Bruchou & Funes de Rioja maintains a reputation as an undisputed leader in finance transactions, capably managing a volume and quality of work that most law firms in Argentina would struggle to compete with. Although, its offering spans further than transactional work, making it a powerful full-service platform.
The firm’s finance practice continues to be high in demand, having become so partly due to the group’s excellent links to financial institutions, while its capital markets offering is a cut above the rest and is frequently seen on sizable and innovative transactions. In addition to this, the corporate and M&A team is, without doubt, one of the strongest in Argentina.
The ongoing political and economic challenges in Argentina have resulted in little direct investment from foreign companies. Nevertheless, the firm keeps experiencing a steady flow of work in some of its practice areas, including restructuring, banking and finance, agriculture and customs.
Clients give strong and positive reviews to many segments of the firm’s service offering, including its disputes, labour, tax and natural resources practices. The latter team is busier than ever, as Bruchou & Funes de Rioja is doing a significant amount of work in the renewables and oil and gas sectors. The firm has also invested a lot in its infrastructure department, and it is playing a role in the financing of several important public-private partnership (PPP) projects.
Bruchou & Funes de Rioja has taken big strides to ensure it can offer clients a truly comprehensive service. It routinely analyses the market to ensure it consolidates existing practice areas, as well as adds new ones.
A modified lockstep compensation system designed to assure collaboration is in place, while all lawyers are also assigned a mentor. Mentors are evaluated for their contribution in this area during annual 360-degree performance reviews, where it is given the same weight as bringing in new clients. The firm has also assembled six core values against which partners’ performance is assessed and measured.
Career paths are transparent and meritocratic, and clients welcome the firm’s international air as Bruchou & Funes de Rioja is home to several partners with experience at some of the leading firms in New York. A few years ago, the firm implemented a new, modern corporate governance system to safeguard its future. This is designed to ensure longevity by making it more attractive to younger partners and is a novel structure in Argentina. It is unusual for founding partners to remain at the firm and step aside for a newer managing committee, but Bruchou & Funes de Rioja is striving for continuity and maturity by putting faith in younger generations. The firm has looked to elite examples in other countries to shape its own institutionalised model.
In 2022, the firm elected partner María Lucila Winschel to its executive committee, the first time a woman occupies such a position at the firm. This is also the first time the firm has no founding partners in its executive committee.
In recent years, Bruchou & Funes de Rioja has also established a platform to promote sustainable forms of business and stress the importance of climate action. This initiative aims to meet growing demand from clients regarding concerns that have become increasingly prominent on global, regional and local corporate agendas. The new platform is built on the firm’s environmental, social and corporate governance practice and experience in environmental law, sustainable businesses, clean energies and green financing.
Management
The firm renewed the committee in 2022 and, in line with the merger, it now includes Liban A Kusa, chairman Hugo N L Bruzone, Ignacio Funes de Rioja and Rodrigo Funes de Rioja. This committee works closely with the newly formed board of directors, which includes Eduardo J Viñales, Florencia Funes de Rioja, Guillermo F Perego, José María Bazán, María Lucila Winschel and Mariano L Luchetti.
Alliances and networks
Bruchou is a member of the World Law Group, Taxand, Ius Laboris, International Trademark Association, Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance, Maritime Anti-Corruption Network, Trace International and ICC FraudNet.