Holland & Knight's Colombia Practice

COLOMBIA PRACTICE

ABOUT HOLLAND & KNIGHT

Holland & Knight is a global law firm with approximately 2,200 lawyers and other professionals in 34 offices throughout the world. Our lawyers provide representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law. Interdisciplinary practice groups and industry-based teams provide clients with access to attorneys throughout the firm, regardless of location.

We regularly counsel clients in cross-border transactions, taxation, labor and employment, international trade, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital and private equity investments, energy and environmental matters, international licensing and franchising, intellectual property, media and entertainment, public policy and regulation, healthcare and lifesciences, and international litigation and arbitration. Our physical presence in Colombia –combined with the depth and scale of our practices, regional relationships and international reach – enables Holland & Knight to provide comprehensive and seamless legal services to our clients.

LATIN AMERICAN PRACTICE

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT US

2024 Chambers Global

Among the “world’s leading firms” in Latin Americawide: Banking & Finance; Colombia: Banking & Finance, Corporate/M&A and Dispute Resolution

Colombia recognitions for Camilo Gantiva Hidalgo, José Gutiérrez Mestre, Gustavo Pardo, Danilo Romero Raad, Maria Juliana Saa, Julia Velásquez, José Vicente Zapata

attorneys fluent in Spanish and/or Portuguese with multicultural and multilingual services to help clients succeed

years of representing local and international clients doing business in the region

foreign-trained lawyers have worked in our U.S. offices through our renowned Foreign Lawyer Trainee Program

COLOMBIA OUTLOOK

Holland & Knight is well-positioned to address client needs and goals with our full-service representation and value-added services around the globe. We are highly experienced in helping clients in the strategic areas of growth in Colombia, including in financial services, energy, mergers and acquisitions, and transportation and infrastructure.

2024 Legal 500 Latin America

Recommended for Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate/M&A, Dispute ResolutionLitigation, Energy and Natural Resources, Environment, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Public Law and Tax

Recognition for Juan Israel Casallas, Camilo Cuervo, Enrique Gómez-Pinzón, Camilo Gantiva Hidalgo, Estefanny Pardo, Gustavo Pardo, Maria Juliana Saa, Margarita Solorza, Julia Velásquez, Inés Elvira Vesga and José Vicente Zapata

2024 Latin Lawyer 250 Holland & Knight is recognized in Latin America for its ability to “build up a credible reputation” with 39 individuals earning mention; Latin America Practice noted for work in banking and finance, capital markets, corporate and M&A, arbitration and litigation

Bogotá office praised for lawyers’ “agility, quality of service, timeliness and depth of knowledge.”

Colombia recognitions for Camilo Gantiva Hidalgo, Enrique Gómez-Pinzón, Jimena Nieto, Danilo Romero Raad, Maria Juliana Saa, Juan Carlos Valencia Marquez and José Vicente Zapata

2024 Chambers Latin America

24 attorneys honored as “Latin America’s best advisors” with top rankings in International Counsel: Banking & Finance and Project Finance; Colombia: Banking & Finance, Corporate/M&A, Intellectual Property, Competition/Antitrust, Capital Markets, Dispute Resolution, Energy & Natural Resources: Environment, Labor & Employment and Tax

Colombia recognitions for Diego Acevedo – Labor & Employment | Camilo Cuervo – Labor & Employment | Camilo Gantiva Hidalgo – Capital Markets, Banking & Finance | José Gutiérrez Mestre – Dispute Resolution | Gustavo Pardo – Tax | Danilo Romero Raad –Intellectual Property, Competition & Antitrust | Maria Juliana Saa – Banking & Finance | Julia Velásquez –Corporate/M&A | José Vicente Zapata – Energy & Natural Resources: Environment

2023 IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate Guide

Recognized in Colombia for Banking and Finance, Project Development, Project Development: Mining, M&A and Capital Markets: Debt

Recognitions for Camilo Gantiva Hidalgo, Enrique Gómez-Pinzón, Maria Juliana Saa, and José Vicente Zapata

We represent global and Fortune 500 companies, other public corporations, emerging companies, financial and insurance institutions, governmental agencies and private companies.

Collaboration across practices and offices, along with highly focused management of matters and cases, enables us to deliver seamless and efficient support.

FOCUS ON LATIN AMERICAN GROWTH

CLIENTS BENEFIT FROM OUR PRACTICE SYNERGY AND MULTICULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

ƒ Holland & Knight’s substantial experience in a wide range of business sectors is enhanced by our established working relationships with business and government leaders.

ƒ Our Energy Team has extensive experience in Colombian and Latin American environmental compliance and regulatory litigation, oil and gas projects, mining projects, project finance, foreign investment projects, mergers and acquisitions, and complex corporate reorganizations and financial restructurings.

ƒ We have been a key participant in several first-ever transactions in Latin America, including numerous large-scale deals.

OUR TRACK RECORD

The firm partners with clients to deliver innovative business and legal solutions. Holland & Knight is one of the few U.S.-based firms with a full-service office in Colombia, which allows us to play a key role in helping clients achieve their short- and long-term goals.

Recent Notable Deals in the News

ƒ Successfully served as co-counsel to Eco Oro Minerals Corp. in its dispute with the Republic of Colombia before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)

ƒ Advised Bancolombia S.A. as the lender in a refinancing of five hydroelectric power plants operated by Grupo LAREIF; the debt refinancing consisted of a new credit facility for COP$275 billion (approximately US$71.7 million) and the reprofiling of a leasing facility for COP$75 billion (approximately US$19.5 million)

ƒ Represented GeoPark Limited regarding Colombian law matters in the issuance of US$150 million of 5.5 percent senior notes due 2027, issued under Rule 144A/Regulation S

ƒ Advised Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN), as lender in the approval process for the acquisition of Concesion Costera Cartagena Barranquilla S.A.S., the entity that oversees the toll road project connecting Cartagena and Barranquilla in the northern Caribbean coastal region of Colombia

ƒ Advised FDN and Banco Davivienda S.A. as lenders for the solar project Bosques de los Llanos 1; this transaction represents the first project finance structure implemented in Colombia for a nonconventional renewable energy project

ƒ Advised a former representative of engineering and construction firm Benton S.A.S., Monica Viviana Cristancho, in an anticompetitive practice investigation, where the Colombian Competition Authority accused corporations and individuals of colluding in the public bidding for the Bogotá – Girardot road project

CONTACT US

Enrique Gómez-Pinzón Executive Partner

Bogotá | +57.601.745.5800

Washington, D.C. | 202.419.2492 enrique.gomezpinzon@hklaw.com

ƒ Successfully advised and represented Yum! Restaurants International Inc., the owner of KFC trademarks in Colombia, in an intellectual property infringement action against a former franchisee

ƒ Advised Empresa de Energia de Bogotá (EEB) on its US$880 million purchase of 31.92 percent of stock in Transportadora de Gas Internacional (TGI) from The Rohatyn Group and a US$645.5 million syndicated loan to finance the acquisition

ƒ Provided counsel in the complex international merger of the commercial group GeoPark in Colombia, Panama and Delaware (U.S.) as all of its entities, capital and assets were absorbed by a Colombian company

ƒ Legal adviser under Colombian law for MUFG Bank Ltd. on its US$163.5 million financing for the La Virginia-Nueva Esperanza transmission line project; MUFG acted as coordinating lead arranger, administrative agent, offshore collateral agent and hedge provider on the transaction

ƒ Led negotiation process between the USO and CB&I in Cartagena, Colombia, as part of expansion of one of the biggest Colombian infrastructure projects

ƒ Served as New York and Colombia counsel for Bladex and lenders in a US$90 million syndicated loan to Colombia’s Centelsa; lead arranger and administrative agent in US$80 million syndicated loan to Banco Aliado; and sole lead arranger, administrative agent and bookrunner of a nine-bank syndicate on a US$125 million syndicated loan to Banco de Costa Rica

ƒ Represented Proyectos Inmobiliarios, developers of Arena Bogotá, the largest arena in Latin America, in the US$10 million sale of the facility to Cárdenas Entertainment and Marketing Group