Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP continues to grow its dynamic Latin America Practice with the addition of Oscar Stephens as a Corporate Practice shareholder in the firm’s New York City office. Stephens focuses his practice on Latin America, representing issuers, borrowers, underwriters, and lenders in capital markets and general financing transactions. A native of Chile, Stephens conducts business in both English and Spanish and will work closely with Greenberg Traurig offices in Miami and Mexico City, among others. He joins from Hogan Lovells where he was a partner and former co-chair of the New York office's diversity committee.
“Having had the opportunity to work with Oscar many times over the years, I am proud that he has is now part of team,” said Marc M. Rossell, co-chair of the firm’s multi-disciplinary Latin America Practice. “He is an experienced lawyer with a passion for client services, who understands the importance of serving as a trusted advisor.”
Stephens concentrates on working with issuers in the region. He has assisted corporations, financial institutions, and sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities in Latin America in cross-border deals, ranging from unsecured debt issuances to highly complex structured finance products.
“Oscar’s experience and reputation will be a great contribution to our Latin America Practice,” said José Raz Guzmán, co-chair of the firm's Latin America Practice and the managing shareholder of its Mexico City office.
Stephens also has experience in civil law jurisdictions throughout the Americas and in the legal structures and entities used in implementing effective strategies for asset-backed securitizations, project bonds, project financings, and secured financings.
“My clients already know Greenberg Traurig’s LatAm brand, reputation, and its team, one of the largest in the world, with nearly 100 lawyers in New York, Mexico, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C.,” Stephens said. “I am really excited to be able to share those resources with them. Additionally, I look forward to working with Marc who is a longtime colleague and a highly respected capital markets attorney.”
Stephens regularly assists financial institutions and energy and natural resources entities, such as a Venezuelan oil company in the exchange and issuance under Rule 3(a)9 of outstanding Rule 144A/Regulation S notes for US$3.3bn of secured notes; the Republic of Ecuador in connection with their recent bond offerings under Rule 144A/Regulation S since its return to the market in 2014; the largest bank in Guatemala in the issuance of (aggregate) US$350m DPR-backed securities sold to private investors; a Brazilian bank in multiple DPR transactions, totaling issuances of US$600m in notes sold to private investors; a Salvadoran electricity distribution company in a US$310m Rule 144A/Regulation S bond offering (with a simultaneous tender offer); and the underwriters in (aggregate) US$1bn Rule 144A/Regulation S project bond securitizations of revenues of two highways in Panama.
“Oscar’s arrival continues the strategic growth of our Corporate Practice here in New York. He is a valuable addition to our office, and we expect that his integration will be smooth, and the growth in his practice will be profound, as has been the case for the other important lawyers we have added to our Corporate team in 2019, including Doron Lipshitz, Patrick F. Rice, John S. Kim and Erez I. Tucner,” said Stephen L. Rabinowitz, managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s New York office.
Stephens holds an LL.M. from Northwestern University School of Law, with honors and a J.D. from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, cum laude. In both 2019 and 2018 he was named among Latin America's Top 100 Lawyers: Capital Markets by Latinvex - Latin America Business News & Analysis. He is admitted to practice in New York and in the Republic of Chile.