Holland & Knight hires capital market lawyers

Holland & Knight hires capital market lawyers

Partner Xavier Mangino and senior counsel Elena Ibarrola are among the six members of the group

In an effort to strengthen its corporate offering in Mexico, Holland & Knight has hired six capital markets lawyers from DLA Piper in Mexico City.

Xavier Mangino will lead the incoming team, along with Elena Ibarrola, Adolfo Obregon and Alejandro Briceno Suárez, plus two law clerks. Mangino's practice centres on advising large Mexican corporations and multinationals regarding debt and equity capital market transactions, as well as foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions, and other financial matters, including structured and leveraged finance.

Xavier is sought after and highly regarded by counsel for Mexican public companies, as well as by Mexican regulatory authorities, according to Luis Rubio Barnetche, executive partner of Holland & Knight's Mexico City office. His team will be a valuable addition to the security work we perform for our clients, which includes both Mexican and US-based work."

According to Barnetche, Mangino's appointment is part of the firm's "ongoing and targeted growth" in Mexico City.

In addition to his time at DLA Piper, Mangino spent over three and a half years as a corporate partner at Diaz de Rivera y Mangino, after spending about two decades as a partner at Gutierrez, Diaz de Rivera y Torres, which he joined as an associate in 1992.

Holland & Knight's Latin America practice leader, Roberto Pupo, commented: "Their work complements our existing cross-border capital markets and corporate finance expertise." Our new lawyers will also have the opportunity to collaborate with our New York-based capital markets practice, offering a full-service offering that sets us apart from our competitors."

Ibarrola has been working with Mangino for almost two decades, providing her clients with extensive experience as domestic and international debt and equity issuers, in addition, advising them on Mexican reporting laws and corporate governance.

As Mangino stated: "Holland & Knight offers a unique platform that enables my team to work across offices and pursue business opportunities throughout Latin America and the United States."

As a result of Mangino's arrival, Holland & Knight now has 13 partners in Mexico between its three offices, two of which are located in Mexico City and one in Monterrey.

Leslie Palma, along with six associates, left the firm's Mexico City office in December 2021 to join US competitor Greenberg Traurig's labor and employment practice.

DLA Piper announced in January 2022 that it had added a six-person team from White & Case to its corporate, finance, litigation and tax practices in the Mexican capital.