Howard Kleinman, partner and co-head of the Latin America practice, focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and financial transactions, with a strong focus on businesses and investors in Latin America. Drawing on nearly three decades of international experience, Howard offers strategic legal guidance and sound business solutions with respect to complex, cross-border transactions and transformational corporate initiatives. His clients include a variety of publicly owned and privately held companies and financial institutions based in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, among other jurisdictions, and whose investments, operations and other interests span a range of industries, including financial services, consumer products (including food and beverage), retail, entertainment, energy, transportation and more.
Fluent in Spanish and English, Howard has significant experience advising leading regional real estate developers regarding US-focused development, as well as Latin American companies seeking to establish or expand their global footprint across the United States and abroad. Clients that Howard has advised include Grupo Mexico, Grupo Sordo Madaleno, Grupo Boticario, Compania Cervecerias Unidas S.A., SKY Airlines, Cinepolis and Record TV. He regularly handles complex cross-border matters for clients such as a $2.1 billion multinational transaction involving the acquisition of a US freight transportation business, by a Mexico-based enterprise.
Howard has also represented a variety of clients in high-profile energy transactions, including a member of an investor consortium that was awarded a US$1.5 billion project finance bid for the development of a 1500-kilometer, high-voltage direct current transmission line in Chile—the largest project finance transaction in Latin America at the time.
Howard regularly advises asset managers and alternative investment firms in the region. Clients include Vinci Partners, Itau Asset Management, EB Capital, Jive Investmientos, Prisma Capital, IG4, BCI Asset Management and Bice Inversiones.
Howard has advised on some of the most important restructurings in regions, including the Chapter 11 of Latam Airlines, the Chapter 11 of Corpgroup Banking and the restructuring of Gildemeister.
With regard to debt and equity offerings, Howard has experience with US-registered public offerings, including offerings under Rule 144A private placements, as well as exchange offers, debt tenders, consent solicitations, offerings outside the United States under Regulation S, and liability-management transactions. He also counsels US and non-US issuers on corporate governance matters and ongoing disclosure obligations under US federal securities laws.
In addition to his work for clients, Howard is a prolific writer on topics such as foreign investment matters, environmental, social and governance (ESG) mandates, energy law and corruption and bribery.
