Estudio Alegria, Buey Fernández, Fissore y Montemerlo

Founding Partner: Dr Héctor Alegria
Partners: Pablo A Buey Fernández, Gabriel H Fissore, Miguel Montemerlo, Javier Alegria
Number of partners: 5
Number of associates: 10
Number of counsel: 2

Firm Overview:
Estudio Alegria, Buey Fernández, Fissore & Montemerlo is one of the leading law firms in Argentina, highly regarded for its intervention in complex and sophisticated cases, and as provider of international legal services. Local and international specialised publications have profiled the firm’s practice as the best for debt restructuring and bankruptcy cases and its members have been recommended among the best M&A practitioners in Argentina. The firm has consistently appeared and excelled in innovative, highly complex transactions, teaming up with specialists in other areas of law as well as with investment bankers, forming an interdisciplinary cohesive working group. This has not impaired the firm’s ability to develop sound and long-lasting relationships with clients in providing general corporate legal assistance. The firm has a staff of qualified, experienced attorneys, fluent in several foreign languages. Most partners have completed graduate studies and worked abroad.

Areas of Practice:

Main Areas of Practice:

Insolvency/Debt Restructuring:
The firm possesses unique expertise in bankruptcy practice, which has been highlighted by its performance in cases with nationwide repercussions. The firm has been involved in the most complex cases of bankruptcy restructuring; litigation and intervention in judicial and out-of-court arrangements.

Litigation & Arbitration:
In line with its practice in the fields described in this section, the firm is engaged in international and domestic commercial arbitration cases dealt with under the ICC, UNICITRAL and local institutions’ rules. The firm also represents clients in litigation ranging from banking and securities regulation to class actions and other cases where complex commercial issues are involved.

Corporate/Capital Markets/Compliance:
The firm provides counselling on diverse transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, takeovers, public offerings of securities, authorisations for listing on the Stock Exchange, corporate financing, joint ventures, foreign investments and transfer of technology. The firm is also engaged in extensive corporate consulting, cooperating in the drafting of documents (such as forms, notes, joint ventures and standard documents for transactions with third parties), agreements and the multidisciplinary design of development and managerial strategies, as well as providing solutions to particular issues. Dispute resolution with respect to shareholders is also a specialty area of Estudio ABFFM. All branches of commercial law are dealt within this area. The firm also advises on compliance matters, including the design of integrity programs, code of ethics, policies and the like.

Banking & Finance:
The firm provides a full range of services in the banking business, including: the organisation and chartering of commercial and investment banks; foreign investments in the banking industry; mergers and acquisitions; rescheduling and restructuring negotiations; loan agreements; project financing; leasings; representation before the Central Bank and matters related to this practice, especially banking guarantees and regulatory compliance. It also advises on project financing. The firm also advises on compliance issues, including compliance and integrity programs and the like.

Administrative Law:
The firm also advises clients on administrative law. In this field, especially, the firm is frequently called upon by federal agencies and private sector entities to render specific advice owing to the specialisation and professional reputation of some of its members. Furthermore, the firm was actively involved in the privatisation of state-owned companies and PPP financing, advising international and major local clients in the bidding process, counseling on subjects such as structuring financial packages to meet tender requirements, representing clients in foreign debt swaps, establishing joint ventures and other business organisations to participate in bidding processes for privatisation and other similar purposes.

International Work:
International deals on which the firm has worked include: representing the debtors in almost every largest cross-border debt restructurings; acting in several arbitration proceedings mainly before the International Chamber of Commerce, both as counsel to the parties and some of the firm’s senior partners as arbitrators; incorporating and giving general corporate legal advice to international corporations (including private equity clients) especially in M&A and asset transfer transactions; and advising corporations and financial institutions in capital markets financing (debt and equity), project financing and PPP projects.

Languages:
English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish.

Clients:
The firm’s international clients include international groups, private equity firms, multilateral agencies and other major industrial, financial and commercial companies from a wide array of business sectors.