Latin America

Overview

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP’s Latin American team includes partners, associates and paralegals who have lived, worked or studied in Latin America. Our team of bilingual and bicultural professionals have years of experience working on cross-border matters and an extensive network of contacts in the legal, accounting and business communities. We offer services tailored to family offices, entrepreneurs and corporate clients based in the United States and Latin America. Our knowledge of both the United States and Latin American legal systems and business communities allows Sheppard Mullin to serve as an effective bridge between the United States and Latin America.

Our team is uniquely positioned to assist Latin American clients on their inbound investments into the United States. Working closely with colleagues across practice groups and offices, we help clients capitalize on business, trade and investment opportunities in the United States and execute their global growth strategies. Our lawyers not only advise on specific areas of law, but have deep industry experience in advertising, aerospace and defense, communications, construction, energy, food and beverage, healthcare, hospitality, estate planning and private wealth services, retail and transportation. Our deep bench strength of expertise includes mergers and acquisitions, real estate acquisitions, negotiations or partnerships, joint ventures and strategic alliances, commercial transactions, tax and corporate matters, antitrust and competition issues, technology, communications, immigration and employment matters to ensure the optimal legal foundation for an enterprise with expanding borders from Latin America.

We also assist our U.S. based clients on outbound investment opportunities in Latin America and help them execute their cross border entry into Latin America . We provide clients with local knowledge and resources as they seek market opportunities, investments, financing, access to capital markets, governmental strategies or international dispute resolution. Whether a client needs local counsel, local accountants, business consultants or simply someone to assist in conducting due diligence, identifying a local strategic partner or assessing a market opportunity, our attorneys can assist in identifying the right person on both sides of the border.

Inbound Expertise

Advise on direct and indirect investments in United States real estate
Advise on mergers with and acquisitions of U.S. companies including advice and analysis of whether the transaction is covered by CFIUS
Provide multigenerational international estate planning by developing tax efficient investment platforms including the use of foreign trust and off shore corporations as investment vehicles for investments in the United States and the formation of private trust companies
Advise on U.S. immigration matters including preserving and renewing visas for foreign employees and investors
Represent Latin American clients as creditors of companies in bankruptcy, restructuring and insolvency matters
Negotiate strategic alliances with U.S. institutional investors
Negotiate side letter agreements and co-investment agreements for investments with hedge funds and private equity funds
Advise Latin American clients on a wide range of compliance and enforcement issues relating to the export and re-export regulations administered by the Departments of Commerce and State, as well as the economic sanctions rules of the Treasury Department
Provide cross border dispute resolution and arbitration, and representing clients in cross border litigation
Negotiate commercial agreements with U.S. buyers or suppliers
Represent Mexican broker/dealers and underwriters and their U.S. subsidiaries
Advise Latin American studios, independent producers, new media ventures and other entertainment related entities/businesses in every aspect of development, production, finance and distribution in the U.S.
Provide employment law counseling and bilingual training on issues unique to the Spanish language workplace, including national origin discrimination law, English-only rules, accent bias, and mandatory foreign language posting requirements
Assist in the migration of technology developed in Latin America to the U.S. for further exploitation in the U.S.
Advise on privacy and security issues, including responding to privacy investigations, litigation, cybercrimes and network intrusions

Outbound

Advise on direct investments into Latin America including selection of entities, tax planning to maximize tax benefits in the United States and Latin America, formation of companies and application for relevant permits
Represent hotel developers and owners in hospitality projects in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Columbia including the acquisition of properties, construction and development financing and the negotiation of development and management agreements with hotel brands
Incorporate companies to manufacture under the IMMEX (Maquiladora, Manufacturing and Export Services Industry) program
Advise on mergers and acquisitions of companies in Latin America
Advise clients on real estate investments in Latin America
Advise on the terms of the new USMCA, its interpretation and new tariff regimes
Provide cross border dispute resolution and arbitration, and representing clients in cross border litigation