Paraguay - Jurisdiction IFLR1000 Review

BKM | Berkemeyer

Firm overview

Established in 1951, BKM | Berkemeyer provides expert legal services to local and foreign clients, gaining global reputation for quality, responsiveness and in-depth expertise. Berkemeyer is recognized by the ability to meet clients’ needs directly, providing practical advice, high quality work through teamwork and collaboration. The team is experienced to lead sophisticated transactional work and to advise clients on their day-to-day operations in Paraguay. Our practice’s strength comes from partnering with clients and understanding their business, and from keeping a strong pulse on the local and international markets to anticipate trends and help clients understand Paraguay’s legal and business landscape.

Vouga Abogados

Firm overview

With a team of professionals with experience spanning more than three decades, Vouga Abogados is one of the most prominent and experienced law firms in Paraguay.

Vouga Abogados is a full service firm that advises large and small businesses, financial and multilateral credit institutions, NGOs, public entities and individuals, complying with the most stringent ethical standards. Our client base includes a significant number of Fortune 500 companies operating across a broad range of industries.

The Firm has a solid team of legal and accounting professionals, organized in practice groups whose leaders are widely recognized in their fields. Our firm's focus on responsiveness, which is built on strong investments in human resources and technology, enables us to render world-class services in a time-efficient manner. In fact, the team has lead several of the most relevant transactions in the country during the last years.

With offices in Asunción and Ciudad del Este, a regional reach and an international outlook, Vouga Abogados is one of the largest law firms in the country and a main point of call for doing business in Paraguay.

Estudio Jurídico Gross Brown

Firm overview

Gross Brown has been providing top-tier legal services in Paraguay since 1944. The Firm provides comprehensive legal advice with a simple approach and a global perspective to a diverse portfolio of clients, ranging from financial institutions and corporations to non-profit organizations and individuals. The team comprises highly trained and renowned professionals in several areas of practice, with great experience in the most basic to the most complex aspects of legal practice.

IFLR1000 Reviews

Financial and corporate

BKM | Berkemeyer

Established in 1951, BKM | Berkemeyer is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law firms in Paraguay. They provide expert advice in all areas of business law with a particular focus on the clients' individual business needs. Due to their creative vision, the profile of their clients and the breadth of talented partners they maintain a competitive advantage in the market. The firm is active in all areas of financial and corporate as well as project development, often representing developers in multi-jurisdictional matters.

Highlights

Advising a private investor in the first project finance for a public-private partnership (PPP) in Paraguay, focusing on the design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of two toll roads BKM displays its commitment to innovation and quality legal work. They are also providing legal assistance to Consorcio Así Paraguay, a consortium formed by two Spanish companies, in managing the public contract for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant which will have a significant impact in the region.

Key clients

Rutas del Este, Consorcio DC Stiler, Centro Médico Jerovia, NeoGreen Hydrogen Corporation, Monsanto/Bayer Paraguay

Estudio Jurídico Gross Brown

Estudio Jurídico Gross Brown, founded in Asunción in 1944, has grown to become one of Paraguay’s most esteemed law firms. Renowned for its excellence across all practice areas, the firm particularly excels in financial and corporate law, as well as project development. In the financial and corporate sector, it represents clients in general corporate matters, including investment-grade and sovereign bond issuances. In project finance, the firm supports developers across various industries.

Highlights

The firm provided advisory services on a syndicated loan for the construction of Distrito La Perseverancia. Additionally, they advised their regular clients Citigroup Global Capital Markets and Itaú BBA USA Securities, as joint bookrunners and dealer managers in the twelfth issuance of sovereign bonds in the international market. This demonstrates the firm’s proficiency in handling complex matters and highlights their high standard of service, which fosters strong client relationships

Key Clients

Starlink, Sudameris Bank, Bank of American Securities, Citibank, Paraguayan Bank Association

Testimonials

“A great deal of experience and practical advice to avoid pitfalls” (Project Development)

Vouga Abogados

Vouga Abogados, with over 30 years of experience, is a leading Paraguayan firm specializing in financial, corporate, and project development. The firm operates from offices in Asunción and Ciudad del Este, and maintains foreign desks in Brazil, Germany, Spain, France, and the US. Vouga Abogados excels across all practice areas, representing strategic buyers, sellers, and investors in acquisitions, restructurings, and incorporations. It also represents borrowers and lenders in various financings, including project finance transactions. The project development team supports financial sponsors and developers in oil, gas, and infrastructure projects, often involving acquisitions.

Highlights

Demonstrating their commitment to innovation, the firm is advising Paracel on obtaining the first-ever “Co-Generation License.” As the licensee, Paracel will be entitled to sell ANDE, Paraguay's utility provider, the energy surplus produced in the production of cellulose pulp by entering into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with ANDE. This groundbreaking transaction will be the first of its kind in Paraguay's history and marks the first time the ANDE will purchase energy from a private entity.

Key Clients

Key clients include Paracek, Copetrol, Puma Energy, CIC Resources, Tape Pora, Prosegur, American Tower Company, CPC Corporation Taiwan

Testimonials

“The team was responsive and business oriented.” (Banking)

“They are very professional and consistent. They have great knowledge about the regulation, the market and they analyze in depth any case that we propose to them.” (Financial Services regulatory)

Berkemeyer Attorneys and Councelors

Berkemeyer Attorneys and Councelors, or BKM for short, was founded in 1951 and since then has become a major player in the Paraguayan market. The firm is in Asunción.

Focusses / specialisms 

The firm is active in both the financial and corporate and project development practice areas. In financial and corporate, the firm works in mergers and acquisitions as well as banking and capital markets. In projects, the team’s work often focuses on infrastructure and includes PPP as well as project finance matters.

Key clients 

Key clients include Astarte Capital Partners, Johnson & Johnson, Master Card, Monsanto/Bayer Paraguay and Pearson Education.

Research period review: 33rd edition (2022/2023) 

During the research period the firm was active in financial and corporate and project development.  

The financial and corporate team worked on payments and fintech, mergers and acquisitions, loans and bond placements.

The project development team was particularly active in PPPs, with a focus on infrastructure.

Deal highlights: 33rd edition (2022/2023) 

Omega Green $800 million project financing

Centro Médico Jerovia $180 million project development

NeoGreen Hydrogen $500m green hydrogen plant development

Client feedback: 33rd edition (2022/2023) 

Financial services regulatory

“They are notable for their availability to deliver opinions and content in a very expedient manner, for their exceptional knowledge of all items discussed, and a reasonable cost structure that is always agreed in advance.”

“Professionalism, ethics, knowledge and expertise.”

M&A

“They were very responsive, always providing solutions in time and in full depth. Very good at covering all aspects and providing pragmatic solutions.”

Project development

“Quick turnaround and comprehensive advice.”

Project finance

“Berkemeyer has one of the strongest teams in financing and infrastructure matters in Paraguay.”

Restructuring

“A generalist law office with great lawyers and quick responses.”

“They have been an incredible support for our organisation, in particular because we're a non-profit organisation that works with corporate sustainability, they have understood our need and accepted to work pro bono with us. BKM's support at the important transformation we're facing for the reorganisation gives us also confidence, to be supported by such an important and respected law firm as BKM.”

Alexander Berkemeyer

“First quality to us is the interest he shows at every situation we bring to the table, as well as towards the work we develop in terms of sustainability for the private sector. The second, and most valuable for us, is the quick responses we receive from him, despite the fact that the firm are providing this support pro bono.”

Martin Carlevaro

“Notable for his availability to deliver opinions and content in a very expedient manner, exceptional knowledge of all items discussed, and a reasonable cost structure that is always agreed in advance.”

Milena Sljivich

“Very kind and attentive to what we are asking for.”

“Interpersonal skills, in-depth knowledge, native English-speaking.”

“Always available and on top of matters. Very professional with very deep understanding of her subject matter. Extremely reliable.”

Jorge Peralta Sosa

“In-depth knowledge in the labour and corporate area.”

Ferrere

Ferrere is a firm with a strong South American presence, with offices in Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Focusses / specialisms

Financial and corporate work for the firm sees it advise in debt capital markets, project finance, banking and M&A. The capital market team stands out for its work on sustainability bonds and the M&A work for the firm sees it advise on complex local and cross-border transactions.

Key clients

Clients for the firm include Mobile Cash, a subsidiary of Millicom, Interfisa Banco, IDB Invest, IFC, Itau and CAF.

Client feedback: 31st edition (2020/2021)

Financial services regulatory

"The law firm has experts in various fields that have a wide experience within the public sector, which gives them an understanding of how the public sector works and how to execute changes within policy to bolster the private sector."

M&A

"Experts on property, labour, corporate secretarial and statutory matters. Along with their accountancy firm partners, they also provide tax and audit services."

"Good knowledge of the local market, good expertise, amazing responsiveness."

Restructuring: Corporate

"Analytical advice, super fast responses."

Attention to detail, specialized lawyers on each specific legal topic, professionalism, straightforward and forward looking, anticipating potential company's needs and issues."