Latin America’s outlook for 2016 is a patchwork of bright spots and dark prospects, with individual economies simultaneously bogged down by sagging oil prices, corruption scandals and political instability; and buoyed by regulatory reforms and a growing middle class. And all are feeling the effects of turbulence in the global arena.That’s good news for law firms advising clients on navigating the overlapping, and evolving, national and international regulatory environment.
“When there are challenges, it may sound cliché, but there are opportunities for law firms,” says Francisco Cerezo, a partner with DLA Piper and the firm’s U.S. head of Latin America corporate. “When it’s boom times and a lot more investment, you see a lot of transactional work, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, that type of thing. When there are some difficulties, you see an uptick in litigation, restructuring and whatnot.”
