Chávez Vargas Abogados

Managing Partner (CEO): José Antonio Chávez
Partner (COO): Brian Minutti
Total number of lawyers: 25

Firm Overview:
Chávez Vargas, Minutti Abogados S.C. is a legalfinancial boutique that offers its clients innovative solutions for financial transactions. The firm leads a team of key participants in the Mexican financial market. Such strategic alliances allows the firm to offer its clients a complete and personalised service. The firm’s lawyers have participated in the most sophisticated corporate and financial transactions in Mexico and are recognised for their expertise in the securitisation industry.

Main Areas of Practice:
Banking & Finance
Capital Markets
Compliance & Corporate
Projects

Banking & Finance:
Chávez Vargas, Minutti Abogados S.C., represents its clients in a broad range of financial transactions, such as debt restructurings and structured financial transactions. The firm advises Mexico’s authorised ratings agencies and provides them with legal opinions regarding all kind of structured loans.

Capital Markets:
Chávez Vargas, Minutti Abogados S.C.’s lawyers have participated in first-ever transactions, and the structures they have designed are recognised as the standard of the market in several deals. Chávez Vargas, Minutti Abogados S.C. also represents Mexico’s authorised rating agencies on an ongoing basis in the rating of:
■ Securitisations carried out and structured loans obtained by federal entities and municipalities
■ Corporate MBS, ABS and future flow securitisations

Projects:
Chávez Vargas, Minutti Abogados S.C., has participated in the most recent and biggest infrastructure projects in México, specifically regarding concessions for construction and management of highways. Additionally, its lawyers advise the authorised rating agencies in Mexico by issuing legal opinions related to the securitisation of capital flows associated with exploitation of infrastructure projects.

Compliance:
Chávez Vargas, Minutti Abogados S.C. has introduced its subsidiary ‘CHM Compliance’ and anticorruption services. This subsidiary aims to advise its clients on compliance with the recently enforced Mexican Anticorruption law, as well as the anticorruption provisions of the USMCA, the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act, and other international laws. Other best practices include ISO37001 (anti-bribery management systems). Some key representative clients include FOVISSSTE and Banobras, to whom CHM Compliance provided consulting services to achieve its processes and controls according to the legal requirements, the best international practices and the ISO37001.
Relevant work:
■ The firm represents Mexico’s state-sponsored mortgage provider FOVISSSTE, in the implementation of several mortgage backed securitisations and structured financing. From 2013 to 2020 the firm advised FOVISSSTE in ten bond issuances and in five warehouse credit lines worth around $170 thousand million Pesos
■ The firm represents all the authorised Rating Agencies in Mexico on an ongoing basis, issuing legal opinions of all kinds of structured financings
■ The firm currently represents several Mexican States and public entities in the negotiation and execution of financing transactions under the new public financing law. During 2016, 2017 and 2018, the firm represented the State of Mexico, the State of Yucatán, the State of Baja California and the State of Campeche and the State of Coahuila
■ The firm represents clients in federal and state issued PPP projects, including negotiation of shareholders agreements, advising in the public tender process, and following-up with compliance in case the PPP agreement is awarded
■ The firm currently represents clients in the financial balance of several public concessions

Languages: English, Spanish.

Clients:
HR Ratings de Mexico, Evercore Partners Mexico, FOVISSSTE, Fonacot, Lease4U, SmartLending, FirmaCar, SportsWorld, Banco Santander (Mexico), FHipo, Corporación Actinver S.A.B., Banco Mercantil del Norte (Banorte), Banco Invex, Banco Multiva, Scotiabank, Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, S.A.B. de C.V. (Mexican Stock Exchange), Banobras., Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura (Pinfra), Black- Rock, Renewable Resources Group.