Cementing Its International Reach, Barnes & Thornburg Formally Launches Latin America Practice Group

Barnes & Thornburg continues to solidify its reach and service offerings beyond the United States with the formal launch of its Latin America Practice Group (LAPG). The group is co-chaired by partners Jeffrey Lehtman and Scott Hulsey and brings together over 50 lawyers equipped to help clients navigate cross-border transactions, litigation, regulatory and white collar matters across Latin America with full linguistic and cultural fluency.

“Jeff has brought decades of experience in Latin America to the firm. He, Scott and the rest of our team provide trusted, holistic guidance to businesses and individuals operating in Latin America to successfully navigate the opportunities and challenges across the region,” managing partner Andrew J. Detherage said. “The formalization of this practice reflects our firm’s strategic growth and is the natural evolution for our clients with business interests in the region."

The LAPG practice launch comes after the addition of Lehtman and associate Facundo Galeano, a dual-licensed Uruguayan and U.S. lawyer, to the firm’s Washington, D.C., office in February. They represent clients in complex cross-border compliance matters, internal and government investigations and disputes. The team also includes senior investigator Maria Carpizo, a Brazilian lawyer who joined the firm’s San Diego office in July 2025, as well as dozens of other lawyers who have worked across the region for many years.

While Lehtman previously held senior roles at Citibank Latin America and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, Hulsey spent much of his early career at the U.S. Department of Justice, including as chief of the Transnational Organized Crime and Narcotics section in the Atlanta U.S. Attorney’s Office, handling investigations focused on Latin America. This experience led to Hulsey’s role at GE Vernova (then Energy Connections) as chief compliance officer, overseeing global compliance matters, including those arising in Latin America.

“I am thrilled to help launch and lead Barnes & Thornburg’s LAPG practice,” said Lehtman, who also plays a leading role in Compliance Latam, a platform of leading law firms devoted to promoting best practices in compliance matters across Latin America. “Drawing on the firm’s marketing-leading strengths in litigation, corporate, IP and international trade, we are well-positioned to assist both U.S-based and LatAm-based businesses on their most complex domestic and international issues.  The LAPG is quickly becoming a destination practice for the most sophisticated players in the Latin American business community.”

The chief legal and compliance officer of an existing client said: “We have entrusted the LAPG team with our most complex legal and compliance challenges for many years and they have always delivered. They understand the complexities of operating on a cross-border basis and are able to provide pragmatic, action-oriented advice that adds value to our company and our stakeholders."

The LAPG team is comprised of multilingual and multicultural lawyers from Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico who practice in New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Southern California, Atlanta, Dallas and Indianapolis.

“We’re excited to build this Latin America practice into a regional powerhouse and provide our clients a competitive advantage,” said Hulsey. “What sets us apart is not only our full-service offering, but also our deep bench and our ability to leverage our relationships, skills and experience to the benefit of our clients.”

Members of the LatAm practices have been recognized in several of the top global legal and industry guides, including Chambers Latin America, Legal 500 Latin America, Latinvex and Latin Lawyer.

About Barnes & Thornburg

Barnes & Thornburg operates 26 offices across the United States, enabling more than 850 lawyers to serve clients nationwide. As one of the 100 largest law firms in the country, we provide seamless coast-to-coast coverage for high-stakes litigation, complex transactions and innovative IP matters. Our national reach and knowledge of local markets help clients conduct business confidently wherever opportunities arise. Visit btlaw.com.