Miami: America’s investment gateway – Hogan Lovells

 Iberian companies are increasingly recognising the value of the Americas in terms of investment opportunities that may be lacking in their own countries or elsewhere in Europe.

And Miami has, for many years, been seen as a strategic entry point for such investment, says Luis J Perez, Partner in the local office of Hogan Lovells.

“Miami makes complete sense as a regional headquarters and gateway for multinational businesses, including Spanish and Portuguese companies, looking to operate across the Americas. It not only offers a sophisticated, largely multilingual workforce and community, but also very easy access to the rest of the continent with flights to every major city in Latin America, a very strong infrastructure and a predictable judicial system.”

Perez’s own client base includes both domestic and international businesses operating in the US and across Latin America, he says. US, Latin American and European multinationals are increasingly taking a regional approach to acquiring, establishing, operating and disposing of their businesses.

“What can prove vital is to have a very broad network of offices in the US, and offices in Spain, so that we are able to provide potential business and investors looking to enter the domestic market with advice on local law, even if they are still on the Iberian Peninsula.”

But it is also important to select the right local firms, and again Miami is well-established and a very familiar staging post for firms from across Latin and Central America, he says. There is the ability to offer multilingual advice for both inbound and outbound investment throughout the Americas.

“Teams will inevitably include Spanish and Portuguese speaking attorneys with knowledge of all the legal systems that are applicable. It makes the entire process a lot easier and from a client perspective much more comfortable, if they understand all of the cultural nuances of conducting their business overseas.”