MIAMI – April 13, 2017 – Robert J. Downing, a shareholder in the Miami and Houston offices of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and Miguel Yturbe, a shareholder in the firm’s Mexico City office, who are also members of the Latin American and Iberian Practice and the Global Energy & Infrastructure Practice, participated as speakers during IJGlobal’s 11th annual Latin American Energy & Infrastructure Finance Forum, which took place on March 13-14 at the Ritz Carlton South Beach in Miami.
With renewable energy and power infrastructure investment in Latin America at an all-time high, the Forum brought together energy and infrastructure finance professionals, including project sponsors, financial institutions, law firms, and other service providers, to share ideas, develop new business opportunities, and meet over 450 regional leaders from the U.S. and Latin America.
The 2017 Forum returned at a time of extraordinary energy and infrastructure growth in Latin America. Renewable capacity in particular is expected to reach 30 percent by 2030. The Forum addressed recent renewable energy auctions throughout the region, including the strategies to finance large scale energy and infrastructure projects in various markets.
Downing moderated a panel discussion during the Forum titled, “Central America’s Power Matrix: What Technologies are Governments Supporting?” Ben Moody, the president & CEO of Pan American Finance; Giancarlo Ortega, the principal investment officer of the IFC; and Jose Coballasi, the senior director and sector lead of Latin American Infrastructure Ratings for S&P Global Ratings, gathered to discuss the types of bank lending and bond options available for power assets, the state of Central America’s secondary market for power assets, including the power projects that are currently in the pipeline for 2017 and 2018.
Moreover, Yturbe joined Jorge Moguel, the chief infrastructure officer of GIA, and Cesar Fragozo, the chief of unit of sectorial development for ProMexico, during a panel discussion titled, “Mexico: Identifying Creative Financing Solutions to Fund Infrastructure Investment in a Challenging Environment.” The panel discussed the role that Mexico’s Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and new financing instruments can play in delivering infrastructure projects, the benefits of new securities regulation in connection with project financing, as well as the strategies to increase private sector involvement and investment in infrastructure. The discussion was moderated by Juan Carlos Machorro, partner at Santamarina y Steta.
IJGlobal’s annual Latin American Energy & Infrastructure Finance Forum is dedicated to energy and infrastructure finance professionals across the U.S. and Latin America seeking to forge new business relationships.
Downing has more than 30 years’ experience in international business transactions and is Board Certified in International Law by The Florida Bar. He focuses on energy, infrastructure, finance, and project development in Latin America. Since joining Greenberg Traurig, a substantial part of his practice has been devoted to the Mexican Energy Reform in the electricity sector. Prior to joining the firm, he was associate general counsel at Duke Energy International, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, the largest electric utility in the United States.
Yturbe focuses his practice on advising and representing clients in connection with Mexican and Latin American infrastructure projects, banking and finance, capital markets, and general corporate matters. Yturbe is experienced in representing lenders and borrowers in a wide range of financial transactions, including domestic and cross-border securities offerings, as well as corporate, acquisition, and project finance matters. Similarly, he participates in private and public company purchase and sale operations, joint ventures, and association agreements.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.
With renewable energy and power infrastructure investment in Latin America at an all-time high, the Forum brought together energy and infrastructure finance professionals, including project sponsors, financial institutions, law firms, and other service providers, to share ideas, develop new business opportunities, and meet over 450 regional leaders from the U.S. and Latin America.
The 2017 Forum returned at a time of extraordinary energy and infrastructure growth in Latin America. Renewable capacity in particular is expected to reach 30 percent by 2030. The Forum addressed recent renewable energy auctions throughout the region, including the strategies to finance large scale energy and infrastructure projects in various markets.
Downing moderated a panel discussion during the Forum titled, “Central America’s Power Matrix: What Technologies are Governments Supporting?” Ben Moody, the president & CEO of Pan American Finance; Giancarlo Ortega, the principal investment officer of the IFC; and Jose Coballasi, the senior director and sector lead of Latin American Infrastructure Ratings for S&P Global Ratings, gathered to discuss the types of bank lending and bond options available for power assets, the state of Central America’s secondary market for power assets, including the power projects that are currently in the pipeline for 2017 and 2018.
Moreover, Yturbe joined Jorge Moguel, the chief infrastructure officer of GIA, and Cesar Fragozo, the chief of unit of sectorial development for ProMexico, during a panel discussion titled, “Mexico: Identifying Creative Financing Solutions to Fund Infrastructure Investment in a Challenging Environment.” The panel discussed the role that Mexico’s Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and new financing instruments can play in delivering infrastructure projects, the benefits of new securities regulation in connection with project financing, as well as the strategies to increase private sector involvement and investment in infrastructure. The discussion was moderated by Juan Carlos Machorro, partner at Santamarina y Steta.
IJGlobal’s annual Latin American Energy & Infrastructure Finance Forum is dedicated to energy and infrastructure finance professionals across the U.S. and Latin America seeking to forge new business relationships.
Downing has more than 30 years’ experience in international business transactions and is Board Certified in International Law by The Florida Bar. He focuses on energy, infrastructure, finance, and project development in Latin America. Since joining Greenberg Traurig, a substantial part of his practice has been devoted to the Mexican Energy Reform in the electricity sector. Prior to joining the firm, he was associate general counsel at Duke Energy International, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, the largest electric utility in the United States.
Yturbe focuses his practice on advising and representing clients in connection with Mexican and Latin American infrastructure projects, banking and finance, capital markets, and general corporate matters. Yturbe is experienced in representing lenders and borrowers in a wide range of financial transactions, including domestic and cross-border securities offerings, as well as corporate, acquisition, and project finance matters. Similarly, he participates in private and public company purchase and sale operations, joint ventures, and association agreements.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.