Fuente: Beretta Godoy in Latin Lawyer 250

Latin Lawyer included Beretta Godoy in its renowned guide latin Lawyer 250 among the most relevant Latin American firms.

“One should not be deceived by Beretta Godoy’s small size. This is a confident group that punches above its weight, providing long-standing clients with a sophisticated service offer when it comes to complex work, as well as tending to their more general needs. The firm is especially strong in natural resources, corporate, tax, labour and disputes. Its client base is predominantly foreign and comprised of companies with the right balance of complex and straightforward legal needs, allowing the team to do the interesting work it favours, while providing clients will a complete service. Beretta Godoy argues that its size affords its lawyers the necessary agility to respond quickly to clients needs and allows the various practice areas to work well as a team.

The partnership is notable for its above-average participation in organisations and forums that foster trading relations between Argentina and the country’s important business partners, not least those in the Asia-Pacific, where it was ahead of the curve in building relationships. Beretta Godoy has an exchange programme with a Chinese law firm and currently has a Chinese lawyer based in its Buenos Aires office who sits on the Asia-Pacific desk. The focus on Asia has proved successful: Beretta Godoy’s client list counts a strong Chinese component, particularly for infrastructure work. The firm also takes a proactive approach towards sharing best practices across the region. For example, it organises online webinars with leading firms in Latin America to discuss the impact of the FCPA and the legal implications of the closure of natural resources projects.

Beretta Godoy is led by “a star team” of two founding partners who stand out for their proactive approach to client service and fresh take on managing a law firm; career paths are clearly-defined in what is a diverse working environment. An energy client particularly values Beretta Godoy’s approach to equal opportunities among its staff, saying the firm has shown “a commitment to diversity,” and that its willingness to promote women is “a refreshing move in generally male-dominated management levels”.

PEOPLE & PRACTICES
Tax
Corporate And M&A
Mining & Metals
Energy
Disputes
Labour
TAX

Tax is a strong suit, and the focus of name partner Omar Beretta – a renowned tax lawyer who is well versed in tax planning and double taxation treaties among other areas. One engineering client, pleased with the firm’s understanding of his business, says: “Omar is a bright lawyer and one of the best tax advisers in South America.” The senior tax counsel at a US oil company says, “This firm is fantastic, and Mr Beretta in particular is wonderful. I wish all my non-US tax advisers were as timely, efficient, and accurate.” Younger partner Sebastián Nordemann focuses particularly on tax planning and tax controversies and regularly appears on disputes between foreign companies and Argentine tax authorities. He is currently representing a number of international oil companies, assisting one in a dispute regarding the company’s tax-free local operations. Others come to Nordemann for help in developing and implementing a tax efficient structure for the company’s Argentine operations. The tax team’s experience extends to dealing with federal and state tax authorities in matters related to export taxes.

CORPORATE AND M&A
Federico Godoy’s strong practice is recognised thanks to his creativity and market knowledge. He has “a deep knowledge of regulations and is very creative in designing alternatives”, says a client. Godoy spearheads the Chinese initiative as the Argentine member of the Chinese–European Arbitration Centre (CEAC) and as president of the institutional relations committee in the Chinese-Argentine Chamber of Commerce. His efforts have brought the firm Chinese clients looking to invest in Argentine infrastructure, electricity generation and railroads.

MINING & METALS
Beretta Godoy has established a strong reputation in mining thanks to its role as project counsel for the Agua Rica copper and gold mine. The team counts Canada’s Yamana Gold (which owns the mine with Xstrata Copper and Goldcorp) as a client; it advised the company on the Argentine aspects of its acquisition of Extorre Gold Mines, giving it control of the potentially lucrative Cerro Moro project. The firm also assists other foreign clients with their acquisitions in Argentina, and has recently helped a miner restructure its local operations. It also has experience assisting clients with bids for mining concessions in the country. Federico Godoy and Juan Sonoda are the go-to names.

ENERGY
The firm’s visibility in natural resources extends to energy, where Federico Godoy leads the way. Numerous oil and gas companies turn to the firm for advice in corporate, tax, bids, international fuel trading and disputes work. Beretta Godoy has recently helped a client exit a farm-in agreement due to a breach of contract by the client’s partner, while other relevant work by the energy team includes representing an oil and gas client in the negotiations for a joint operating agreement. Omar Beretta is prominent here, and was counsel to Occidental Petroleum Corporation when it sold its Argentine assets to China’s Sinopec for US$2.45 billion.

DISPUTES
Federico Godoy and Juan Sonoda leverage off their natural resources experience to help mining and energy clients on disputes work. Godoy takes the lead in arbitration with Sonoda helming the litigation area.

LABOUR
Associate Joaquín Carrillo leads a labour team which helps clients with expatriate management, complex labour issues and employee judicial and administrative claims. The department also advises clients in negotiations with trade unions, and day-to-day matters such as drafting compensation policies and modifying labour conditions.

CLIENTS
Chinese clients are showing up on the firm’s client books, which are typically dominated by oil and gas and mining companies. A mining client says: “We have found Beretta Godoy to be friendly, professional and knowledgeable and would highly recommend their law firm to other companies doing business in South America,” while another client in that sector is always very pleased to work with the firm “because they always meet deadlines and their work is of the best quality”. An international oil client says: “I feel very happy working with them and strongly recommend them to my colleagues.” Two lawyers come recommended in LACCA Approved, in-house counsel research carried out Latin Lawyer’s sister association, the Latin American Corporate Counsel Association.

ALLIANCES & NETWORKS
Beretta Godoy is a founding member of Alianza Legal Latinoamericana (ALL), a Latin American network of law firms. The firm has a strategic alliance with Veirano Advogados in Brazil.

PRO BONO
Reflecting its progressive approach to firm management, Beretta Godoy has a clear commitment to pro bono work. The firm participated in the movement for Argentines to have the right to same-sex marriage; it was amicus curiae before the Supreme Court in the leading case. The firm has also assisted governmental organisations in the drafting of a bill to ensure gender equality in decision-making positions within corporations. Associate Madelaine Geuzi Karaian combines her labour practice with human rights work.”