Mexico and Latin America

Our LatAm team is comprised of multicultural attorneys, including one of a handful of attorneys in the Midwest admitted to practice both in the U.S. and Mexico. We emphasize understanding our clients’ and their counterparts’ culture and customs, and are aware that having a bilingual team is important, but is no longer the only standard by which effective client service is measured.

Our team of attorneys counsels U.S. clients in establishing, acquiring, expanding, transforming, consolidating and divesting operations across Latin America, including Mexican maquilas, and is often called on to advise on site selection, land acquisition, and shelter and tax incentive matters. We counsel clients in structuring cross-border credit facilities that may include secured lending across Latin America, foreign guaranties and pledges, RUG filings, use of fideicomisos, and sale of receivables, among others.

We assist U.S. clients in dealing with the intricacies of hiring and terminating employees in jurisdictions where at-will employment is not the norm. We assist such clients in structuring employment, severance and settlement agreements for U.S. and native employees to avoid unexpected benefit and severance claims.

With the backing of a full-service law firm, our Latin America team coordinates with all practice areas to properly assist Latin American companies operating in the U.S. or contracting with U.S. entities.

Once a U.S. company has established operations in Latin America or a foreign company has established operations in the U.S., clients turn to us to act as outside general counsel, assisting with corporate, commercial transactions, tax, employment, immigration, insurance and trade matters, as well as with complex litigation. Our experience encompasses the automotive, technology, manufacturing, food and beverage, transportation and logistics industries.

Our International Trade group, which was named a 2018 Law360 Practice Group of the Year, has deep experience advising on export and import regulatory compliance, international trade legislation, trade litigation, World Trade Organization (WTO) matters, free trade agreements, and a wide variety of matters involving the cross-border movement of goods, services, technology, personnel and funds.