Leonel Pereznieto del Prado

Practice Areas

Insurance & Reinsurance, Transportation, Investigations & Compliance and Regulatory.

Career

As head of our Firm’s insurance and reinsurance practice Mr. Pereznieto is a strategic advisor for global insurance and broker groups in connection with their local set-up and acquisitions, the design of innovative commercial arrangements and reinsurance structures. Mr. Pereznieto is also active in contentious insurance and reinsurance matters, including the recent representation of the local subsidiary of a global insurance group, in arbitration against a foreign reinsurer in relation to one of the largest coverage programs arranged for the Mexican Government’s housing sector.

On the Transportation front Mr. Pereznieto provides transactional and regulatory advice to clients active in every mode of transportation -rail, air, seagoing and motor carriage- both on logistics and infrastructure projects. In this capacity he has advised a leading global container terminal operator in the development of strategic port infrastructure on the Mexican Gulf Coast.

As a member of our Firm’s Investigations and Compliance practice group, Mr. Pereznieto has conducted numerous complex anticorruption and white-collar investigations. In close collaboration with international counsel, Mr. Pereznieto has participated in investigations involving conducts in Mexico with a cross border impact. His expertise in Regulatory issues enhances his investigations and compliance capabilities, while affording clients effective advice on Government matters including procurement, concessions, licenses, and cooperation agreements.

Mr. Pereznieto was ranked in the top tier for insurance by Chambers & Partners, with one source stating: “Leonel is an experienced, pragmatic and commercially aware adviser” (Chambers & Partners: Latin America, 2022).

Mr. Pereznieto worked as Foreign Associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr. He also served as a legal intern with Judge Peter J. Messitte at the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

Professional Memberships

Mr. Pereznieto is a member of the International Bar Association (Anti-Corruption Committee) and the Anticorruption Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) (Mexico Chapter).

Publications

He is an author of several publications in his areas of expertise, including a series of articles on the new legal framework of insurance in Mexico in the International Comparative Law Guide (ICLG): Insurance and Reinsurance. He is a co-author of the Mexico Chapter of The Transport Finance Law Review. Mr. Pereznieto will be featured on the Mexico Chapter of the upcoming 4th Edition of the Global Legal Insights: Bribery and Corruption writing about the new anticorruption framework in Mexico.

Personal

Mr. Leonel received his law degree (JD) from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City in 1998, obtained an LL.M degree from University College London in 1999 and obtained an LL.M degree from Georgetown University in 2000. Mr. Pereznieto was admitted to the Bar of the State of New York in 2001 and is in good standing.