Profile
Luis Cortés focuses his practice on commercial, corporate, compliance and financial law. Luis represents both domestic and international clients in cross-border transactions, project finance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and cross border financing.
Further, Luis advises clients on a broad range of transactions, including domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and day-to-day legal matters on a wide range of industries, with particular emphasis on retail, pharmaceutical and medical devices, food and beverage, telecommunications, automotive, technology, health care, manufacturing and hospitality.
Luis has experience in the soft landing of companies in Mexico and in Latin America, including nearshoring.
On the Compliance front, Luis is Co-Chair of the Practice for the Mexico City office and he has counseled diverse companies in connection with corporate investigations, including investigations related to compliance and regulatory matters.
Concentrations
- Corporate
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Corporate restructuring
- Venture capital
- Compliance
- Pharmaceutical, medical devices and health care
- Telecommunications, Media and Technology
Capabilities
Experience
- Representation of Phoenix Towers in the acquisition and lease back of the WOM’s entire telecommunication tower portfolio in Chile. The acquisition was structured as an asset deal under the walk away modality. The transaction included the lease back to WOM of the entire telecom tower portfolio comprising over 3,000 thousand telecom towers.
- Representation of an international pharmaceutical company in its USD$2.3 billion acquisition of the business and assets of a Mexican pharmaceutical company with operations in México and Colombia and assets in Europe, México and Colombia; the acquisition was carried out under a bidding process.
- Representation of a German client in the Mexican leg of its cross-border sale of its food delivery services App, business and assets to an English company in a €125 million transaction.
- Representation of an international client in the Mexican leg of its cross-border sale of its optical technologies business in Mexico including its maquiladora in a USD$400 million transaction.
- Representation of Mexican pharmaceutical in the implementation of a joint venture with a U.S.-based pharmaceutical for the registration and commercialization in Latin America of cancer treatments.
- Represented a client in the acquisition of +500 telecommunications towers and related assets in Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador; as well as dark fiber optic from a major telecommunications carrier in several states in Mexico. The project involved a corporate restructure, financing packages, as well as regularization of infrastructure agreements with CFE.
- Representation of a SaaS company, specialized in Business Optimization and Digital Transformation, in the acquisition of 65% of a Colombian entity engaged in the software development industry.
- Representation of EMX Capital in the sale of Autotransportes El Bisonte, a leading specialized cargo transportation company, to Grupo Traxión, a publicly traded company.
- Representation of Skechers in the negotiation of a joint venture with its long-time Mexico licensee, for the manufacturing, distribution and sale of footwear and accessories in Mexico. The transaction involved the isolation of the relevant assets and existent operating business in Mexico into an SPV, three cross-border credit facilities, the negotiation and implementation of 30+ agreements and regulatory approvals.
- Representation of Stepan Company in the acquisition of an oleochemical surfactants plant from BASF in Mexico.
- Representation of F in the structuring and negotiation of diverse agreements with the University Tec de Monterrey and Siemens for the financing, development, construction, operation and maintenance of a chain of deambulatory health care facilities under the brand Tec de Monterrey.
- Representation of Peterson in the sale to Walton and Prosperity and lease back to Peterson of its manufacturing facilities in Querétaro.
- Representation of Epiroc in the acquisition of Refacciones Automáticas la Paz and its Peruvian and Chilean subsidiaries. The transaction involved operating and manufacturing facilities in Mexico, Chile and Perú, patents in said jurisdictions and distribution agreements throughout the world.
- Representation of an international client in a USD$1.8 billion merger involving to Mexican pharmaceutical companies.
- Representation of an international pharmaceutical company on a regular basis in its corporate restructures.
- Representation of an international client in the hospitality sector in the corporate restructure of its Mexican operations.
- Representation of Phoenix Towers in the corporate restructure of its operations in México.
- Representation of an international pharmaceutical company in the corporate and L&E restructure related to Mexican outsourcing rules.
- Representation of several companies in the shut-down of their operations in México.
- Representation of Carrix in complex corporate restructure which included the migration of US entities to Mexico.
- Representation of Uber in the Mexican side of acquisition of Cornershop, a grocery delivery startup with operations in Mexico, Chile, Peru and Toronto.
- Representation of Softbank Innovation Fund in the acquisition of shares issued by Konfio Limited (Cayman), holding company of Konfio, an online lending platform for small businesses in Mexico.
- Representation of Softbank Innovation Fund in the proposed acquisition, with other investors, of shares issued by Kavak Holdings (Cayman), holding company of UVI Tech, a platform dedicated to the purchase and sale of used cars in Mexico.
- Representation of Engie Factory in the sale and purchase of its equity participation in 99 Minutos, Inc. (99 Minutos) to Kaszek Ventures.
- Representation of an investment fund in the acquisition of 50% of Canopia Carbon a Mexican company which business is the development of environmental projects that comply with the requirements for the issuance of carbon bonds, for said carbon bonds to be traded in the international markets.
- Representation of diverse startups in several day-to-day matters.
- Representation of Phoenix Towers in connection with the Mexican component of its nine refinancing of its existing syndicated credit facility, including the restructuring of its collateral package in Mexico and other jurisdictions in the Americas.
- Representation of Bio Pappel, in the closing of a USD$255 million syndicated secured credit facility as well as in diverse refinancing related to said credit facility.
- Representation of Mexican financial institution in the design, negotiation and implementation of the guarantees package in Mexico and Chile in connection with the acquisition by such financial institution of certain assets of an international company.
- Representation of Banorte in the financing of the construction and development of Paseo Central, a real estate development comprising a shopping mall, offices, hotels and habitational units.
- Representation of Banorte in the financing of the construction and development of Torre Aleph, a real estate development comprising a shopping mall and habitational units.
- Representation of Carrix, Inc. on several occasions in connection with the Mexican component of the refinancing of its existing credit facility, including the restructuring of its collateral package in Mexico.
- Representation of PWC in the Mexican leg of its revolving credit facility.
- Representation of an international pharmaceutical company in connection with a cross-border internal investigation related to the regulatory compliance of the operations of their Mexican subsidiaries.
- Representation of an international pharmaceutical company in connection with an investigation process carried out by CETIFARMA.
- Representation of a truck company in the corporate investigation of kick-back schemes implemented withing its dealerships.
- Representation of an international food chain company in the corporate investigation related to the use of privileged by employees for the buy and sale of shares in diverse stock exchanges.
- Representation of an international company in its corporate investigation regarding sexual harassment.
- Representation of an international company in connection with the implementation of kick-back schemes in vendors related to tax reimbursement procedures.
- Representation of US entities in the review of its corporate policies, procedures and agreements, from a FCPA and Mexican compliance perspective, for its implementation in Mexico.
- Representation of Starz Entertainment with respect to content regulatory matters in Mexico.
- Representation of NBC Universal in connection with regulatory matters related to permits for the TV Show contests.
- Representation of Starz Entertainment with respect to mapping of legal requirements with respect to among other things, content rating, closed captioning, product placement in México and several other jurisdictions in the Americas for general content in paid TV service and OTT applications (over the top).
- Representation of Amazon in diverse matters related to copyright matters.
- Representation of client in the review of the transaction documents of a bidding contest for the acquisition 4000+ from a mayor carrier in Mexico.
- Representation of diverse Tower Companies in the negotiation with CFE of passive infrastructure agreements for the use of CFE’s infrastructure for the operation of fiber optic rings.
- Representation of a Tower Company in connection with the acquisition from a major telecommunications carrier of dark fiber optic located across 17 states in Mexico.
- Representation of a Tower Company in connection with a lease to a major telecommunications carrier of 17 dark fiber optic rings located across 17 different states in Mexico.
- Representation of a Tower Company in connection with the negotiation and preparation of an IRU over a fiber optic in favor of a major telecommunications carrier in Mexico.
- Representation of a Tower Company in the acquisition of approximately 503 telecommunications towers and related assets in Mexico, Colombia and Nicaragua.
- Representation of a Tower Company in its acquisition of 50 telecommunications towers from a major Colombian carrier and provided assistance in the negotiation for its acquisition of telecommunications towers and related assets in Guatemala and El Salvador.
- Representation of Phoenix Tower in multiple acquisitions of telecommunications towers and related assets.
- Representation of an international client in the legal analysis to determine the feasibility of search rings for the development of telecom sites under a BTS Agreement for a mayor Mexican carrier.
- Representation of an international Tower Company in the restructuring and renegotiation of its GLA and SLA portfolio with Telefónica in Colombia, including several GLAs with Telefónica as tenant under GLAs.
- Representation of client in the potential acquisition of an MVNO.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, IFLR1000, "Notable Practitioner - M&A (Mexico)," 2023
- Member, Winning Team, Latin Lawyer Awards, Deal of the Year - Banking and Finance, Representation of Phoenix Tower International LLC in the restructuring of various loans, 2023
- Listed, Best Lawyers, “Best Lawyers in Mexico,” Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2023-2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 Latin America Guide, "Latin America: Mexico – Corporate & M&A," 2021-2022 and 2024
- Member, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Mexico City Alumni Committee, 2015-Present
- Adjunct Professor, Universidad Iberoamericana, 2009-2012
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, New York State Bar Association
Credentials
Education
- LL.M., with honors, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, 2013
- Law Degree, with honors, Escuela Libre de Derecho, Mexico, 2011
Admissions
- Mexico
- New York
Languages
- Spanish, Native
- English, Fluent
- German, Fluent