DLA signs cooperation agreement with Colombian firm

DLA Piper has announced a cooperation agreement with Colombian law firm Martinez Neira Abogados (MNA).

A DLA Piper statement said the firms would operate as DLA Piper Martinez Neira. 

Juan Picon, DLA Piper’s managing director of Europe and the Middle East and co-chair of the firm’s Latin America committee, said: “In addition to the synergies for us in the Americas, this combination creates great opportunities between our office in Madrid and MNA, as Spain is one of the largest investors in Colombia.”

The firm said the agreement allows DLA Piper to “establish a footprint with MNA in the fourth-largest economy in Latin America”.

It added that MNA has significant capabilities across a range of practices, including corporate, M&A, banking, antitrust, capital markets, litigation, tax and energy.

MNA recently became part of LatamLex Abogados, an association of law firms that serves clients in Central America and Colombia. The association also includes firms based in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.

“MNA is a major player in the Latin American market and an ideal partner for us,” said Roger Meltzer, global co-chair and co-chair (Americas) of DLA Piper. “Colombia in particular is a key jurisdiction with particularly attractive opportunities, having experienced an historic economic boom in the last decade with strong prospects for continued growth.”

He added: “This agreement is just the latest step in our plan to continue to expand in Latin and Central America, and also fits extremely well with our existing platform in the market and our practices in Spain, New York, Miami and Canada.

Nestor Camilo Martinez, managing partner of MNA, said: “DLA Piper’s footprint mirrors incredibly well with Colombia’s trading activity with the United States, Canada, Spain and Asia, as well as with our firm’s practices and sector experience.”

Martinez will also join DLA Piper’s Latin America Committee and will aid the development of the firm’s strategy in the region. “We are very excited about this relationship and look forward to the opportunities it will provide for clients of both of our firms around the world,” he said.