Trump and Latin America: Lawyers Brace for Hard-Line Approach to Region

Will ChatGPT Spur a Law Firm Chatbot Revolution Among Skepticism?

Rhys Dipshan | April 09, 2023

Chatbots' capabilities have significantly grown—but so too have law firms' concerns with the format.

9 minute read

Event

5 Years of GDPR: EU Regulators, Max Schrems Debate the Law's Effectiveness

Cassandre Coyer | April 09, 2023

"At a global level it's the least stupid privacy law we have so far," Max Schrems said of the GDPR during the Wednesday morning keynote at the IAPP 2023 Global Privacy Summit. He added, "It's just not precise enough in many areas."

6 minute read

The End of Kirkland's Meteoric Rise?

Krishnan Nair | April 09, 2023

It'll take a sea change to knock Kirkland off the top spot. One may be on the horizon, argues The Global Lawyer.

6 minute read

Brazilian Law Firms Field More Restructuring Requests as Economy Wobbles

Amy Guthrie | April 06, 2023

Creditors who offered a brief respite to Brazilian companies during the pandemic are now coming to collect as the country struggles with high inflation and double-digit interest rates.

3 minute read

Wachtell, Goodwin Lead Q1 League Tables as Global M&A Tumbles 44%

Patrick Smith | April 06, 2023

Two law firms that were in the top five last year saw drops out of the top 10 in early 2023.

4 minute read

Quinn Emanuel Notches €1.33B Win for Investors Against Argentina

Amy Guthrie | April 05, 2023

The judgment handed down by the High Court in London orders Argentina to pay investors slighted by a change in methodology for calculating the South American country's gross domestic product.

3 minute read

Litigation Funding Helps Secure Major Win in Long-Standing Dispute With Argentina

Amy Guthrie | April 04, 2023

Burford Capital could see a payout in the billions of U.S. dollars after backing a moonshot case for investors burned by Argentina's nationalization of oil company YPF.

3 minute read

Kirkland, Building on $6B in Revenue, Grew Almost 8% in Down Market

Andrew Maloney | April 04, 2023

The firm rapidly grew in lawyer head count, rising 13% last year. Its associate population shot up 14.5%.

5 minute read

Dentons Hires Managing Partner for Jamaica Office, Adds Partner in Barbados

Amy Guthrie | April 03, 2023

Women now hold three of the five managing partner positions at Dentons in the Caribbean, where the firm boasts 11 offices.

3 minute read

Miami's Rise as a 'Global Metropolis' is Challenging New York as an International Arbitration Hub

Alexander Lugo | March 31, 2023

The city's historic ties to Latin America have laid the foundation and its current economic boom has made its case more compelling. Local law schools and the Florida Bar are also committed to building its reputation.

6 minute read

Brazil's TozziniFreire Recruits Restructuring and Insolvency Partner

Amy Guthrie | March 27, 2023

Gabriela Martines rejoins the firm, where she had advanced from intern to senior partner before jumping to Brazilian investment bank Itaú BBA, to help with growing caseload.

2 minute read

ESG Becomes Major Focus for Law Firms and Clients in Mexico

Amy Guthrie | March 23, 2023

Latin America's second-largest economy is paying closer attention to ESG matters despite speed bumps for ESG in the U.S., the country's main trade partner.

3 minute read

Brazil's Cescon Barrieu Appoints New Managing Partner

Amy Guthrie | March 22, 2023

The firm has significantly grown its head count and revenue in recent years, while also opening additional offices in Brazil and launching an office in Canada.

2 minute read

Strength in Disputes, Middle-Market M&A Helped Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner Offset Russia Losses

Dan Roe | March 22, 2023

The global law firm, which brought on a four-partner group from DLA Piper in Frankfurt, said it would continue to look for growth in areas of high demand internationally, including in Dubai and Paris.

4 minute read

Mayer Brown's Profits Dipped but Firm Held Onto Revenue Gains

Andrew Maloney | March 22, 2023

The firm said it wants to continue to build in Asia, where it has a presence in Tokyo, China, Hong Kong and Singapore, pointing out that forecasts show growth in the region this year, while in the U.S. and Europe, forecasts predict flat or minimal gains.

5 minute read

Paul Hastings Lands Two Shearman Lawyers in Capital Markets, One with Latin America Expertise

Patrick Smith | March 20, 2023

Grissel Mercado brings expertise in Latin America as the firm sees opportunities south of the border.

3 minute read

Debevoise's Revenue Stays Flat As Profits Take A Hit

Patrick Smith | March 20, 2023

With an 11.8% decline in PEP, Debevoise's growing headcount and its move to a new Manhattan headquarters contributed to some of its increased expenses last year.

3 minute read

The Case for Launching in India

Paul Hodkinson | March 19, 2023

All international firms should follow Baker McKenzie and HSF in taking the liberalization opportunity in such a major economy seriously—the future of their institution could depend on it, writes the Global Lawyer.

6 minute read

Human Rights Suit Against Chiquita Brands Gets Trial Date

Amy Guthrie | March 17, 2023

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra of the Southern District of Florida ordered the banana company to stand trial in January 2024 for allegedly financing paramilitary death squads in Colombia.

3 minute read

King & Spalding, Clifford Chance Advise on SPAC Merger in Mexico

Amy Guthrie | March 16, 2023

Mexican firms Nader, Hayaux & Goebel and Galicia Abogados are also advised on the offering for Murano Hospitality Group, a developer of hotels and industrial parks that was valued at $810 million.

2 minute read

ECIJA Adds Litigation and Arbitration Partner in Barcelona

Alex D'Elia | March 15, 2023

Gorka Goenechea is the firm's first global partner hire since it formed a strategic alliance with U.K.-based Taylor Wessing.

2 minute read

Brazilian Transactional Firm Candido Martins Opens in Madrid

Amy Guthrie | March 15, 2023

Founding partner Henrique Martins has moved to the Spanish capital, where he will oversee an office and court clients in an unconventional market for a Brazilian firm.

3 minute read

Arbitration Cases Rise in Brazil to Rival Numbers in the United States

Amy Guthrie | March 14, 2023

A combination of regulations favorable to arbitration and glacially slow local courts have pushed resolutions for commercial disputes into arbitration in Brazil.

4 minute read

'Scale Can't Be Overstated': DLA Piper Posts 6% Revenue Gain in 2022

Dan Roe | March 14, 2023

The global law firm remained well-hedged against rising interest rates, COVID lockdowns and the war in Ukraine.

5 minute read

Dechert Follows 50% Profit Increase With 14% Drop, Epitomizing Big Law Business Cycle

Amanda O'Brien | Justin Henry | March 13, 2023

"The better your 2021 was, the harder your 2022 was going to be," said CEO Henry Nassau.

7 minute read

How Far Women Have Come — and How Far They Have to Go

Lisa Shuchman | March 13, 2023

While it's nice that we honor women in the legal profession on International Women's Day, we should not lose sight of the fact that the industry still has a long way to go, writes the Global Lawyer. Nor should we forget that in the broader world, women and girls are still struggling for basic rights, that in some countries they now have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers had, and that not a single country in the world has yet achieved gender equality.

11 minute read

Are Critical Minerals the Next Battleground in Western Sanctions Against Russia?

Gail J. Cohen | March 09, 2023

Even without sanctions, companies and legal advisers have a moral imperative to ensure their money doesn't go to support tyrants, panelists at a global conference said.

5 minute read

Brazil Rolls Out Long-Awaited Data Protection Sanctions

Amy Guthrie | March 09, 2023

Lawyers expect a wave of demand for advice from companies that need to strengthen their internal safeguards in order to avoid fines and restrictions on handling personal information

4 minute read

Garrigues Hires White & Case Veteran in Mexico

Amy Guthrie | March 09, 2023

The addition brings Garrigues' total partner count in Latin America's second-largest economy to 8 and bolsters the Spanish firm's banking and finance practice.

3 minute read

To Improve DEI Outcomes, Firms Must Address Pitches and Work Allocation, Consultants Say

Justin Henry | March 08, 2023

"We can't just be focused on events and activities, and we can't just be focused on changing hearts and minds," said Alexis Robertson, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Foley & Lardner. "It has to be more of a systems-focused approach."

6 minute read

Features

Chilean Corporate Counsel Power Hitters Start Network for Female Lawyers

Amy Guthrie | March 07, 2023

Abogadas In House Chile has grown exponentially in just six months as the organization fills a deep need for female corporate counsel to connect and support each other in the South American country.

5 minute read

Lawyers Rally to Support the Mexican Judiciary, Chief Justice

Amy Guthrie | March 07, 2023

The judiciary has come under renewed attacks from the president in recent days as the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments against the government's proposal to shrink the country's elections supervisor.

3 minute read

After Merger Talks End, Shearman Accelerates Transition to New Leader

Andrew Maloney | March 07, 2023

Senior partner David Beveridge said now is the right time to "accelerate the pace of the firm's ongoing transformation" and begin "a new strategic vision."

3 minute read

In 'Steady March Forward,' Haynes and Boone Posts Another Record Year

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | March 06, 2023

Internationally, the firm said revenue in Mexico and Latin America grew by 21 percent in 2022, and the London office benefited from the energy practice. But Shanghai was flat due to COVID-19-related challenges in China.

5 minute read

The Big Risks for Shearman, Cravath, Private Equity Lawyers, and Everyone Else

Paul Hodkinson | March 05, 2023

The risk-reward profile for large strategic decisions has never looked quite so daunting as it does now for corporate law firms, writes The Global Lawyer.

6 minute read

Northwestern Law Honors Guatemalan Judge for Human Rights, Anti-Corruption Work

Amy Guthrie | March 01, 2023

Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez was recognized for the decades he spent holding perpetrators of war and other crimes accountable for their actions.

3 minute read

Greenberg Traurig Follows Up 'Unicorn Year' With Even More Growth in 2022

Alexander Lugo | March 01, 2023

Ten of the firm's 43 offices are outside the U.S., and CEO Brian Duffy said cross-border work is increasing post-pandemic.

5 minute read

'Investing When Conditions Aren't Optimal': Seyfarth Grows Revenue and Partner Ranks

Andrew Maloney | March 01, 2023

Seyfarth's London revenue grew 16%, the firm said. And despite challenges in Asia, the firm is still committed to the region "for the long game," Seyfarth's chair-elect, Lorie Almon, said.

4 minute read

Ecuadoran Boutique Falconi Puig Abogados Absorbs Firm in Guayaquil

Amy Guthrie | February 28, 2023

The expansion brings the firm depth in dispute resolution via five lawyers based in Ecuador's second-largest city.

2 minute read

DLA Piper Wins Pro Bono Case in Fight to Prevent Cuts That Would Affect Millions of Public School Children in Mexico

Amy Guthrie | February 27, 2023

The win will benefit an estimated 30 million children that attend public schools in Mexico, the firm said.

2 minute read

Expert Opinion

McKinsey's 10 Principles for Successful Law Firm Mergers

Albert Bollard, Alex D'Amico, Jeff Rudnicki | Igor Yasenovets | February 23, 2023

Partners from the global consultancy take lessons from advising corporations and other professional services firms on mergers, bringing tips for how law firms can have a better strategic approach to growth.

7 minute read

Hogan Lovells' Net Income Down 13% Due to Fewer Deals, Office Closures, Currency Instability

Justin Henry | February 22, 2023

"We're trying to try to achieve greater profitability, but we're not making that an obsession," said CEO Miguel Zaldivar.

6 minute read

It's 'Potentially Ground-Shifting': US Outbound Investment Rules Are About to Change

Christine Schiffner | February 21, 2023

A forthcoming executive order is expected to define new guidelines for investments in countries viewed as strategic competitors. The devil of these new regulatory measures will be in the details.

4 minute read

ChatGPT: Just a Bunch of Hot Air?

Rose Walker | Paul Hodkinson | February 19, 2023

Law firms hope ChatGPT will take them to lofty heights, as evidenced by this week's explosion in interest in the topic.

4 minute read

Justice in the Metaverse: Here's What the First Virtual Court Hearing in Colombia Looked Like

Amy Guthrie | February 19, 2023

Last week, Colombia held its first-ever hearing in the Metaverse after passage of a law last year that expressly allows cutting-edge information technology to be used in the country. Reaction to the virtual hearing was mixed.

2 minute read

Goodwin Procter's Profits Drop 6% Even As Revenue Rises Double Digits

Patrick Smith | February 17, 2023

Goodwin chair Robert Insolia said the firm's London office brought in more than $144 million and the Paris office is "one of a handful of leading M&A" practices in France. In addition, Goodwin's recently launched offices in Singapore and Munich fit well into Goodwin's global strategy, he said.

6 minute read

Slideshow

Big Law's Top Lateral Hires of 2022

ALM Staff | February 17, 2023

Among the high number of lateral moves in 2022, these generated the most buzz.

1 minute read

'This is Not Reactive': Shearman Outlines Growth Strategy, Accepting Some Partner Losses

Patrick Smith | February 17, 2023

Shearman's leaders are seeking scale and a path to $3 billion in revenue, but they say the firm doesn't need a merger to survive.

9 minute read

Alternative Legal Service Provider Launches in Honduras

Amy Guthrie | February 16, 2023

IO-EPIK aims to disrupt the legal services market in Central America and the Caribbean by rolling out budget-friendly solutions with the help of technology and flexible talent.

3 minute read

As More Law Firms Leverage ChatGPT, Few Have Internal Policies Regarding Its Use

Isha Marathe | February 16, 2023

For Todd Corham, the chief information officer at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, such policies are unnecessary, in part, because "we really shouldn't have to write a policy on using good judgment."

4 minute read

Gibson Dunn Continued Record Revenue, Profit Streak in 2022

Dan Roe | February 16, 2023

Firm chair and managing partner Barbara Becker said the firm's success in London has been "extraordinary" and in the Middle East, where the firm launched a new office in Abu Dhabi, it has also seen very positive results.

5 minute read

Allen & Overy Rolls Out ChatGPT-Style Technology to Help Lawyers With Client Work

Linda A. Thompson | February 15, 2023

The firm says the move to implement the OpenAI platform globally is a 'game-changer' that 'marks a new era for A&O and the legal industry'.

4 minute read

Colombia to Hold Court Hearing in the Metaverse

Amy Guthrie | February 14, 2023

A magistrate in Colombia has authorized a hearing to take place in Meta's Horizon Workrooms, with participants set to wear virtual reality eyeglasses and interact via avatars.

4 minute read

Colombia's Gómez Pinzón Abogados Appoints New Managing Partner

Amy Guthrie | February 14, 2023

The selection of tax partner Mauricio Piñeros to lead the firm comes during challenging economic times for Colombia.

2 minute read

Hello ChatGPT, Which is the Best Law Firm in the World?

Paul Hodkinson | February 13, 2023

The advanced AI recommends certain firms as well as lawyers from the likes of Wachtell, Sullivan & Cromwell and Gibson Dunn, but its knowledge is questionable, and it seems to have a thing against Kirkland.

8 minute read

The 'Latin America Project': Spain's Cuatrecasas Finds a Formula for Growth a Continent Away

Amy Guthrie | February 12, 2023

The elite Spanish firm has hooked top talent in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru to build a strong regional brand that performs local law in Latin America and acts as a bridge for clients in Europe and Asia.

7 minute read

2023: The Year The Talent War Ends

Paul Hodkinson | February 12, 2023

Sentiment is shifting from hiring talent to cutting it, promoting it and using AI to make it more efficient. Also: a private equity controversy and an earthquake appeal in this week's Global Lawyer Briefing.

6 minute read

Rimôn Opens Second Office in Colombia With Partner Hire

Amy Guthrie | February 09, 2023

Partner Natalia Martinez Villa joins Ibarra Rimôn in Medellín, where she was previously in-house counsel at an electricity and construction firm.

1 minute read

Colombian Judge Uses AI Tool ChatGPT in Court Ruling

Amy Guthrie | February 08, 2023

The judge's use of generative AI technology has garnered attention around the world from lawyers and others, and has prompted much debate. The judge, Juan Manuel Padilla, says the tool is a way to more quickly reduce the backlog of cases in Colombia.

4 minute read

Shearman & Sterling Lays Off Associates and Staff

Patrick Smith | February 08, 2023

The firm said it is laying off 26 business professionals and 12 associates, "focused mainly on transactional practice areas most affected by current and projected market conditions."

3 minute read

As Law Firms Strive to Grow, Is All the World a Stage?

Lisa Shuchman | February 05, 2023

Global law firms know the days of historic revenue and profit gains are over. So is it any wonder they are scrambling to find new opportunities through mergers, lateral hires and the launch of new offices around the world?

7 minute read

Garrigues Adds Partners to Barcelona and Bogotá Practices

Alex D'Elia | February 03, 2023

The hires come on the heels of a report which found that women lawyers account for less than a third of the top law firm positions in Spain.

2 minute read

DLA Piper Lands Latin America Heavyweights From Jones Day

Amy Guthrie | February 02, 2023

New York-based corporate partners Michael McGuinness and Marcello Hallake are leading cross-border and international corporate attorneys who focus on high-profile global M&A transactions.

2 minute read

Expert Opinion

How to Build a Dynamic Book of Business in Latin America

Nicholas E. Rodriguez | February 02, 2023

Latin America continues to offer a plethora of lucrative opportunities for attorneys seeking to expand their operations and break into growing, diverse markets.

5 minute read

ECIJA Mexico Hires Partner to Launch Sustainability and Environment Practice

Amy Guthrie | February 01, 2023

The hiring of Carlos del Razo underscores the Spanish firm's commitment to guiding clients on sustainability matters, which it anticipates will require more attention in the years to come.

2 minute read

Brazil's Lefosse Adds Compliance, Investigations and White-Collar Partner

Amy Guthrie | January 30, 2023

Marcelo Ribeiro joins from Brazil's Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, where he held multiple high-level positions over the course of more than a decade in public service.

2 minute read

Shearman (And Others) Playing Catch Up

Paul Hodkinson | January 29, 2023

As the market slows, law firms are coming under pressure to find new ways to give themselves a boost, writes the Global Lawyer.

5 minute read

Latin American Corporate Legal Departments to Bring More Work In-House: Survey

Amy Guthrie | January 25, 2023

But consultancy ODDS Legal found that general counsel based in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru still require assistance on complex matters such as compliance, privacy and ESG.

4 minute read

Clyde & Co, Cuatrecasas Add Partners in Chile

Amy Guthrie | January 25, 2023

The South American country has been a key focal point for both international firms as they expand their footprints in Latin America.

3 minute read