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 governments and 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 locating to São Paulo in 2011 to open Cleary’s office in Brazil.

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Notable Experiences

  • The Republic of Argentina in its $63.4 billion debt restructuring.

  • The Federative Republic of Brazil in over $8.25 billion in SEC-registered bond offerings.

  • The international placement agents in Focus Energia’s R$773 million IPO.

  • The international placement agents in CSN Mineração’s R$1.4 billion IPO.

  • The international placement agents in Petz’s R$2.69 billion IPO.

  • Infracommerce in its R$870 million IPO.

  • Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA) and selling shareholder Votorantim in CBA’s IPO.

  • The initial purchasers in Movida’s $500 million sustainability-linked notes offering and $300 million sustainability-linked notes reopening.

  • Andean Telecom Partners in its inaugural $375 million debt offering and concurrent $60 million revolving credit facility.

  • The initial purchasers in Simpar’s R$450 million sustainability-linked notes offering.

  • 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.

  • The initial purchasers in a $500 million Reg S/Rule 144A notes offering by Rede D’Or Finance S.à.r.l.

  • The international placement agents in the $206.6 million Reg S/Rule 144A initial public offering of Movida Participações S.A.

  • Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A. in its $14 billion merger with Fibria Celulose S.A., creating the world’s largest wood pulp producer; 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.

  • 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.

  • Votorantim in the reorganization of its zinc and nickel mining and processing businesses, which involved increasing its stake in Compañía Minera Milpo from approximately 51 percent to 80 percent and the entry of new third-party investors in VM Holding.

  • JPMorgan Asset Management in the sale of its entire stake in Gávea Investimentos, a Brazilian investment management firm, to Gávea’s original founders.

  • Goldman Sachs and Fortress Investment Group in a R$445 million multi-currency secured facility to Brazilian online credit card provider Nu Pagamentos.

  • Goldman Sachs, as financial advisor to Linx in StoneCo’s $1.17 billion acquisition of all of Linx’s outstanding share.

  • Oi’s €600 Rule 144A/Reg S offering, 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 in 2014.

  • The Province of Buenos Aires in its $7.1 billion debt restructuring.

  • Warburg Pincus in the acquisition of Dudalina and subsequent merger between Restoque Comércio e Confecções de Roupas.

  • 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 percent 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.

  • 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.

  • The dealer managers in a $197 million exchange offer by Usina São João, a leading sugar and ethanol producer in Brazil.

  • 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.

  • Vale in its $1.6 billion acquisition of assets from Rio Tinto and its sale of coal assets in Colombia to a subsidiary of Colombian Natural Resources, a privately-held mining company, and in its 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.

  • Pampa Energía in connection with the acquisition of various Argentine energy assets from AEI, in the $600 million financing of its acquisition of approximately 67 percent stake in Petrobras Argentina from Brazilian state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro, and in various capital markets offerings.

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Publications