Cleary Gottlieb Named to Latin Lawyer 250 ‘International Elite’

Cleary Gottlieb was named to the “International Elite” in the 2025 edition of the Latin Lawyer 250, which recognizes the international firms operating at the very top of the region’s legal market.

In addition to being honored as one of just nine elite firms in the 2025 edition of the guide, Cleary also had 11 practice areas recommended as outstanding across the firm.

Latin Lawyer’s profile of the firm notes that Cleary “is synonymous with excellence when it comes to international law firms with a presence in Latin America” and has secured “decades of landmark achievements on behalf of clients, including corporations, banks, and sovereigns.”

Cleary’s longstanding Latin America practice was also praised for dominating the market and establishing ground-breaking precedents and transactions in the context of cross-border work. According to Latin Lawyer, Cleary is consistently among the top international firms in the region in terms of deal volume and combined deal value.

Cleary is recommended in the following practice areas:

• Anti-Corruption Investigations and Compliance: “Cleary is well-recognized by companies and other practitioners in Latin America and throughout the world for its outstanding white-collar defense, enforcement, and investigations practice.”
• Arbitration: “Lawyers in Cleary’s disputes practice group have extensive experience in commercial, investor-state, and inter-state disputes as well as disputes involving international organizations, and they regularly represent clients before international arbitral tribunals.”
• Banking & Finance: “Cleary leads the way when it comes to the number of clients among the region’s 50 largest banks. With 21 on its books, it is the most popular international firm among these clients.”
• Capital Markets: “Cleary is a cut above the rest when it comes to capital markets, and it is a practice it continues to invest in through organic growth. It wins an important – if not the lion’s share – of work in all the region’s main markets.”
• Corporate and M&A: “Cleary’s renowned corporate and M&A team routinely assists clients that are seeking to make cross-border acquisitions, enter into joint ventures, or make other investments and divestments in Latin America.”
• Environmental, Social & Governance: “Building on its excellent capital markets and finance reputation in Latin America, Cleary has become the go-to firm for sustainable debt offerings and loan transactions for many of the region’s largest corporations and banks.”
• Litigation: “Cleary’s team has time and again proven itself capable of skillfully blending complex international litigation and arbitration across borders.”
• Private Equity: “Cleary largely concentrates on transactional work with private equity clients, working for investors buying assets in the region and advising target companies.”
• Pro Bono: “The firm has for decades partnered with international women’s development non-profit Pro Mujer. It regularly assists the organization on projects relating to forming impact investment funds to support lower-income women in Latin America, drafting template agreements to use with entrepreneurs, and advising on intellectual property and data privacy matters.”
• Project Finance & Infrastructure: “The firm draws on its broad transactional supremacy to deliver a solid project finance offering.”
• Restructuring & Insolvency: “Cleary’s top-tier bankruptcy and restructuring practice group advises clients on a high volume of high-profile matters, including cases and transactions involving novel structures, landmark decisions, and legal and business ‘firsts.’”

The Latin Lawyer 250 reviews the leading Latin American law firms (and international firms operating in the region) by drawing upon decades-long research, a deep understanding of the market, and feedback from corporate counsel.

To read Cleary’s full profile, click here.