Juan G. Giráldez is regarded in Brazil and throughout Latin America as one of the leading lawyers for international financing and business transactions, particularly capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, cross-border financings, and joint ventures.

His clients include some of the largest companies in the region, who rely on him for their most important and complex transactions. His practice has been lauded by Chambers Global, Chambers Latin America, IFLR1000, Latinvex, The Legal 500 Latin America, and others.

Juan joined the firm in 1998 and became a partner in 2007. He was resident in New York before relocating to São Paulo in 2011 to open Cleary’s office in Brazil.

Notable Experience

Sovereign Governments and International Institutions

  • Highlights

    • The Republic of Uruguay in its inaugural sustainability-linked bond issuance and only the second ever by a sovereign.
    • The Dominican Republic in its international financing transactions, including all of its 21 issuances of the past 11 years. In conjunction with the January 2015 $2.5 billion sovereign bond offering, advised the Dominican Republic in connection with the bilateral renegotiation and cancellation of approximately 98% of debt in an amount of $4.027 billion owed to PDVSA Petróleo, S.A. (PDVSA), arising from shipments of oil and derivative products sold by PDVSA within the framework of the Acuerdo para la Cooperación Energética de Petrocaribe between the Dominican Republic and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
    • The Republic of Argentina in its $63.4 billion debt restructuring.
    • The Federative Republic of Brazil in over $5 billion in SEC-registered bond offerings.
    • The Province of Buenos Aires in its $7.1 billion debt restructuring.
    • Citigroup, as solicitation agent, in Ecuador’s and Petroamazonas EP’s recent successful consent solicitations of 11 series of debt securities amounting to approximately $19.4 billion.
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Capital Markets

  • Highlights

    • Vale in an SEC-registered offering of $1.5 billion 6.125% global notes due 2033 and concurrent liability management transaction, and in its previous $1.3 billion liability management transaction.
    • Eneva in its R$4.2 billion follow-on equity offering in Brazil.
    • Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio S.A. (CBA) and selling shareholder Votorantim in CBA’s IPO.
    • Andean Telecom Partners in its inaugural $375 million debt offering and $60 million revolving credit facility.
    • Infracommerce in its R$870 million IPO.
    • Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A. in a $1.2 billion global equity offering by Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES); and in several sustainability-linked notes offerings, including greenhouse emissions, water and diversity-linked bonds.
    • The underwriters in numerous equity and debt offerings in Brazil and Latin America, including Movida’s $206.6 million IPO, $500 million sustainability-linked notes offering and $300 million sustainability-linked notes reopening; Simpar’s R$450 million sustainability-linked notes offering; CSN Mineração’s R$1.4 billion IPO; Focus Energia’s R$773 million IPO; Petz’s R$2.69 billion IPO; and Rede D’Or’s $500 million notes offering.
    • Oi’s €600 note offering and related liability management transaction, in the first ever one-day “switch” tender offer by a corporate issuer; and its R$7.7 billion (approximately US$3.4 billion) equity offering.
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M&A and Joint Ventures

  • Highlights

    • Vale in multiple matters over the years, including most recently the sale of Vale`s 40% stake in MRN, the $2.2 billion sale by Vale and its partners of Companhia Siderúrgica do Pecém; the $1.6 billion acquisition of assets from Rio Tinto; the sale of coal assets in Colombia to Colombian Natural Resources, a privately-held mining company; and the acquisition of the totality of Mitsui’s 15% interest in the Moatize coal mine in Mozambique together with Mitsui’s 50% stake in the related Nacala assets in Mozambique and Malawi.
    • Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A. in its $14 billion merger with Fibria Celulose S.A., creating the world’s largest wood pulp producer; and in its acquisition of Kimberly-Clark’s tissue products business in Brazil.
    • CNP Assurances in the negotiation of a binding framework agreement providing for the establishment of a new long-term exclusive distribution agreement in Brazil until February 2041 in the network of Caixa Econômica Federal; and in the acquisition of the stakes held by Caixa Seguridade and Icatu Seguros in five companies that distribute insurance, savings, and consórcio products.
    • Votorantim in connection with the formation of a co-investment vehicle with Temasek and its affiliates to invest up to $700 million in Brazil; and in the reorganization of its zinc and nickel mining and processing businesses, which involved increasing its stake in Compañía Minera Milpo from approximately 51% to 80% and the entry of new third-party investors in VM Holding.
    • Goldman Sachs, as financial advisor to Linx in StoneCo’s $1.17 billion acquisition of all of Linx’s outstanding share.
    • Dow Chemical Company in its $1.1 billion sale of its corn seed business in Brazil to a Chinese fund owned by conglomerate CITIC Ltd.
    • JPMorgan Asset Management in the sale of its entire stake in Gávea Investimentos, a Brazilian investment management firm, to Gávea’s original founders.
    • Pampa Energía in the $600 million financing of its acquisition of approximately 67% stake in Petrobras Argentina from Brazilian state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro; and in connection with the acquisition of various Argentine energy assets from AEI.
    • Credit Suisse Group AG in setting up a new Brazilian asset management company, Verde Asset Management. Verde manages several funds in Brazil and offshore with about 37 billion reais in assets under management.
    • Warburg Pincus in the acquisition of Dudalina and subsequent merger between Restoque Comércio e Confecções de Roupas.
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Debt Finance

  • Highlights

    • Telecom Argentina in a $50 million export credit facility.
    • Andean Telecom Partners in a $60 million credit facility.
    • Banco Santander Mexico and HSBC Mexico in an acquisition bridge credit facility extended to Auna, a Peruvian healthcare company, in connection with the purchase of certain hospital and healthcare operations in Mexico.
    • Goldman Sachs and Fortress Investment Group in a R$445 million multi-currency secured facility to Brazilian online credit card provider Nu Pagamentos.
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Publications