Mariela Melhem

Practice Areas

Compliance

Career

Mariela Inés Melhem has a renowned experience in domestic and international business law, investment projects, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and global trade compliance involving multiple jurisdictions, including Angola, Canada, China, Equatorial Guinea, Europe, Japan, Latin America, United States and the Middle and Far East.

She regularly advises clients on domestic and international commercial contract agreements for large-scale sales of goods and services, distribution, technology licensing and commercial agency, strategic commercial alliances, international mergers and acquisitions, and compliance matters, including export control regulations, economic sanctions, anti-corruption and supply chain issues. She also regularly provides counsel to both domestic and international clients on corporate compliance programs including creating and assessing compliance and training programs for different hierarchical levels, risk assessments, as well as conducting and evaluating anti-corruption due diligence and compliance in the context of foreign investments and mergers and acquisitions.

Ms. Melhem is a member of the Corporate and Mergers & Acquisitions and Compliance and Crisis Management practices at Mitrani, Caballero & Ruiz Moreno. She was the first female partner at Mitrani Caballero Ojam & Ruiz Moreno. Previously, she was a senior associate with Bruchou, Fernández Madero, Lombardi & Mitrani (1999-2007), an associate with the Corporate Department of BakerBotts, LLP, New York Office (1998-1999), and visiting attorney at the Business & International Department of Vinson & Elkins, LLP in Houston, Texas (Summer Program, 1998). After graduating she worked as an associate with the boutique firm Estudio R.E. Seitun (1993-1997) advising clients on commercial law, litigation and M&A transactions.

She has participated as a speaker in local and international seminars and conferences. She is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and of the City of Buenos Aires Bar.

She is part of the academic group of the Argentine Association of Ethics and Compliance (Asociación Argentina de Ética y Compliance) in the national and international certification programme.

Publications

Argentina: A Legal Toolbox for an Unprecedented Crisis, The Guide to Managing a Corporate Crisis Third Edition, Latin Lawyer Insight, 2021

New Corporate Criminal Liability Act – how to protect your organisation, The Investigation Review of the Americas 2019, Global Investigations Review, 2018

Los procesos de verificación (due diligence) y la transmisión de la responsabilidad en los procesos de fusión y adquisición de sociedades (arts. 3º y 23, inc. VII de la ley 27.401), Compliance, anticorrupción y responsabilidad penal empresaria, Suplemento Especial, Thompson Reuters La Ley, 2018

Argentina: current anti-corruption landscape, The Investigation Review of the Americas 2018, Global Investigations Review, 2017

Languages Spoken

Spanish and English

Education