Jose Sirven

Mr. Sirven represents lenders and borrowing groups on significant lending transactions, including syndicated credits, asset-based and other structured financings, and acquisition financings involving borrowers in multiple jurisdictions and collateral located or generated in foreign countries. Representative transactions include:

• Representation of a multinational infrastructure developer in connection with a syndicated loan transaction led by Sovereign Bank, N.A., to partially finance the borrower's equity investment in the direct concessionaire from the Florida Department of Transportation on a major highway project in the state of Florida
• Representation of a Central American borrowing group in connection with a syndicated loan led by Citibank, N.A., to finance the acquisition of a controlling interest in a restructured group of companies engaged in franchised food operations in Mexico and Central America
• Representation of a top-tier global bank in connection with a loan exceeding $700 million to a U.S. borrower secured by fine art and involving complex financial and other covenants relating to the borrower's underlying business interests
• Representation of a top-tier global bank in connection with a dual loan structure to a U.S. borrower involving a $110 million facility secured by stock of a closely held holding company and a $40 million revolving credit loan secured by fine art
• Representation of a top-tier global bank in connection with a $25 million loan to a U.S. entity secured by fine art and guaranteed by Panamanian affiliates
• Representation of a lender in connection with a $80 million loan to finance the construction of a luxury condominium project secured by the developer's personal collection of artwork
• Representation of various lenders in connection with term and revolving credit facilities to major U.S.-based law firms, on both a secured and unsecured basis and involving recourse to partners and no recourse to partners

Mr. Sirven represents acquirers and targets in merger and acquisition transactions in the U.S. and in nearly every country in Latin America. Representative transactions include:

• Representation of EFG Capital International, Inc., in connection with the purchase from Dresdner Bank Lateinamerika AG of its direct and indirect subsidiaries engaged in the business of providing securities brokerage and investment advisory services to customers located in Latin America
• Representation of EFG Capital International, Inc., in connection with the purchase of PRS International Consulting, Inc., PRS International (Cayman) Limited and other affiliated entities and related assets constituting an integrated group providing private banking services, investment advisory services, fund administration services, securities brokerage services, the creation, design, and marketing of hedge funds and funds of hedge funds, investment management, and the sale of direct or indirect interests in mutual funds
• Representation of a U.S. publicly held company, EZCORP, in the US$60 million acquisition of an offshore holding company that controls local subsidiaries engaged in the pawn broker/consumer finance operations in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Peru  
• Representation of a South American financial group in the sale of a Colombian consumer finance company to a global financial services company and a follow-on transaction in which the same group repurchased the company less than two years later
• Representation of a Venezuelan buyer in three simultaneous purchases of mobile telephone companies in Venezuela, the largest being Digitel, S.A., a subsidiary of Telecom Italia
• Representation of a Spanish construction company's U.S. subsidiaries in connection with acquisitions of construction companies in New York and Florida
• Representation of a U.S. leading provider of specialty consumer financial services in connection with the company's transaction to acquire a controlling interest of a Mexico-based specialty consumer finance company
• Representation of a Venezuelan-based financial group in connection with the acquisition of a community bank in South Florida

• Provided transaction and regulatory advice in connection with acquisitions and divestitures of regulated entities, including banks and bank assets, as well as the formation of de novo banks and opening of international bank agencies, administrative offices and representative offices of foreign banks
• Representation of a bank holding company engaged in an internal review of a number of stock issuances to determine if an unintended change in control occurred without the required regulatory approval

• Representation of U.S. and European clients in joint ventures in Latin America and Latin American and European clients in joint ventures in the United States
• Assisted clients in connection with privatizations and government concessions in various countries in Latin America
• Representation of multilateral institutions such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), including the BOLCEN project for the IDB involving a multidisciplinary study of the capital markets of Central America and recommendations for structural and legal changes required for the potential integration of the capital markets in the region