D'Empaire‘s corporate and M&A practice has a strong track record of participating in major transactions resulting from the dollarisation of the market in Venezuela. In addition, the firm frequently collaborates with international law firms to advise global clients on cross-border transactions. Fulvio Italiani heads the team and is an experienced practitioner in M&A; his recent work highlights include assisting Brown-Forman with its acquisition of the Diplomático Rum brand and related assets. José Humberto Frías, Victorino Márquez, Roberto Mas and Inés Parra are active transactional lawyers, while Carlos Omaña has notable expertise in acquisitions in the onshore oil drilling sector. Associate Giancarlo Carrazza provides key support.

Dentons advises a diverse portfolio of international and local clients from industries including pharmaceuticals and oil and gas. The firm is frequently engaged on M&A mandates, particularly international deals; most recently its workload has included matters relating to cryptocurrencies and streaming services. At the head of the practice, Sergio Casinelli, Rubén Eduardo Luján, Daniela Jaimes and Natalija Vojvodic advise on a range of transactional matters, including M&A, spin-offs and reorganisations of Venezuelan companies, in addition to assisting with commercial agreements and the incorporation, operation and liquidation of corporations.

Lega has a strong presence in the corporate and M&A market in Venezuela, providing a full-service offering in the field of cross-border and domestic M&A from its offices in Caracas, Valencia, Maracaibo and Barquisimeto. Pedro Urdaneta, whose expertise includes private equity matters and transactions in the cryptocurrency space, co-heads the team with Luis Eduardo López Durán, who is active in corporate matters in the pharmaceuticals and life sciences sector. José Alberto Ramírez specialises in transactions involving the energy and natural resources sectors, and Elias Tarbay regularly advises on M&A and commercial contracts.

Altum Abogados, S.C. advises multinational and local corporations on corporate transactions, with specialisms in the incorporation of Venezuelan entities and the operation of businesses under Venezuelan law. Leading the practice, María Eugenia Reyes focuses on the design and implementation of efficient asset-holding structures and on advising companies on shareholders’ agreements; Álvaro Posada Sessarego has experience in cross-border corporate transactions, alongside the design and implementation of strategies for local companies to expand to other countries; and Alfonso Porras Machado has expertise in M&A and corporate finance. Associate Froila Eugenia Pimental provides capable support.

Araquereyna works with leading domestic and international firms to advise on the Venezuelan law aspects of corporate matters in sectors ranging from crypto to insurance. The firm also has a focus on advising entrepreneurs in Venezuela on corporate and regulatory matters related to the formalisation of their ventures, providing support through its in-house Araquereyna WithU software. Manuel Reyna, whose experience includes corporate reorganisations and the liquidation of local subsidiaries, real estate expert Maripi Viso and Pedro Sosa lead the team. Juan José Figueroa, Federica Mena and associate Estefanía Lizardo are also key contacts.

Baker & McKenzie, S.C.‘s practice centres on M&A, including due diligence, corporate and tax structuring, and post-acquisition integrations. The team also advises multinational and domestic clients on divestments and corporate reorganisations, working closely with the firm's finance and tax departments, and is well versed in cross-border matters, thanks to its global network. Practice head Jesús Dávila advises companies on corporate matters including takeovers and joint ventures. Support is provided by senior associates Adriana Gonçalves, whose areas of expertise include M&A, private equity, antitrust and compliance, and Jesús Villegas, and associate Marie Roschelle Quintero.

InterJuris Abogados fields a full-service corporate practice from its offices in Venezuela, Miami and Madrid, advising on M&A, divestitures, corporate restructurings and joint ventures in major industries. The firm also handles non-transactional corporate matters and foreign investments. Carlos Delgado advises on shareholders’ agreements, strategic alliances and joint ventures, alongside public M&A and reorganisations; María Cecilia Rachadell focuses on the corporate, contractual and regulatory aspects of businesses operating in Venezuela and internationally; and Juan José Delgado advises local and multinational corporations on corporate matters and tax-efficient operations in Venezuela. María Leticia Perera is also noted.

Mendoza, Palacios, Acedo, Borjas, Paez Pumar & Cia.‘s corporate practice spans M&A, foreign investment, corporate governance and exchange controls, with clients including national and international companies. The team also frequently acts alongside international firms to assist in cross-border transactions and with clients operations in Venezuela. The team is led by Manuel Acedo Sucre, who handles corporate finance, M&A and international organisation; Luisa Acedo who advises on corporate governance and international structuring; and Diego Lepervanche, who assists with M&A, foreign investment and private equity matters. Carlos Eduardo Acedo and associate Francesca Rigio are also noted. The practice was significantly bolstered in early 2023 by the arrivals of René Lepervanche Orellana and César Lepervanche Mendoza from Tinoco, Travieso, Planchart & Núñez.

Ponte Andrade & Casanova has a full-service corporate offering which ranges from restructurings to the review of corporate policies. Its broad client base includes banks, insurance companies, entrepreneurial organisations and the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce. Ramón Andrade Mongas, who rejoined the firm from an in-house role in January 2023 and is highly experienced in M&A, joint ventures and antitrust issues, managing partner Ignacio Andrade Monagas, a key contact in the technology, e-commerce and digital space, and Francisco Casanova lead the department. Associate Ignacio Andrade Cifuentes is noted for his corporate, commercial, tax and regulatory expertise.

Torres, Plaz & Araujo assists with contractual, commercial, corporate and foreign investment matters, and is experienced in both national and multi-jurisdictional transactions. Guillermo De La Rosa Stolk advises on the negotiation of national and international M&A and joint ventures, while Juan Carlos Garantón-Blanco focuses his corporate practice on the energy field, having advised on Venezuelan oil, gas and petrochemicals-related projects, and Valentina Cabrera Medina handles restructuring and M&A, with an emphasis on the energy, construction, and food and beverage industries. Domingo Piscitelli Nevola and José Antonio De Sousa, who was promoted to the position of junior partner in December 2022, are also noted.

Travieso Evans Arria Rengel & Paz advises multinational clients from a broad range of industry sectors, including energy, media, technology, infrastructure, real estate and pharmaceuticals. The firm has expertise in M&A, with a specialisation in the acquisition of businesses in Venezuela by foreign investors, and as a result is well versed in simultaneous acquisitions in different countries across South America. US-based Olga Nass De Massiani co-heads the practice with Simón Guevara Camacho, who routinely provides advice to national and multinational companies on corporate and energy matters. Daniela Del Vecchio assists with M&A and exchange control matters for clients across various industries including food and pharmaceuticals. Hans Sydow Guevara and associate Joseth Nathaniel Almea González are also key contacts.

BNM ONTIER benefits from the support of its office in Madrid when advising international clients, but has also expanded its client base to include local distribution companies. The team is focused on transactional work, particularly M&A. José Rafael Bermúdez, who specialises in M&A and contractual matters in the oil, petrochemical and power generation industries, and Carlos Nevett Gimón, who is experienced in joint ventures, M&A and foreign investments.

The corporate and M&A team at LEC Abogados is led by Jorge Paúl and Rodolfo Belloso, who advises on corporate structuring, regulatory analysis and foreign investment for both domestic and international clients. Gastón Lazzari draws on his M&A and corporate experience to act as legal counsel to major clients including Chevron. Associates Arturo Jáuregui and Ivanna Blanco Mendoza are also key contacts in the team.

Palacios, Torres & Korody is particularly experienced in advising major local and international clients within the petrochemicals, telecoms and mining sectors. Carlos Plaza, who is well versed in M&A, asset sales and joint ventures, particularly in the mining space, co-heads the team with Juan Korody, who focuses on structuring foreign investments. Juan Andrés Velutini is also a notable contact for corporate and tax matters.

Raffalli de Lemos Halvorssen Ortega y Ortiz assists with a broad range of corporate matters, from commercial activities and contracts to the registration of companies with all public bodies and the drafting of shareholders' agreements. Andrés Luis Halvorssen, Jose Manuel Ortega Sosa, Rafael De Lemos Matheus and Andrea Rondon are all noteworthy names within the corporate law team.

Rodríguez & Mendoza's corporate practice covers advising national and international corporations on day-to-day issues, such as the preparation and registration of corporate documents, and on M&A transactions. Francisco Utrera is focused on corporate, antitrust and M&A matters, while Reinaldo Hellmund and Cristóbal Mendoza are also key contacts.

Tinoco, Travieso, Planchart & Núñez fields teams from its offices in Caracas and Puerto Ordaz, advising on the preparation of documentation, the purchase and sale of assets and equities, restructurings and M&A, as well as foreign investments.