DLA Piper announced today that Raul Farias has joined the firm’s Corporate practice and Energy sector as a partner in San Diego.
Farias joins DLA Piper from a Fortune 500 energy company, where he served as senior counsel and was responsible for international matters. He has substantial experience in mergers & acquisitions, project development, project finance and other related transactions. Throughout his career, he has advised a wide array of clients, including multinational corporations, financial institutions and private equity funds. He also has considerable experience in international IPOs, distressed sales and acquisitions, cross-border loan restructurings, DIP financings and other banking-related transactions.
He has significant industry knowledge in the financial sector and the infrastructure and energy space, including power generation, transmission & distribution, renewable energy, energy storage, oil & gas, and liquefied natural gas.
“Recent growth in the energy and infrastructure markets has created a strong demand for lawyers who have experience with those sectors in the US and who also understand how laws and regulations in Latin America impact companies operating in that region,” said Robert Gruendel, global co-chair of DLA Piper’s Energy sector. “Raul fits that description precisely, and his ability to knowledgably transact and navigate the legal environments in both areas will be invaluable.”
“Raul brings an excellent track record and a skillset that enables him to handle a broad range of matters for key areas of the energy industry. His qualifications and connections in a number of important Latin American markets will also be a major asset for clients,” said Jack Langlois, US co-chair of the firm’s Energy sector.
“DLA Piper Latin America has expanded its footprint with the addition of new regional and local offices over the last five years. Our focus on growth with US-based lawyers working in the region has enabled us to bring on several lateral partners that have enhanced this strategy, most recently Dino Barajas, who joined earlier this year in Los Angeles,” said Richard Chesley, co-US managing partner of the firm. “This is consistent with the firm’s goal of strengthening our global team with diversity of people, ideas and experience. The addition of Raul further enhances our ability to respond to the needs of clients in the Latin American business community, multilatinas and multinational companies with interests in the community or operations in Latin America.”
Farias received his J.D. from Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City, his LL.M. from New York University School of Law and a master’s degree from National University of Singapore. While not yet admitted to practice law in California, he is dually admitted to practice law in New York and Mexico.
