Mentoring programmes: a career development tool for both sides?

Randy Bullard

Randy, co-chair of the firm’s Latin America Desk and partner in the Corporate Department, advises multinational clients in connection with cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, securities and finance transactions throughout Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the United States.

Randy has advised numerous European global corporations in connection with establishing and developing their U.S. presences, as well as managing their Latin American operations. He also represents issuers in equity and debt offerings and exchange listings.

Randy’s mergers and acquisitions work has focused on international cross-border mergers and acquisitions across a broad range of sectors, including financial services, telecommunications, media, entertainment, energy, agriculture, manufacturing and food and beverage.

Gabriela Roca

Gabriela’s practice is focused on the development, financing, acquisition and operation of energy, fuel and infrastructure projects for foreign and local companies.

She has advised an important number of companies interested in investing in green field projects, cross-border acquisitions of ongoing projects, mergers, sale and financing of equipment through export credit agencies and other investments related to the energy business.

Her experience and expertise in the negotiation of construction turnkey contracts is highly regarded and valued by developers and construction companies. Her experience in the energy sector includes participation in legislative proposals on energy market regulation since the creation of the Wholesale Electricity Market in 2000 and active monitoring of legislative proposals with an impact in the energy market and infrastructure business.

Gabriela has been counsel to development groups using different technologies for power generation (thermo, hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal power projects) and also to local and foreign banks in financing such type of projects. She also has experience in legal due diligence processes for financing and acquisition of companies.

In 2008, Gabriela was appointed by the National Association of Power Generators (ANG) as the energy generators’ representative with the Board of Wholesale Electricity Market Administrator (AMM) in Guatemala. She has held the position for two consecutive terms. During her tenure, she actively participated in amending and modifying local energy regulations and rules to comply with international treaties to which Guatemala is a member in relation to the integration of the Regional Electricity Market (MER) throughout Central America.

Gabriela has been a panelist and speaker in international infrastructure and energy forums and seminars and has represented industry associations and entities.

Before QIL+4 Abogados, Gabriela was founding partner of 4Abogados and worked as an attorney at Bufete Olivero, S.A. from 1999 to 2010.

Beatriz Spiess

Beatriz Spiess, notary, specializes in structuring and financing of urban and rural real estate investments assisting developers in all stages of their projects; as well in the purchase, sale and lease of real estate properties for housing or commercial purposes and advising on development of agribusinesses. Beatriz is further part of the regulatory and environmental practice group and participates in due diligence processes, regulatory analysis and advise in compliance with permits and authorizations in various industries, energy projects and infrastructure projects. She has advised both sponsors and lenders in the purchase, sale and project financing of renewable energy projects, mainly photovoltaic and wind. She has further advised oil & gas companies carrying exploration activities onshore and offshore within the Ronda Uruguay bids, in regulatory matters and easements. She has experience in mining, having advised national and international clients on mining easement processes as well as due diligence, lease and mortgages of mining permits and she completed the Graduate Course on Mining Law of the University of Uruguay Graduate Center in 2007.

Cecilia Azar

Cecilia is a lawyer specialized in arbitration, mediation and judicial procedures related to alternative means of dispute resolution with more than 25 years of experience.

She joined Galicia as a partner in 2018, where she focuses her practice on complex domestic and international commercial disputes. Acting as arbitrator, counsel, mediator or expert, she has developed a broad experience, particularly in cases related to the energy, infrastructure, construction and commercial mediations.

Among its clients are national and foreign companies that have entered into agreements related to energy or construction and infrastructure matters. Her recent cases involve complex disputes arising from PPA and public and private work agreements. She has participated in matters related to distribution agreements, technology transfer and international sales.

Cecilia is recognized for her expertise and record of accomplishment in complex judicial proceedings related to arbitration before Mexican courts, such as set aside and enforcement of awards, interim measures, amongst others. In close collaboration with other practice areas of the Firm, she advises clients in Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) matters, specifically by analyzing investment protection provisions in Investment Treaties to which Mexico is party.

She teaches arbitration and mediation in undergraduate and graduate courses at UNAM, ITAM and CIDE.

She currently serves as president of the Mexican Institute of Arbitration (Instituto Mexicano de Arbitraje) (IMA) and vice-president of the Arbitration Commission of the ICC Mexico. She is appointed as conciliator for Mexico in ICSID proceedings and is a member of the International Arbitration Court of the ICC. Previously, she served as Secretary General and Counsel of the Mexican Arbitration Center (CAM). She also served as a consultant for the Mediation Project in Mexico sponsored by the American Bar Association and USAID.

She regularly publishes and speaks on alternative dispute resolution.

She is recommended by Who’s Who Legal as both a national and global leader, praised in Chambers and Partners for her “analytical skills”, and described by The Legal 500 as a “highly-respected arbitration specialist”.

Her native language is Spanish and she is fluent in English and French.

Michelle Pector

Michelle Pector is a seasoned trial lawyer and trusted counselor who is co-chair of Morgan Lewis’s energy litigation practice and a member of the firm’s COVID-19 Texas Taskforce. For two decades, Michelle has represented energy and healthcare clients in a wide range of business and employment disputes with an emphasis on complex commercial litigation, injunction proceedings, trade secret disputes, business fraud, supply chain disputes, alleged corporate wrongdoing, consumer litigation, and M&A disputes. Michelle also has experience defending class actions for energy clients.

Bernardo van der Laat

Bernardo holds the position of Director in BLP’s San José office. He has more than 11 years of experience in Business Law, with an emphasis on Mergers and Acquisitions.

During his career, Bernardo has advised national and foreign companies including pharmaceutical, financial and service centers in legal aspects of their day to day activities.

Bernardo has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, in which he has participated nationally and internationally, such as the advice given to GDF Suez in the sale of its $8 billion of assets in Costa Rica and Panama.

In addition to his work as a corporate lawyer, Bernardo is highly active in pro bono initiatives, civic activities, and public reform projects, such as the social enterprise La Esquina, which aims to generate employment and comprehensive support to members of communities at high social risk. In the same way, he has participated in the initiative Citizen Power Association Now! (Asociación Poder Ciudadano Ya!) which originates political proposals in Costa Rica and is one of the founding members of the Association for Electric Mobility, which seeks to promote the decarbonization of transportation in Costa Rica.

He joined the BLP team as an Associate in 2011, after having worked as a Legal Assistant at Facio Abogados and Zürcher, Odio & Raven.

Patricia Silberman

Partner of Carey and co-head of the Corporate / Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, global finance, securities, capital markets and international trade.