Baker McKenzie is a well-established market player in the country and boasts an impeccable track record. While other international firms have chosen to jump ship in the face of Venezuela’s economic and political woes, Baker McKenzie’s extensive experience here has largely helped it keep operations going. In an environment where companies need to prepare for every eventuality, adept lawyers are a must. Blending deep knowledge of the local legal environment with the benefits of a phenomenally successful global platform, Baker McKenzie fits that bill perfectly. The firm provides its clients with the best of both worlds and fields a partnership that contains some of Venezuela’s sharpest legal minds, with lawyers that can provide an offering that few can match and are well-positioned to react to any change to Venezuela’s status quo.
The firm’s managing partner Ronald Evans steers a tight ship. Evans was the first chief of the Venezuelan tax administration’s (SENIAT) international affairs division and served as Venezuela’s official negotiator for double taxation treaties from 1994 to 1996. He has worked hard to make the firm the first port of call for tax work in Venezuela.
Baker McKenzie considers its training programmes a vital factor in its success. Young lawyers joining these programmes face rigorous commercial awareness preparation to absorb the business-savvy knowledge now demanded by clients. The firm’s young lawyers are sent to courses overseas to ensure they are prepared for commercial realities. Oil and gas, mining and pharmaceuticals are areas in which the firm has won work in recent years, which shows the approach is working. Meanwhile, the firm is currently planning to expand its anti-corruption investigation and compliance practice groups with lateral hires.
Offices
Baker McKenzie lawyers in Venezuela are now all based in Caracas following the closure of its other office in the country a few years ago. Elsewhere in Latin America, Baker McKenzie has offices in Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Lima and Santiago, as well as several in Mexico.