Baker & McKenzie, S.C. covers a wide range of corporate matters, from due diligence and M&A, joint ventures and corporate reorganisations to contracts, compliance and corporate governance, for multinational and domestic clients. The firm benefits from its international network, which enables lawyers in various jurisdictions to provide integrated advice on compliance and cross-border M&A. Jesús Dávila advises domestic and multinational companies on the full scope of corporate transactions, including M&A, joint ventures and takeovers, and has assisted clients with adapting their operations to the Venezuelan environment. The strong secondary line-up includes senior associates Adriana Gonçalves, who has assisted national and international clients in major M&A transactions, Marie Roschelle Quintero and Jesús Villegas, and associate María-Fernanda Uzcátegui.

D'Empaire is highly experienced in M&A, and has recently been particularly active in advising on transactions in the oil and gas sector and the implications of the partial lifting of US sanctions. The team's sector expertise further extends to insurance, cosmetic goods, food and beverages, telecoms and energy, with a client base that includes major international companies; in a recent highlight, the firm advised L’Oréal on the sale of its Venezuelan subsidiary through a management buy-out. Key names from the firm include practice head Fulvio Italiani, an expert in corporate transactions in the oil, gas, energy, mining and petrochemical spheres, Roberto Mas, whose areas of expertise include M&A and corporate restructurings, and associate Giancarlo Carrazza.

Noted for being a firm with ‘technical knowledge but also knowledge of the socio-political circumstances of the country’, Dentons continues to advise a broad range of international and local clients on their ongoing operations in Venezuela. Leading the department from Caracas, partners Sergio Casinelli, Daniela Jaimes, Rubén Eduardo Luján and Natalija Vojvodic provide a full service, with work covering M&A, spin-offs, corporate restructurings, and the drafting and negotiating of contracts. Leveraging support from their sister offices across the wider firm network, team members are particularly well placed to advise on corporate matters involving Venezuela for high-profile international companies operating in the pharmaceuticals, maritime, and oil and gas sectors. Associate Luis David Briceño is also noted.

Spread across Caracas, Valencia, Maracaibo and Barquisimeto, the corporate team at Lega is frequently involved in high-end domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures and company incorporations, including assisting clients with their expansions in Latin America or exits from Venezuela. The team is supported by the wider effort of the other practices at the firm, particularly the tax department, with team members liaising to provide clients with a full service. Pedro Urdaneta focuses on corporate transactions, including cross-border and domestic M&A, with additional expertise in the private equity, capital markets, cryptocurrency and technology spheres, while Luis Eduardo López Durán regularly handles M&A transactions for clients in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. José Alberto Ramírez and Elias Tarbay are other key names from the firm.

The corporate and M&A practice at Mendoza, Palacios, Acedo, Borjas, Paez Pumar & Cia. advises the full life cycle of M&A and private equity transactions, from negotiation with sellers and target companies to due diligence procedures and the drafting and implementation of contractual documentation. Diego Lepervanche and Luisa Lepervanche are go-to advisers on foreign investment in Venezuela, including advising on international sanctions, while Luisa Acedo is noted for her corporate governance expertise and René Lepervanche Orellana advises national and international clients on M&A, corporate finance and commercial issues. Manuel Acedo Sucre, Carlos Eduardo Acedo Sucre and associate Francesca Rigio are also standout members of the team.

Altum Abogados, S.C.‘s corporate and M&A team advise multinational corporations on a range of corporate matters, including the incorporation of Venezuelan entities and amendments to their by-laws, as well as the design and organisation of corporate structures for asset and investment protection purposes. The department benefits from the expertise of members such as María Eugenia Reyes, who is experienced in international M&A deals, Álvaro Posada Sessarego, who advises on cross-border corporate matters, including the expansion strategies of local companies, and Alfonso Porras Machado, who is skilled in transactional work and in handling negotiations between public authorities and local and foreign corporate groups. Associate Froila Eugenia Pimental is noted for her wide experience in M&A and capital markets matters.

The corporate and M&A team at Araquereyna provides a full service to clients on all aspects of their transactions, ranging from corporate finance to national and international contracts, and the incorporation of partnerships and corporations, as well as corporate restructurings. The firm has been closely involved in a number of high-profile acquisitions of companies and assets in Venezuela, as well as advising international clients in relation to the impact of US sanctions against the Venezuelan government and state-owned entities. The practice is headed by founding partners Pedro Ignacio Sosa Mendoza, Maripi Viso and Manuel Reyna.

InterJuris Abogados offers a full-service corporate practice, ranging from advising on M&A to divestitures, corporate restructurings and joint ventures in major industries in Caracas, Miami and Madrid. The team advises international and domestic investors, as well as high-net-worth individuals, on the restructuring and re-domestication of holding companies outside Venezuela. One recent area of expansion is its expertise in the blockchain and crypto assets sphere. Carlos Delgado, who is experienced in advising on shareholders' covenants, strategic alliances and joint ventures, leads the team alongside Juan José Delgado, who concentrates his practice on advising local and multinational companies doing business and investing in Venezuela. María Leticia Perera, Antonio Ramírez and José Alejandro Corbán Obadía are other key names from the firm.

Palacios, Torres & Korody provides a range of corporate and M&A services, including advising on the drafting of agreements and the execution of cross-border and domestic reorganisation projects, as well as the incorporation, winding down, dissolution and liquidation of Venezuelan entities. Carlos Plaza heads the practice with Juan Korody and draws on experience of handling investments and activities in the petrochemical, telecoms and mining industries in Venezuela and Bolivia. Daniel Betancourt assists with designing compliance strategies for clients in regulated sectors. Associate Erika Cornilliac has broad experience in corporate matters focused on consumer products, banking and oil and gas. Associates Andreína González and Virginia Guillén are also names to watch.

Led by Ramón Andrade Monagas, Ponte Andrade & Casanova's corporate team provides a full service to multinational corporations and financial institutions, including their local subsidiaries, across key industries. Recent areas of activity include advising on contractual and regulatory matters, advertising agreements and corporate restructurings. Ignacio Andrade Monagas combines his expertise in technology, e-commerce and digital platforms with his experience in corporate and M&A, while Francisco Casanova Sanjurjo advises on the full spectrum of corporate and commercial matters. Associates Ignacio Andrade Cifuentes and Luis González Morales are further names to note.

Torres, Plaz & Araujo provides legal support across a full spectrum of corporate and commercial law, including assisting on structuring foreign investments in Venezuela as well as advising on corporate, project finance and M&A. Key contacts from the firm include Guillermo De La Rosa Stolk, Juan Carlos Garantón Blanco, Valentina Cabrera Medina and Jesús Escudero. Domingo Piscitelli Nevola and junior partner José Antonio De Sousa are additional names to note.

Travieso Evans Arria Rengel & Paz is skilled in M&A, especially the acquisition of Venezuelan businesses by foreign investors, as well as offering advice in relation to Venezuelan antitrust laws and regulations. The firm has a strong grip on cross-border work and represents clients across a variety of sectors, ranging from energy, media and consumer goods to technology and real estate. Olga Nass De Massiani handles all issues relating to M&A and foreign investments, while Simón Guevara Camacho combines experience in the corporate and energy fields, and is a go-to name to advise national and multinational companies. Hans Sydow Guevara is also frequently involved in cross-border M&A transactions. Luis Tinoco Arria is another key team member.

Led by Jorge Paúl and Rodolfo Belloso, the practice at LEC Abogados advises local and international clients on a range of corporate matters relating to their operations in Venezuela, ranging from structuring of the new businesses, regulatory analysis and assessment, and the internalisation of local industrial and commercial groups to foreign investment, corporate finance and M&A. Associates Sabrina Pérez Viña, who is experienced in assisting corporations with due diligence and corporate restructurings, and Ivanna Blanco Mendoza provide capable support.

SLV Consultores houses a sizeable team with experience in corporate reorganisations, and designing and implementing corporate structures both for domestic companies and international companies. Recently, the firm has expanded its practice into the banking and oil and gas industries, where new clients include local investment groups and contractors. Managing partner Alejandro Silva Ortiz has extensive expertise in the food, pharmaceuticals and telecoms sectors, and Rafael Álvarez Loscher advises on complex M&A, spin-offs and investments in emerging markets; they lead the practice with Homero Moreno and Carlos Altimari.