Features
Change on the horizon
Ecuador is set to become the newest entrant to the market-friendly Pacific Alliance trade bloc, putting it on a path to receiving greater foreign investment. The legal markets of Ecuador’s prospective trade partners have opened up to foreign firms more than anywhere else in the region. At a roundtable in Quito law firm partners weighed up whether Ecuador’s local heavyweights should fear what is to come, or if there will be enough work to go around.
A balancing act
Lawyers don’t tend to leave a career in private practice to go in-house for the money, instead they’re often after better equilibrium between their professional and personal lives. Nowadays, law firms are competing better with companies on the work–life balance they offer their associates, but how successful are their efforts?
Making it count
Generation Y is often thought of as a tough nut for employers to crack, so it’s positive news for law firm managing partners that a good number of today’s associates have long-term ambitions at the firms they are in. But with so many lawyers having their heart set on becoming partner and only a certain number of spots available, how can firms maintain satisfaction levels among lawyers, whether they’re on the partnership track or not?
What are law firms paying associates?
Fewer Latin American law firm associates feel positive about their salaries than they did a few years ago – and for good reason, as many pay packages are not rising above inflation. But despite meagre economic growth putting paid to increases, more associates rate their wages positively than negatively.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Fernando Aguirre
From self-exile, to partaking in clandestine governments, to helping establish democracy in Bolivia, Fernando Aguirre has redefined what it means to go above and beyond the conventional lawyer’s calling. Latin Lawyer speaks to one of this year’s two Lifetime Achievement Award winners to find out how he balanced his political life with private practice.
Liberal Brazil
As the controversial government of Jair Bolsonaro takes shape in Brazil – with worrying implications for human rights, minorities and the environment – an unprecedented liberalisation programme is substantially changing the country’s economic system. Can it deliver on its promise to attract investors by making Brazil a better place for business?
Grounded
Aviation restructuring has become more common and Latin America is no exception. Lawyers from Brazil and the Dominican Republic share their experiences from recent cases and identify room for improvement in a sector hit by several recent collapses in the region.
Funding Brazil’s infrastructure gap
Upgrading infrastructure is at the top of President Jair Bolsonaro’s list of priorities. A smaller role for the state opens the door to increased private participation in sectors crying out for investment. Ricardo Russo, a partner at Pinheiro Neto Advogados, explains how developers are using Brazil’s capital markets to fund projects.
Big fish in small ponds
It’s no secret that many of Latin America’s largest companies remain controlled by small, concentrated groups reluctant to relinquish control, limiting these entities’ ability to tap into a bigger pool of resources through the capital markets. This status quo makes public M&A deals a rarity in the region. Christina McKeon Frutuoso considers the challenges faced by lawyers when such transactions do arise.
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Latin Lawyer Elite: the firms
The 2019 Latin Lawyer Elite firms are profiled here. Each have carved out their own paths towards excellence and demonstrate unique areas of strength.
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