Payet, Rey, Cauvi, Pérez Abogados has become one of Peru’s most prominent dealmakers in less than three decades and is regularly seen on important transactions as well as on some of the more innovative work in the country. Complementing its transactional strength is an aptitude for dispute resolution and antitrust work, both of which are booming and highly regarded. Indeed, it is safe to say that this firm is a strong all-around player, with a calibre of lawyers who can please the neediest of clients.
Having passed the 100-lawyer mark a few years ago, Payet Rey has consolidated itself as one of the five largest law firms included in the Latin Lawyer 250 in this market. It considers that its horizontal structure, along with a deep-rooted culture of keeping the firm tightly together, makes it agile and allows it to coordinate deals across teams more efficiently while maintaining quality and top-notch services as its hallmark. The goal is yet to become a full-service leader in Peru, for which the partnership believes it is on the right track, having only to fine-tune and consolidate. White-collar crime, competition and regulatory work are areas it intends to grow to take the next steps.
Meanwhile, client feedback underscores that Payet Rey is one of Peru's most popular firms. According to in-house counsel research into Who Represents Latin America’s Biggest Companies conducted by the Latin American Corporate Counsel Association (LACCA), which is affiliated to Latin Lawyer, the firm is among the top five firms in the country advising this type of clients, with 13 leading Latin American companies on its roster. América Móvil, LATAM Airlines and Southern Peru are some of the companies which turn here.
Payet Rey takes a modern approach to providing legal services, which can be attributed to the firm’s youth and excellent working relationships with global firms with active profiles in Latin America. The firm’s partnership has three generations of lawyers, giving it a good transitional process of management, responsibilities and client networking. While the firm is youthful, its senior rank is less diverse than some rivals, something its leadership recognises and is working to change. Half of the workforce are women, and a significant share of counsel and partner promotions over the past few years have been women. It has an internal career advancement programme for female lawyers through which young talent are partnered with experienced practitioners to gain support and advice for career development. Generating space for younger generations also remains an important concern for management.
As a sign of the firm’s strong belief in its talent, it promoted five lawyers to partner at the start of 2022. Although the firm has regularly appointed new partners, that round of promotion stood out as one of the firm’s largest in a long time.
When it comes to social responsibility, Payet Rey believes it must do its part, understanding that it is more than just giving people flexibility but changing their mindset, and thinks it can benefit from having a more inclusive workplace. In recent initiatives, it enhanced its parental leave policies and claims to be one of the first Peruvian organisations to offer LGTBQI+ employees the ability to enrol their partners in the company’s health insurance scheme. Meritocratic values will not be sacrificed, but a zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination is enforced and flexitime is on offer to all. Payet Rey’s leadership is overwhelmingly convinced that diversity will make the firm better and enrich its professionals.
Other key initiatives with an impact on the broader society concern sustainability. It has teamed up with an external organisation to improve internal and external awareness about the environment and helped businesses set up programmes to boost their recycling.
Payet Rey’s diversity and environmental efforts are not its only important initiatives. The firm is determined to join Peru’s fight against corruption and has integrity and ethics policies in place, along with internal bribery and anti-money laundering systems. In addition to publishing a set of guiding principles, the firm conducts detailed know-your-client checks on all its clients, turning down questionable ones and avoiding dubious co-counsel. The goal is to be beyond ill repute in a country that has been paralysed by graft scandals and acts of corruption.
Management
José Antonio Payet and Juan Antonio Egüez are the firm’s co-managing partners. They sit on the managing committee alongside Carlos Patrón, who oversees business development matters, and Juan José Cauvi and Susan Castillo, both of whom oversee human resources aspects at the firm.
Alliances & networks
Payet Rey is a member of the global independent law firm alliance World Law Group.