Francisco Cerezo

Practice Areas

Corporate; Mergers and Acquisitions; Finance; Private Equity

Career

Francisco Cerezo is the firm's Chair, US-Latin America Practice and Chair of Latin America Corporate & Finance. He focuses his practice on corporate and international matters, advising US and foreign companies, private equity funds, family groups and sovereigns doing business globally and with a focus in the Americas and the Caribbean.

He has extensive experience in corporate and financial services, cross-border transactions, strategic corporate counseling, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and public-private partnerships. He regularly counsels global companies and private equity funds doing business in the Americas on matters ranging from complex transactions and market entry issues to compliance and general corporate strategic counsel.

Francisco also serves as principal outside counsel to several significant family groups on matters ranging from corporate governance and succession planning to representing their underlying portfolio companies in billions of dollars of transactions, ranging from banking and energy to telecom and retail.

Professional Memberships

Council of the Americas

Consejo Empresarial de América Latina (CEAL)

Consejo Empresarial Alianza por Iberoamérica (CEAPI)

American Bar Association

International Bar Association

New York State Bar Association

Florida Bar

Personal

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

DLA Piper Global Scholarships Programme, Board Member

Lawyers for Children America, Inc.

Columbia University School of Law Alumni Association

PRxPR, Advisory Board Member

Languages Spoken

Spanish

French

Publications

MEDIA MENTIONS

Interviewed, ”La estrategia detrás de la expansión en Latinoamérica de DLA Piper”, Lex Latin, May 20, 2024

Interviewed, “DLA Piper Bullish on Latin America”, Latinvex, May 15, 2024

Quoted, "Latham, Linklaters Lead 1Q Cross-Border M&A in Latin America", Law.com International, April 5, 2024

Interviewed, "Global Tensions Stall Cross-Border Deals As Gov'ts Regroup", Law360, April 1, 2024

Interviewed, "‘View From the Top’- An interview with Francisco J Cerezo, Partner, DLA Piper – Chair, US Latin America", Top Ranked Legal, September, 2023

Quoted, "DLA Piper nabs Mattos Filho's New York office head", Latin Lawyer, September 25, 2023

DLA Piper nabs Mattos Filho's New York office head - Latin Lawyer

Quoted, "Passing the torch," Latin Lawyer, August 31, 2023

Mentioned, "Celebra su éxito en la isla," El Nuevo Dia, June 23, 2023

Quoted, "DLA Piper galardonada con el premio "Deal of the Year" 2023 de Latin Lawyer en dos categorías," Líder Legal, May 25, 2023

Quoted, "Allen & Overy partner boosts DLA Piper LatAm group", Latin Lawyer, May 25, 2023

Mentioned, "Firms steer US-Mexico fibre optics buy," Latin Lawyer, May 23, 2023

Quoted, "DLA Piper Lawyers and Practices Ranked in Latest Edition of The Legal 500 Latin America," CityBiz, October 24, 2022

Quoted, "DLA Piper Argentina asesora a Itaú en la adquisición de participaciones minoritarias en las fintech uruguayas Prex y Paigo," Abogados, April 1, 2022

Tagged, "Itaú's Acquisition of a Minority Stakes in Prex and Paigo," Global Legal Chronicle, April 2, 2022 [content only available to members]

Lex Latin, "Empoderamiento del cliente: las expectativas de los in-house frente a las firmas"

March 1st, 2022

Profiled, "Francisco Cerezo Named to the Daily Business Review's 2020 List of Florida Trailblazers," Daily Business Review, September 10, 2020

Quoted, "China Seizes Opportunities in Latin America," American Lawyer, January 4, 2017

Profiled, "Hispanic Attorneys in Miami Rise to Prominence in International Practice," Daily Business Review, July 2016

Quoted, "A Closer Look At The Latin America M&A Market," Law360, April 25, 2016

Quoted, "Sound and Fury, Trade Rhetoric From The Political Campaigns Is Causing Heartburn For International Lawyers Who Crave Stability," Focus Latin America, June 2016

Quoted, "The year ahead: A glimpse at the economic outlook for South Florida," Miami Herald, January 2015

Profiled, "Francisco Cerezo: 'vista en su totalidad, América Latina continuará atrayendo inversiones,'" América Economía, December 2014

Quoted, "US M&A In The Emerging Markets," Financier Worldwide, December 2013

Quoted, "Poised for Growth: Identifying M&A Opportunities in Spain," Merrill DataSite White Paper, October 2013

Included and cited, "Best Practices of the Best Dealmakers: Valuable Guidance from 51 of the Most Active Middle Market M&A Practitioners," 2013

Appeared, "This is Miami: More Than Just a Winter Playground," NBC's Today Show, February 2013

Quoted, "Law Firm Work Abroad Continues to Grow as Services Battle Trade Sectors," Miami Today, July 2012

Quoted, "International Appeal Should Continue to aid Miami's Recovery," Miami Today, May 2012

Profiled, "Top Dealmakers of the Year," Daily Business Review, May 2012

Quoted, "Latin America Impacts and Links Report," Miami Today, May 2012

Quoted, "Daily Business Review Business Advisory Board Special Report on the Recovery of South Florida's Economy," April 2012

Profiled, "Twelve to Watch in 2012," Attorney at Law Magazine, January 2012

Quoted, "Researching a Foreign Market Can Lead to Key Partnerships," South Florida Business Journal, January 2012

Profiled, "El Equipo Fantastico," Vida Y Exito, October 2011

Quoted, "Miami Law Firms Expanding Global Reach," The Miami Herald, September 2011

Quoted, "TalkingPoint: M&A in Latin America," Financier Worldwide, September 2011

Profiled, "Dealmakers," Daily Business Review, August 2011

PODCASTS

• DLA Piper: Bridges and opportunities between Europe and the Americas | DLA Piper, July 23, 2024

• DLA Piper: Brazil: A conversation on the landscape of opportunities ahead, June 14, 2024

• DLA Piper: State of Affairs in Latin America – A conversation with Ambassador Michael McKinley, January 25, 2024

• DLA Piper: Artificial Intelligence and Latin America, A Brave New World: A conversation with Tony Navarro, February 8, 2024

• DLA Piper: Economic ties between the UK and Latin America: A conversation with Vincent Keaveny, former Lord Mayor and Sheriff of the City of London and partner at DLA Piper, March 28, 2024

• The Legal Podcast: Un ex de la CIA en el equipo de DLA Piper | Francisco Cerezo (DLA Piper), May 9, 2024

Education