading lawyers practicing in Latin America by Chambers Latin America, Chambers Global, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 Latin America, The Legal 500 Global, and other major directories for work across multiple practice areas, including corporate, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, banking and finance, projects, energy and natural resources, private equity, and fund formation. Within the past five years, members of the group have led numerous transactions that received “Deal of the Year” recognitions in Latin America, including awards and nominations such as “Best Bond of the Year,” “Quasi-Sovereign Bond of the Year,” “Corporate Finance Deal of the Year,” “Equity Deal of the Year,” and “M&A Deal of the Year” from publications such as LatinFinance, IFLR, Project Finance International, and IJGlobal.

Talbert, a Harvard Law graduate who is of Colombian descent, has a broad range of experience advising U.S. and Latin America-based corporate and private equity clients. His industry experience includes oil and gas, energy (including renewable energy), infrastructure, mining, telecommunications, real estate, and consumer products. Talbert has been ranked by Chambers Global for the past nine consecutive years for his work in Latin America. He is also regularly ranked by Chambers for his Corporate/M&A work in Latin America, and is recognized as a “Foreign Expert in Latin America” by Chambers USA. Talbert has also been listed in The Legal 500 Latin America since the inaugural issue for his work in Capital Markets and Corporate/M&A. In 2017, Talbert was recognized by Latinvex as one of Latin America’s “Top 100 Lawyers.” In addition to his legal experience, Talbert was a founder and general partner for seven years at two private equity funds focusing on investments in the U.S. and Latin America.

Allen, a Cornell Law graduate, has extensive experience in Latin America in the energy and natural resources, financial services, media, and consumer products sectors. He has been regularly cited for many years in Chambers Global, Chambers USA, and Chambers Latin America for his M&A and capital markets experience involving Latin America. Allen has also been recognized by The Legal 500 Latin America, U.S. News - Best Lawyers in Corporate Law, and The Legal 500 U.S. for his M&A work. He has also been named numerous times by Latinvex as one of Latin America's “Top 100 Lawyers.”

“Winston & Strawn has a wealth of experience on the transactional side advising companies and financial institutions, and a widely recognized international arbitration group in Latin America. Together with our established brand in the region, we will be able to provide more depth of experience and execution capabilities for our clients,” said Talbert.

Allen stated: “Winston & Strawn’s tier one practices in mergers and acquisitions and capital markets, and its powerhouse litigation and arbitration practices, including in Latin America, provide us an extraordinary platform for our clients.”

Julissa Reynoso, a Columbia University Law graduate, joins Talbert and Allen from the disputes side of the practice. Julissa is a litigation and international arbitration partner who served as U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State under President Barack Obama. Julissa has extensive experience representing sovereigns and corporations in complex, cross-border disputes, including under the ICC, NAFTA and DR-CAFTA. She also represents clients in complex commercial litigations and regulatory investigations. Julissa has broad policy and legal experience throughout Latin America, and also serves on the faculty of Columbia Law School and that university’s School of International and Public Affairs. She has been recognized by The Legal 500 Latin America for International Arbitration and by Latinvex as one of the “Top 100 Female Lawyers.” In addition, Julissa is the recipient of various public interest awards, including recognition from Columbia University, New York University, North Star Fund, The Legal Aid Society, and Hispanic National Bar Foundation. 

Mort Grosz, a Boston University Law graduate with a Masters of Law from New York University, has broad transactional experience, having advised domestic and foreign corporate clients and investment funds in various cross-border matters. Mort regularly represents one of the largest private equity funds exclusively focused on Latin America. He is listed in The Legal 500 U.S. as a “recommended lawyer” for Investment Fund Formation and Management, Private Equity Funds, and M&A/Corporate and Commercial. Mort has also been recognized in The Legal 500 Latin America for his work in Corporate and M&A since the inaugural issue.

Beth Kramer, an American University Law graduate, focuses her practice on the representation of U.S. and non-U.S. asset managers. She advises investment managers on the formation and ongoing management of funds and the regulatory and compliance aspects of their businesses. She also counsels investment companies, private funds, and separately managed accounts. Beth has been regularly recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for her work in Investment Fund Formation and Management. 

Scott Naidech, a Temple University Law graduate with a Masters of Law from Georgetown University, has deep experience advising domestic and cross-border clients on fund formation and investment management. He has been consistently recognized by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 U.S. among the top practitioners in fund formation nationwide.

Sey-Hyo Lee, a Columbia University Law graduate, represents U.S. issuers and foreign private issuers on capital markets, securities law, and corporate governance transactions, including complex matters requiring reconciliation of the laws of multiple jurisdictions involving Latin America. He is recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for his work in M&A and Corporate and Commercial.

Claude Serfilippi, a Fordham University Law graduate, represents issuers and underwriters in the sale of equity and debt securities, in both public and private offerings, with an emphasis on high-yield securities offerings, project bonds, and Rule 144A/Regulation S offerings. Claude’s mergers and acquisitions practice focuses on advising sellers and purchasers of businesses and assets with particular experience in the energy industry and in emerging markets, including in Latin America and Eastern and Central Europe. Chambers Global ranks Claude as a Foreign Expert for Corporate/M&A.

Kevin Smith, a University of Pennsylvania Law graduate, represents U.S. public and private companies, private equity funds, and other institutions on M&A, securities and corporate governance matters. He also has extensive cross-border experience involving Latin America. Kevin is recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for his work in M&A and Corporate and Commercial.

Marcelo Blackburn, a Yale University Law graduate, represents clients in complex commercial litigation and class actions, international arbitration, and regulatory investigations, including advising Latin American clients on transnational litigation issues. He was recognized by Latinvex as one of “Latin America’s Rising Legal Stars.” Marcelo was named partner upon joining Winston.

Winston has experienced substantial growth within the past six months through the acquisition of sizeable high-profile lateral groups. Most recently, the firm added 10 partners from McDermott Will & Emery to the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice in Chicago and Washington, D.C. The firm also opened a Dallas office with 26 partners from nine different firms. Other group acquisitions have included a prominent team of capital markets partners in New York in 2016, 21 partners from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in 2015, 22 litigation partners from now defunct Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP in 2012, and 40 intellectual property and commercial litigators in Houston from now defunct Howrey LLP in 2011.