Leading global legal practice Hogan Lovells today announced that it has agreed to combine  with prominent Mexican firm Barrera, Siqueiros y Torres Landa (“BSTL”), giving Hogan Lovells expanded capabilities in Mexico City and Monterrey. Hogan Lovells’ 46th and 47th offices will add further muscle to the firm’s market-leading Latin America practice, adding new opportunities for its global clientele of multi-national companies and financial institutions doing business in Latin America’s second largest economy.

The combination is expected be become effective on 1 August 2014, at which time Hogan Lovells will begin operating in Mexico as Hogan Lovells BSTL, as part of its Americas region. Hogan Lovells is the first global legal practice to merge with a large full service firm in Mexico, and is now one of only two global firms to have offices in Mexico City, Rio de Janiero, Sao Paulo, Houston, Miami, and Caracas.

“2013 ushered in sweeping structural reforms for Mexico, which could unlock major potential for investors and companies in a broad range of industries that are looking to capitalize on the current environment,” said Hogan Lovells CEO Steve Immelt. “Hogan Lovells understands the potential Mexico offers for our global clients and knows it is important to have full service capabilities on the ground in this region. BSTL is a firm with 65 years of history sharing our values, quality and international outlook, making them the perfect addition to our leading Latin America practice.”

Recognized by Chambers Global in all of its practices and by Latin Lawyer as one of the top firms in Mexico, BSTL has grown dramatically since opening its doors in 1948 during one of the most significant periods of Mexican modernization. As Hogan Lovells BSTL, the Mexico City and Monterrey offices will comprise about 70 lawyers, including 16 partners, and will focus primarily on corporate, commercial, litigation and arbitration, energy, real estate, telecoms and media, and transportation work.

Their principal practice areas include corporate and commercial, litigation, competition, real estate, automotive, energy, financial institutions, life sciences and transportation. Their client base ranges major international companies and their subsidiaries to state-owned enterprises and domestic organizations companies.

Hogan Lovells is well-known for its active and successful Latin American practice, which currently has more than 60 lawyers globally, and it already handles a substantial amount of inbound and outbound Mexican projects and disputes. The combination with BSTL will change the competitive landscape in Mexico and secure Hogan Lovells’ position as a leader in the market.  Major Mexico-based client matters in the past year include:

• advising the Government of Mexico in its most significant telecommunications and satellite investment in 20 years, establishing a new state-of-the-art multi-satellite offering for both national security and social infrastructure communications;
• advising Euler Hermes (Allianz) in the establishment of its joint venture with MAPFRE, which integrated the two companies’ trade-related credit insurance activities in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Spain and now operates under the brand Solunion; and
• advising Playa Hotels & Resorts, B.V. (Playa), a leading owner, operator, and developer of all-inclusive beach resorts, in a series of 11 concurrent, interrelated transactions, resulting in its ownership of an integrated portfolio of 13 resorts and a scalable management company, as well as a strategic alliance with Hyatt.

An expanded physical presence in Mexico has become increasingly important for Hogan Lovells, with a majority of leading clients having operations there. As foreign investors continue to increase their investments in Mexico, there is an increasing number of complex financial transactions in this area.

“Both Hogan Lovells and Barrera, Siqueiros y Torres Landa are prominent firms in their markets with high-quality lawyers and practices,” said BSTL co-managing partner Juan Francisco Torres Landa. “The combination ensures that we continue offering our clients outstanding legal services on a truly global platform.”