Greenberg Traurig Continues to Grow its Mexico City Office with the Addition of Shareholder Juan Manuel Gonzalez Bernal and a Group of Six Lawyers

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP announced today that Juan Manuel Gonzalez Bernal ("Gonzalez") has joined the firm as a shareholder in its newly established office in Mexico City. Gonzalez brings with him a group of six lawyers to practice in the Global Energy and Infrastructure Practice, including of counsel Pedro J. Resendez and associates Carlos R. Garduno and Miguel Yturbe. 

Gonzalez joins Greenberg Traurig, S.C. from the law firm of Galicia Abogados, S.C. in Mexico City. Licensed to practice law in both Mexico and the state of New York, he brings more than a decade of experience leading numerous capital market transactions, equity landmark transactions, public offerings and tender offers for major infrastructure projects in Mexico. Gonzalez also practices in the debt capital markets and advises on corporate issuances, Euro Pesos issuances, structured financings and cross-border banking and securities transactions. 

"Juan's addition is very valuable to Greenberg Traurig, especially as we continue to grow our Mexico City office from our current 21 attorneys to 30 by mid-year," said Luis Rubio Barnetche, managing shareholder of the Mexico City office. "He brings a unique integrated approach to solve infrastructure matters as well as a global perspective to our clients. We are delighted to welcome him and his team."

Gonzalez has been recognized for almost a decade by several leading business publications for his work on several projects, including: the securitization of two greenfield long term contracts by ICA at the Bolsa Mexicana de Valores MXN 9.7 billion ($709 million) on September 2011 with the transaction being awarded three different recognitions as a "Deal of the Year" by Latin Finance, Project Finance and IFLR; the Instituto de la Funcion Registral del Estado de Mexico (State of Mexico Securitization of its Public Registry) transaction, which received a 2010 Emerging Markets Award, Latin America Domestic Currency Bond, from International Financing Review and was recognized as Best Structured Financing Deal and Best Financing Innovation of 2010 by Latin Finance Magazine; the La Yesca Hydroelectric Project, named the "Americas Power Deal of the Year (2007)" by Project Finance International magazine; the refinancing of the Mexico Toluca toll road project, awarded Latin American Refinancing Deal of the Year 2006 by Project Finance Magazine; the first P3 in Mexico Irapuato-La Piedad project, named Latin American PPP Project of the year for 2006 by Project Finance Magazine; and The El Cajon Hydroelectric Project, named Latin American Power Project 2004 by Project Finance Magazine. Gonzalez also advises on public pension funds, regulatory issues and infrastructure operations for various industries, including hydraulic rail, waste management, transportation and healthcare.

"We are delighted to add someone of Juan's expertise to our Mexico City office," said Patricia Menendez-Cambo, chair of the Global Practice and co-chair of the Global Energy & Infrastructure Practice. "His experience in leading large complex infrastructure projects, coupled with his experience in the capital markets in both the U.S. and Mexico, will be a great addition to our existing Latin American capital markets and global energy and infrastructure teams."

From 2002 to 2010, Gonzalez was a partner at White & Case LLP. Previously, he worked at Valuacion y Venta de Activos where he managed large asset and loan portfolio dispositions. He was part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiation team between 1992 and 1994. Gonzalez received his law degree in 1992 from Escuela Libre de Derecho and his LL.M. in 1995 from Harvard Law School.

Resendez brings more than a decade of experience counseling governmental entities and private companies on infrastructure projects in the oil, gas, energy and electric industries. He is a frequent author and lecturer on infrastructure, investment and energy issues.

Resendez has provided counsel to the El Cajon 750 MW Hydroelectric Project and has also led a number of acquisitions and joint ventures for a wide range of companies in the transportation, manufacturing, financial and real estate industries with an accumulated value of $15 billion. He received his law degree from Universidad Iberoamerica in Mexico City and his LL.M. from New York University School of Law. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, Resendez was an attorney with Gonzalez Calvillo, S.C. in Mexico City.

Yturbe and Garduno have extensive experience in Project Finance, Securities and Banking. Yturbe graduated from Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico Law School in Mexico City and received his LL.M. from the University of Chicago Law School. Garduno received his law degree from Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City and his LL.M. from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Mexico City, Greenberg Traurig's 33rd office, focuses on providing legal services to international clients seeking to enter the Mexican and Latin American markets, as well as those with established businesses in the region.

Greenberg Traurig's Latin America Team has received numerous awards from Chambers and Partners, Latin Lawyer, Project Finance International and IFLR. Members have advised companies on energy, telecommunications, media and infrastructure projects in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and throughout Latin America.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with approximately 1800 attorneys serving clients from more than 30 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia. In the U.S., the firm has more offices than any other among the Top 10 on The National Law Journal's 2011 NLJ 250. In Mexico, the firm operates as Greenberg Traurig, S.C., and in the U.K., as Greenberg Traurig Maher LLP. Greenberg Traurig has a strategic alliance with the independent law firm, Studio Santa Maria with offices in Milan and Rome. The firm was Chambers and Partners' USA Law Firm of the Year in 2007 and among the Top 3 in the International Law Firm of the Year at the 2009 The Lawyer Awards. For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.

SOURCE Greenberg Traurig, LLP