Profile
José Antonio Butrón Quintero focuses his practice on corporate law, M&A, banking, project finance, capital markets, structured finance, and securitizations. He has participated in several landmark transactions representing some of Mexico’s leading enterprises and sponsors in a variety of sectors including infrastructure, energy and natural resources, commodities trading, consumer products, hotels and leisure, and technology.
Capabilities
Experience
- Representation of a Mexican company in the sale of a system of bridges located in the State of Veracruz, including the operation related with such assets in favor of a subsidiary of Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: PINFRA), one of Mexico’s largest infrastructure companies.
- Representation of Mexico Infrastructure Partners in a seller-financed acquisition, through the issuing trust which issued the infrastructure bonds (CKDs) listed in the Mexican Stock Exchange under ticker symbol “EXICK14,” of an indirect participation of 16.25% in Energía Mayakán, S. de R.L. de C.V., the entity which currently operates a 775-kilometer gas pipeline from Tabasco to Yucatan.
- Representation of COVIMSA, S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary of Empresas ICA, S.AB. de C.V. (BMV: ICA) (NYSE:ICA), in the negotiation and documentation of a MXN$750 million convertible loan, where the parties have previously agreed to the equity stake to be acquired, with CKD Fomento a la Energía e Infraestructura de México (EXI), through the EXICK Trust, to provide the resources required for the completion of the Palmillas-Apaseo El Grande tollroad in the states of Queretaro and Guanajuato. Autovía Queretaro, S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary of COVIMSA, holds the 30-year concession to construct, operate, exploit, preserve, and maintain the highway. The conversion into equity is subject to regulatory approval from the Mexican Antitrust commission and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
- Representation of Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV and NYSE: ICA), the largest infrastructure and construction company in Mexico, in the creation of a joint venture with CDPQ (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec), one of Canada’s leading institutional fund managers, to create an operational platform that owns the concessions for four of ICA’s operational toll roads and highways (Mayab tollroad, Rioverde – Ciudad Valles highway, La Piedad Bypass and the Acapulco Tunnel) worth a combined value of approximately MXN$6 billion.
- Representation of a company dedicated to the payment processing and mobile phone recharge (top-up) business in its expansion through the acquisition of a stake in an important industry player, with operations in Central and South America and Europe.
- Representation of Macquarie Capital in the sale of the portion held, through several of its funds, in the telecoms towers business formerly operated by Global Tower Partners and the Macquarie Mexican Infrastructure Fund in order to set up Mexico Tower Partners, a joint venture between the Macquarie Mexican Infrastructure Fund and Digital Bridge, which manages more than 550 towers and upon its creation became the second largest independent wireless tower operator in Mexico.
- Representation of Grupo Biopappel in the acquisition of Mexican paper manufacturer Scribe, including the consent solicitation launched by Scribe in connection with the amendment of the indenture governing its 8.875% Senior Guaranteed Notes due 2020, for which satisfactory completion was a condition to closing the transaction.
- Representation of Grupo Avianca in the acquisition, through its subsidiaries Tampa Cargo S.A.S. and Avifreight, S.A.P.I. de C.V., of Aerotransportes de Carga Unión, S.A. de C.V. (a Mexican cargo airline), including all regulatory proceedings, foreign investment authorizations, due diligence, and ancillary corporate matters.
- Representation of Equity International, LLC. in its acquisition of a 30% stake in Terranum Hotels, the owners of hotel projects, including the Aloft and W Hotel in Bogota, Colombia, and in the acquisition by Terranum Hotels of Hoteles Decameron, S.A., creating a $700 million hotel conglomerate through Central and South America and the Caribbean.
- Representation of Morgan Stanley México, Casa de Bolsa, S.A. de C.V., Deutsche Securities, S.A. de C.V. Casa de Bolsa, J.P. Morgan Casa de Bolsa, S.A. de C.V., J.P. Morgan Grupo Financiero, Casa de Bolsa, and BBVA Bancomer, S.A. de C.V. Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer, as the underwriters in connection with the tender offer launched by Soriana to purchase all the Comercial Mexicana shares listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange.
- Representation of Morgan Stanley México, Casa de Bolsa, S.A. de C.V., Deutsche Securities, S.A. de C.V. Casa de Bolsa, J.P. Morgan Casa de Bolsa, S.A. de C.V., J.P. Morgan Grupo Financiero, Casa de Bolsa, and BBVA Bancomer, S.A. de C.V. and Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer, as the underwriters in connection with the issuance of bonds offered in the Mexican Stock Exchange, which funds would be used to purchase the shares of Comercial Mexicana shares listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange.
- Representation of two subsidiaries of Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: ICA) holding contracts with the Mexican government for the construction, maintenance, operation, and exploitation of two federal toll roads on the shelf registration of preferred bonds for an aggregate amount of MXN$10 billion and the first two offerings thereunder for an aggregate amount of approximately MXN$4 billion represented by bonds denominated in inflation-linked units (UDIs). The deal is considered a groundbreaking transaction since it is the first bond offering that captures different risks through the same issuing trust which, at the same time, isolates the underlying assets backing up the different series of bonds issued by such trust. In this particular case, the issuing trust captured (i) cash flows paid by the federal government under a P3 agreement; and (ii) toll road fees paid by toll-road users under two government concession titles, and issued two series of preferred bonds each backed by one of the aforementioned assets. The bonds were placed by Casa de Bolsa BBVA Bancomer, S.A. de C.V., Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer, Morgan Stanley México, S.A. de C.V., Casa de Bolsa, Casa de Bolsa Santander, S.A. de C.V., Grupo Financiero Santander México, and Deutsche Securities, S.A. de C.V., Casa de Bolsa and Deutsche Bank México, S.A., Institución de Banca Múltiple.
- Representation of two subsidiaries of Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: ICA) holding contracts with the Mexican government for the construction, maintenance, operation, and exploitation of two federal toll roads on the issuance of 30-year, 8.52% subordinated bonds, denominated in inflation-linked units (UDIs), for an aggregate amount of MXN$1.75 billion. The bonds were placed by Casa de Bolsa Santander, S.A. de C.V., Grupo Financiero Santander México and Casa de Bolsa BBVA Bancomer, S.A. de C.V., Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer.
- Representation of Red Estatal de Autopistas (REA), a decentralized agency of the Mexican State of Nuevo León in charge of the operation and maintenance of the state’s road infrastructure, in the offering of long-term trust bonds (certificados bursátiles fiduciarios de largo plazo) for an aggregate amount of MXN$6.4 billion (approximately US$550 million) secured by flows from the operation of the Periférico del Área Metropolitana de Monterrey.
- Representation of Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ICA*/ NYSE: ICA), the largest infrastructure and construction company in Mexico, in the sale of 60 million “B” shares in Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: OMA / NASDAQ: OMAB), directly or in the form of American Depositary Shares (ADSs).
- Representation of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, as the financial advisor to the Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT) in the structuring (including project planning, the design of a financing package from local development banks, and providing antitrust-related advice) and coordination of the competitive tender process for the design, installation, operation, and commercialization of a privately financed nationwide 4G mobile wholesale Shared Network (Red Compartida) to be operated on the 700 MHz band (with a total bandwidth of 90 MHz).
- Representation of Aeroinvest, S.A. de C.V. in the negotiation and implementation of a two-tranche credit facility granted by Value Arrendadora, SA de CV SOFOM, in order to finance working capital of the corporate group.
- Representation of several subsidiaries of Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV and NYSE: ICA) in the negotiation and implementation of a convertible debt structure to secure funds to operate three water projects and divest a minority interest in such projects in favor of the company promoted by the trust that issued the infrastructure bonds (CKDs) listed in the Mexican Stock Exchange under ticker symbol “EXICK14”.
- Representation of the Red Estatal de Autopistas, a decentralized agency of the Mexican State of Nuevo León in charge of the operation and maintenance of the state’s road infrastructure, in the negotiation and documentation of an MXN$1.4 billion (US$110 million) bridge loan to finalize construction works on the Periférico del Área Metropolitana de Monterrey.
- Representation of Mexico Tower Partners, S.A.P.I. de C.V., the second largest telecommunications tower operator in Mexico, in the negotiation of a two-tranche credit facility for MXN$1.8 billion, to leverage the expansion of their current tower portfolio and the VAT payments derived thereof. The deal is the first financing in Mexico secured by the assets pertaining to and the cash flows produced by a telecommunications tower business. The particularities of the telecommunications tower industry and business demanded a lot of creativity on the legal side, especially in connection with the collateral package. Scotiabank Inverlat participated as lead arranger and administrative and collateral agent under the facility.
- Foreign Associate, Greenberg Traurig, P.A., Miami, FL, 2012-2013
- Research Assistant, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, 2011-2012
- Associate, Goodrich, Riquelme y Asociados, 2009-2011
- Received Legal Translation Diploma, 2009
- Law Clerk, Goodrich, Riquelme y Asociados, 2004-2009
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in Mexico™, 2021-2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 Latin America Guide, 2021-2024
- Next Generation Leaders - Latin America: Mexico – Projects and Infrastructure, 2021-2024
- Mexico – Banking & Finance, 2021-2024
- Mexico – Capital Markets, 2021-2024
- Next Generation Leaders, 2023-2024
- Mexico – Corporate & M&A, 2021-2024
- Listed, Chambers Latin America, Projects - Mexico, 2020-2024
- Listed, Chambers Global, Projects - Mexico, 2022-2023
- “Up and Coming,” 2019-2021
- Listed, IFLR1000, “Highly Regarded,” Capital Markets and Project Development, 2020-2023
- Member, Winning Team, IJGlobal Americas’ Awards, “Latin American Project Bond Deal of the Year,” 2014
- Member, Winning Team, Acquisition International magazine, “Overall Law Firm of the Year – Mexico,” 2013
- Member, Winning Team, Acquisition International magazine, “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
- Recipient, Award for Distinguished Service, Penn Law Toll Public Interest Center
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, International Bar Association
- Member, New York State Bar Association
Credentials
Education
-
LL.M., University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Associate Editor, East Asia Law Review
- WBLC, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
- Graduate Degree, Commerce and Business Law, Escuela Libre de Derecho, Mexico City, D.F., Mexico
- Law Degree, Escuela Libre de Derecho, Mexico City, D.F., Mexico
Admissions
- Mexico
- New York
Languages
- Spanish, Native
- English, Fluent