Duane Morris LLP and Mexico City Law Firm Miranda & Estavillo, S.C., Enter Agreement to Formalize Cooperative Relationship

PHILADELPHIA and MEXICO CITY, June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- International law firm Duane Morris LLP has entered into an agreement creating an alliance with Mexico City law firm Miranda & Estavillo, S.C.  The agreement formalizes and strengthens a longtime referral and networking relationship between the two firms.  The firms have provided clients with legal counsel on U.S. and Mexican legal issues, particularly in the area of international corporate transactions. The firms will now offer clients expanded geographic reach and practice strength in cross-border matters.  

"This is an auspicious day for Duane Morris," said John Soroko, Chairman of Duane Morris. "Economic growth in Mexico and throughout Latin America has created a wealth of attractive business opportunities across numerous industries and markets.  By enhancing our already strong working relationship with Miranda & Estavillo, Duane Morris is greatly expanding our cross-border transactional capabilities in Mexico and Latin America, and is now even better-positioned to assist clients."  Duane Morris operates 20 offices in the U.S. and international offices in London, Singapore and Vietnam.

Duane Morris has a history of representing clients in connection with Mexico and throughout Latin America.  "We have lawyers in the U.S. who are licensed in Mexico," Soroko said, "and we work with many clients there, representing them in direct investment, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, litigation, bankruptcy and other issues.  This is in addition to our work with the Miranda & Estavillo team, with whom we are now growing our relationship."

"We are happily formalizing our strategic relationship with this great U.S. firm, as we are impressed with Duane Morris's reputation, especially in corporate transactions, intellectual property, energy and other areas of interest to our current clients -- as well as its significant presence in key U.S. and global markets," said Fernando Estavillo, senior partner and co-founder of Miranda & Estavillo. "We look forward to working more closely with Duane Morris attorneys to meet the needs of our clients."

Under the current agreement, Duane Morris and Miranda & Estavillo are remaining separate firms, and will not maintain a joint law practice.

About Miranda & Estavillo

Founded in 1974, Miranda & Estavillo now has 15 lawyers representing domestic and international clients in diverse areas. The firm's practices include corporate and tax law; finance and insurance; mining; oil, gas and energy law; environmental issues; competition; foreign trade; customs; and public procurement. Its lawyers also focus on dispute resolution, commercial arbitration, communications, real estate, intellectual property and copyrights, licensing and franchising, mining, health and pharmaceuticals, admiralty law and other issues.

Miranda & Estavillo is led by partners Fernando Estavillo, Alejandro Staines and Cristina Sanchez-Urtiz.

Estavillo, co-founder of the firm, concentrates his practice on international business transactions and international contracts. He has advised clients in connection with mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures; antitrust law; constitutional law; public procurement; commercial arbitration; mining; oil, gas and petrochemicals regulations.  He regularly participates in specialized seminars and congresses in Mexico and abroad on law-related subjects.

Staines focuses his practice in the areas of corporate, financing, banking, international transactions and intellectual property.  He regularly handles all aspects of the incorporation and structuring of companies, as well as domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, sales and joint ventures.  In addition, he represents both financial institutions and borrowers in the negotiation of loans, trusts, and securities agreements.  Staines has also advised clients on public and private stock offerings, franchise management and a comprehensive range of trademark, copyright and patent matters.

Sanchez-Urtiz centers her practice on tax, corporate and commercial law, representing  foreign companies doing business in Mexico and Central America.  She advises clients on Mexican and treaty-based tax provisions, as well as on transfer pricing rules and customs law.  She also works on tax, customs and administrative litigation.  In addition to tax matters, Sanchez-Urtiz's practice encompasses numerous areas of corporate law, including incorporation, mergers and acquisitions, the spin-off and liquidation of companies, joint ventures, associations and corporate restructuring.

About Duane Morris

Duane Morris LLP, a full-service law firm with more than 700 attorneys in 24 offices in the United States and internationally, offers innovative solutions to the legal and business challenges presented by today's evolving global markets

SOURCE Duane Morris LLP