In 2011, after two decades at the firm, James Ritch, grandson of the firm's founding partner, retired. Partner Ricardo Gomez Palacio also left the firm one month later....
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In 2011, after two decades at the firm, James Ritch, grandson of the firm's founding partner, retired. Partner Ricardo Gomez Palacio also left the firm one month later.
Nevertheless, Ritch Mueller retains some of Mexico's most highly-regarded attorneys. One competitor says of name partner Thomas Mueller-Gastell: "He is the dean of project finance in Mexico. He took project finance when there was nothing in Mexico and worked it." Luis Nicolau is also singled out for praise: "He has had a very good reputation for many years. He's active, extremely hard working and responsible." A client remarks, "He's got it all going for him."
Clients also spoke well of the firm's international scope. "They were able to put us in touch with the best law firms in the relevant countries," one notes. "They have good international experience."
In one high-profile transaction, Nicolau represented the underwriters in Arcos Dorados Holding's IPO on the NYSE in April 2011, which seeks to raise $1 billion. Arcos Dorados Holdings is McDonald's largest franchise, with exclusive rights for Latin America and the Caribbean.
And in a deal that closed in March 2010, Nicolau represented BCP Securities as arranger and dealer, and the brokerage firm GBM as dealer, in the establishment of a Mexican microfinance company's $300 million note program. The notes were listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the exchange's alternative market, the Euro Multilateral Trading Facility.
On the project finance side, James Ritch advised the lenders in the $375 million financing of a 250MW wind farm located in Oaxaca State in southeast Mexico, called Eurus. It is the largest wind power generation facility in Mexico, and will supply electric power to roughly 25% of Mexico's cement manufacturers, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 600,000 tons annually.
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Ritch Mueller has an impressive M&A practice that for the past year has had a prominent role in the airport, hotel, pharmaceutical, and finance industries, as well as others. The firm has a focus on private equity....
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Ritch Mueller has an impressive M&A practice that for the past year has had a prominent role in the airport, hotel, pharmaceutical, and finance industries, as well as others. The firm has a focus on private equity.
In March 2011, partner James Ritch retired. Ritch is the grandson of James E Ritch Jr who founded the firm in 1975. His departure was followed one month later by that of partner Ricardo Gomez Palacio.
Clients are pleased with the firm's work: "Strategically very good; always very savvy in terms of what position to take in negotiating," says one, "everything they've done has been very solid." Another client, who works with Carlos Obregón, called him "exemplary" and listed his positive qualities: "He's smart; he knows the Mexican markets very well; his Spanish is perfect; his English is perfect; he's savvy with documents."
In a $250 million deal, Partner Luis Nicolau represented two private sellers in the sale of their controlling stock interest in Servicios Logísticos Farmacéuticos, and its subsidiaries. The controlling company, Farmacias del Ahorro, is one of the leading pharmacy chains in Mexico, with 350 stores throughout the country. The transaction closed in March 2010.
In a deal which closed in May 2011, a team led by Carlos Obregón Raja represented Nexxus Capital in its acquisition of Krispy Kreme Mexico and another fast food business, Arrachera House. The deal was complicated by the franchise renegotiations related to Krispy Kreme.
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