Profile
Luis Torres has over a decade of experience practicing corporate law. In recent years, he has honed his legal experience in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), banking and finance, and projects and infrastructure, with a focus in the transportation, telecommunications, and energy sectors, where he has represented local and international sponsors, funds, and financial institutions in domestic and cross-border transactions.
His experience further extends to providing advice to financial institutions in Mexico, including banks, broker-dealers, foreign central counterparties, non-bank financial intermediaries, FinTech entities, representative offices of foreign financial institutions, money transmitters, insurance companies, and other financial intermediaries, on their day-to-day business operations.
From 2018 to 2019, Luis worked as a foreign associate in the firm’s London office, and in 2020, he was selected to join a secondment at HSBC Mexico as an in-house senior lawyer.
Concentrations
- M&A
- Banking & Finance
- Financial Regulatory & Compliance
Capabilities
Experience
- Representation of Mexico Infrastructure Partners (MIP), the leading manager of investment funds in the infrastructure and energy sectors in Latin America, in the financed acquisition of a portfolio comprising 12 combined cycle power plants and a wind farm with a capacity of 8,539 megawatts, owned by Iberdrola, a leading Spanish energy group, for US$6.2 billion. This transaction was crucial for the development of Mexico’s current federal energy policy, and it stands as the largest and most complex transaction in the history of the country’s energy sector since its privatization.
- Representation of MXT Infrastructure Holdings (MXT Holdings), a Mexico-based telecommunications infrastructure company engaged in developing, acquiring, and operating telecommunication infrastructure assets throughout Mexico, in the sale and co-investment of a 50% stake in its business to Ardian, a French private investment house.
- Representation of MXT Holdings in a cross-border acquisition of a 100% full ownership stake in Centennial Towers, a developer, owner, and operator of wireless communications towers in Latin America and part of the asset portfolio of Madison Dearborn Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm.
- Represention of Satélites Mexicanos (Satmex) in all Mexican-related corporate and regulatory matters (including antitrust), corporate and financial restructuring, as well as in the negotiation of the satellite construction agreement for the procurement of its satellites and its acquisition by Eutelsat in a transaction valued at more than US$1 billion.
- Advised numerous major Mexican, U.S., and European investors (including, Encore Capital, DF Holdings (UK), and Creditas Financial Solutions) in all corporate, regulatory, and transactional matters associated with the purchase & sale of interests in Mexican non-bank banks (Sociedades Financieras de Objeto Múltiple) to engage in lending, leasing, factoring, and debt offering activities in Mexico.
- Representation of a U.S. company (Fortune Global 500) in an intra-corporate restructuring involving six jurisdictions (Mexico, France, Sweden, Austria, Australia, and Italy).
- Representation of Concesionaria Autopistas del Sureste (BMV: CASCB), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) incorporated by Ainda, a Mexican-private equity fund focused on the energy and infrastructure sectors in Mexico, and Aldesa, a Mexico- and Spain-based construction group, in connection with (i) a refinancing of approximately US$238.7 million through a “bond bridge” structure and (ii) in the subsequent debt tap for US$269.8 million represented by long term trust-bonds denominated in inflation-linked units listed in the Mexican Stock Exchange using a shelf registration program, where Banco Santander México, S.A., Institución de Banca Múltiple, Grupo Financiero Santander México acted as underwriter.
- Representation of Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos, S.N.C., Banco Mercantil del Norte, S.A., Institución de Banca Múltiple, Grupo Financiero Banorte and Banco Santander México, S.A., Institución de Banca Múltiple, Grupo Financiero Santander México, as lenders, in a US$291 million refinancing loan deal with Autopista Urbana Norte S,A, de C.V. (AUN) (a subsidiary of Aleatica, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ALEATIC), who acted as borrower. The proceeds from this transaction were used to repay two pre-existing loans with BBVA México S.A., Institución de Banca Múltiple, Grupo Financiero BBVA México, Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos, S.N.C., and the Mexican National infrastructure fund known as FONADIN - Fondo Nacional de Infraestructura.
- Representation of HSBC México, S.A., Institución de Banca Múltiple, Grupo Financiero HSBC, as lender, in the restructuring of various commercial loans (originally structured as bilateral, syndicated and “club deal” loans) to different Mexican borrowers in accordance with the debt relief provisions published by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Representation of Banco BTG Pactual (Brazil) in all matters related to the licensing, incorporation, and commencement of operations of a Mexican broker-dealer subsidiary, the first Brazilian-owned subsidiary incorporated in Mexico.
- Representation of Chicago Mercantile Exchange (US) in the process leading to its recognition by Banco de Mexico as the first foreign central counterparty for the clearing of standardized derivatives contracts in Mexico resulting from certain amendments to the local derivatives regulation.
- Representation of State Street Financial Services, Inc. (US), a Massachusetts-chartered trust company and member of the Federal Reserve System, in all matters related to the establishment of its Representative Office in Mexico.
- Representation of several startups within the “FinTech ecosystem” in various regulatory and transaction matters associated with the launch of new financial products (debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards, and wallets), including the negotiation of prepaid card program management agreements with local payment processors, e-money entities, financial entities, and third-party agency networks.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Legal 500 Latin America Guide, Mexico, Corporate M&A, 2024
- Member, Shortlisted Team, Private Equity Deal of the Year, Latin Lawyer, 2024
- Member, Winning Team, M&A Deal of Year, Latin America/Mexico, The American Lawyer Global Legal Awards, 2014
- Member, Winning Team, Acquisition International, “Overall Law Firm of the Year – Mexico,” 2013
- Member, Winning Team, Acquisition International, “Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year – Mexico,” 2013
- Member, Winning Team, InterContinental Finance, “Mergers & Acquisitions Firm of the Year – Mexico,” 2013
- Member, Winning Team, Lawyers World Law Awards, “Mergers & Acquisitions Firm of the Year – Mexico,” 2013
- Adjunct Professor, “Credit Transactions and Negotiable Instruments,” Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, 2013-2014
- Adjunct Professor, Universidad Panamericana, Banking Law, 2012-2013
Credentials
Education
- LL.M., Queen Mary University of London, 2018
- Certificate, Corporate Finance, The London School of Economics and Political Science, 2018
- Postgraduate in Financial Law, Universidad Panamericana, 2011
- Law Degree, Universidad Panamericana, 2010
Admissions
- Mexico
Languages
- Spanish, Native
- English, Fluent