D’Empaire remains a major force in the Venezuelan legal market, winning what limited cross-border work there still is thanks to its excellent international reputation and partner-heavy team. High-value M&As are very rare in Venezuela, but when they do happen D’Empaire is involved, particularly if there are cross-border elements to them. Notably, the firm worked on two of the transactions that won the Latin Lawyer Deal of the Year Award in 2021: it provided Venezuela law advice to Grupo Werthein on its purchase of the Latin American assets of AT&T and represented Navent Group in its sale to real estate platform Quinto Andar. Few firms in the country have been able to pull this off.
D’Empaire’s commitment to retaining top talent through attractive remuneration packages, promotions and lateral hires helps explain its continued dominance in a market where young lawyers continue to seek opportunities abroad. In 2022, the firm promoted two associates to partner and counsel, bolstering its labour and employment practice.
D’Empaire’s transactional practices are supported by other highly regarded offerings. Its environment, labour and tax departments are among the best in the market and busy thanks to constantly changing government regulations. It also offers an excellent white-collar crime and compliance offering, a rarity in Venezuela.
Outside the country, the firm’s reputation is strong, and it maintains a high profile thanks to effective marketing strategies and a charismatic partnership. Many of its top partners have experience working at major US firms, and these connections are clearly used to maximise cross-border work. The firm’s senior partnership regularly speaks at international conferences and events.
Alliances & networks
D’Empaire is part of insurance law firm network Insuralex. It is a longstanding member of the World Law Group network and Ius Laboris, which is a global alliance of employment, labour and pension law firms.