Significant Shearman & Sterling Transactions Cited as LatinFinance 'Deals of the Year'

NEW YORK, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Drawing on insight from the leading investors, issuers and bankers doing work across Latin America, LatinFinance named its 2010 Deals of the Year, and Shearman & Sterling's commanding cross-practice work from its New York and Sao Paulo offices translated into recognition on four major transactions.

The firm was recognized for its lead role in the following deals:

Best Domestic M&A Transaction | Itau Unibanco

Best Quasi-Sovereign Bond | Ecopetrol

Best Primary Equity Issue | VisaNet

Best Sovereign Liability Management | Republic of Peru

"We are very pleased by the recognition from the financial services community in Latin America and from the editorial staff at LatinFinance," said Andrew Janszky, who leads Shearman & Sterling's Latin America practice and is managing partner of the firm's Sao Paulo office. "We continue to do very important, complex work throughout the region, and we anticipate a continued high level of activity throughout Latin America in 2010."

Best Domestic M&A Transaction | Itau Unibanco merger

Shearman & Sterling advised Banco Itau and Unibanco on their merger, a transaction that created Latin America's largest bank, with more than US$260 billion in assets. The firm was initially hired by Itau and subsequently retained by Unibanco as well to advise both parties on U.S. securities law issues pertaining to the merger. The Shearman & Sterling team, representing multiple practice areas in both the New York and Sao Paulo offices, was led by partners Andrew Janszky, Bradley Sabel and Robert Ellison and included partner Russell Sacks, counsel Charles Gittleman and associates Christian Gloger, Irene Kelly Karapetyan, Felipe Camara, Jonathan Kellner and Cristina Milani.

Best Quasi-Sovereign Bond | Ecopetrol $1.5 billion 7.625% of 2019

Shearman & Sterling acted as U.S. counsel to Ecopetrol S.A. for the Rule 144A/Regulation S offering of its US$1.5 billion 7.625% Notes due 2019 with registration rights. The Notes are expected to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange following registration. This deal represented Ecopetrol's debut offering into the international capital markets following its approximately $4 billion IPO in Colombia in 2007 and the listing of its ADRs on the New York Stock Exchange ADR in 2008. The Shearman & Sterling team representing Ecopetrol was led by partners Antonia Stolper and Don Lonczak and included associates Alejandro Gordano, Grissel Mercado and Matthew Tsiaras.

Best Primary Equity Issue | VisaNet

Shearman & Sterling represented VisaNet and its principal selling shareholders, Visa International, Banco do Brasil, Banco Bradesco and Banco Santander, in the US$4.3 billion (R$8.4 billion) initial public offering of VisaNet's common shares. This record-breaking IPO was the largest ever in Brazil and the world's largest IPO in 2009 at July 8. VisaNet is the leading company in credit and debit card transaction processing in Brazil. The Shearman & Sterling Sao Paulo-based team was led by partners Andrew Janszky and Robert Ellison and included associates Fabiana Sakai, Tobias Stirnberg, Ana Absy and Luciana Fraga.

Best Sovereign Liability Management | Republic of Peru $1.0 billion tap of 7.35% bonds due 2025 to repay Paris Club debt

Shearman & Sterling represented UBS Investment Bank and J.P. Morgan as joint underwriters in connection with the reopening offering by the Republic of Peru of $1 billion of its 7.35% U.S. Dollar-Denominated Global Bonds due 2025. This issuance was the second international bond issuance by Peru this year, and Shearman & Sterling advised the underwriters on both deals. The bonds were listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange's Euro MTF Market. The Shearman & Sterling New York-based team was led by partner Antonia Stolper and included associates Alejandro Gordano, Samara Abrams and Jennifer Pacella.

Shearman & Sterling is considered a leader in providing legal counsel on issues of U.S., English, German, Italian, French and international law in connection with Latin American transactions and disputes. The firm's Latin America practice includes both Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking partners and associates who work across borders and practice areas, providing legal representation to companies in the region as they expand abroad and to clients from outside the region in their inbound activities.

CONTACT: Gaston Terrones Dimant, +1-212-819-4839

SOURCE Shearman & Sterling LLP