MEXICO CITY and TALLAHASSEE – March 30, 2015 – Greenberg Traurig, LLP was honored by IJGlobal at the 2015 Americas Awards for best in class deals in energy and infrastructure, including the coveted “Latin American Project Bond Deal of the Year” and the “North American Transport Deal of the Year” awards.
IJGlobal is an online intelligence service that tracks global infrastructure finance market activity. The IJGlobal Americas Awards recognize the best energy and infrastructure deals, based on performance, innovation and excellence.
Greenberg Traurig’s Latin American and Iberian Practice was awarded the “Latin American Project Bond Deal of the Year” for its work on behalf of Empresas ICA S.A. de C.V. and two of the company’s subsidiaries. The firm assisted the company in negotiating and drawing up contracts with the Mexican government for the construction, operation and maintenance of two federal toll roads in Mexico, Libramiento La Piedad in the State of Michoacán and Rio Verde as well as Ciudad Valles in the State of San Luis Potosí. The deal, which was valued at roughly MXN 6.75 billion, closed on Oct. 31, 2014.
“This award reinforces our firm’s unparalleled commitment to infrastructure development in Mexico,” said Juan Manuel González Bernal, shareholder of Greenberg Traurig in Mexico City, who was directly involved in the winning transaction. “Fundamentally, the award also reflects that our contracting approach was successful, and that all parties, where appropriate, reached common understanding in connection with those contracts.”
A Greenberg Traurig multi-office team including more than 15 attorneys, received the “North American Transport Deal of the Year” award for its Public Private Partnership (P3) representation of a consortium client, I-4 Mobility Partners, in connection with Florida’s largest P3 project, the widening of Interstate I-4 in and through Orlando. The IJGlobal judges were impressed by the closing of the $2.3 billion deal and the firm’s ability to pull together expertise from across practices to improve key financing for both clients.
“As more state and local governments face shortfalls in available revenue and involve private developers in delivering their infrastructure needs, we believe that this area of practice will expand exponentially,” said Fred F. Harris, shareholder of Greenberg Traurig in Tallahassee, who led the team of attorneys involved in the transaction.
Agustin G. Corbella, director of the Government Law and Policy Practice of the firm’s Tallahassee office, and who also led the team alongside Harris added, “We are honored to be recognized for this high profile deal and our ability to achieve a successful result for all parties. This win confirms Greenberg Traurig’s place at the forefront of P3 representations in the infrastructure sector.”
“We are very pleased that our complex infrastructure deals have been recognized by IJGlobal. These awards are a great honor for the firm and confirm the legal excellence of our team, as well as our commitment to the infrastructure sector,” concluded Patricia Menéndez-Cambó, vice president; secretary; chair of the Global Practice; and co-chair of the Global Energy & Infrastructure Practice at Greenberg Traurig.