Guillermo Acuña
Partnergacuna@carey.cl
+56 2 2928 2215
Partner of Carey and co-head of the firm’s Corporate / Mergers & Acquisitions and Compliance Groups. His practice focuses on corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, national and international corporate financing, foreign investment, and insurance. Also, he has vast experience in aviation law matters including purchase contracts, various forms of leasing (dry lease and wet lease), aircraft and engines financing contracts and in specific issues of air operations. Additionally, he advises local and foreign companies on compliance matters, including anti-corruption policies and programs, preventive models, internal investigations and criminal corporate liability.
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
- Liberty Latin America on the merger agreed with América Móvil (AMX) in order to combine their respective Chilean operations, VTR and Claro Chile, through a 50:50 joint venture agreement. VTR is a leading provider of high-speed fixed products, such as broadband and paid TV services, with approx. 3 million subscribers nationwide, and Claro is a leading telecommunications service provider, with more than 6.5 million mobile customers. This JV creates a greater scale business and product diversification with a capital structure that enables a significant investment for fixed fiber footprint expansion and a forefront 5G mobile delivery.
- Qatar Airways on an agreement with LATAM Airlines to acquire up to 10% of its total shares through a capital increase of USD613 million.
- VTR on a financing with several domestic and foreign banks and financial institutions for USD484 million, consisting of a revolving credit line for up to USD185 million; a local long-term loan for approx. USD275 million (CLP174 billion) and another revolving credit line for approx. USD24 million (CLP15 billion).
- Team Foods, a Colombian business group, on the acquisition of BredenMaster, Chile´s frozen pre-baked bakery products and pastries market leader, as well as BredenMaster Perú and Distribuidora de Productos Alimenticios Los Guindos.
- Altor and Bain Capital on the sale of EWOS to Cargill for USD1.35 billion.
- EWOS, a Norwegian fish feed supplier for the aquaculture industry, on the acquisition of the Chilean fish farming company Nova Austral and its subsidiary Comercial Austral for USD183 million. The acquisition of Nova Austral was done under the bankruptcy of its controlling shareholder Acuinova.
- Piscicultura Tierra del Fuego, a subsidiary of Nova Austral, on a Term Loan Facility Agreement for USD26.5 million granted by DNB Bank and supported as guarantor by EKF, Denmark’s Export Credit Agency.
- Porsche Bank and Volkswagen Financial Services, members of the Volkswagen Group, on the implementation in Chile of a joint venture and strategic alliances with local companies in the vehicle financing business.
- Porsche Holding, a member of the Volkswagen Group, on the acquisition of the wholesale business for Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and MAN vehicles in Chile.
- Transelec, a Chilean company controlled by global assets manager Brookfield, on the acquisition of Inversiones Eléctricas Transam Chile, a transmission lines' company, from Abengoa and GE.
- Camil Alimentos, a Brazilean company, and one of the leading food corporations in Latin America, on the acquisition of Empresas Tucapel, Chile’s largest rice producer.
- Grupo Casa Saba, one of the leading wholesale pharmaceutical products distributors in Mexico, on its acquisition of Chilean pharmaceutical chain Farmacias Ahumada for approx. USD500 million.
- VTR, one of Chile’s main telecommunications group and subsidiary of Liberty Global, on the execution of a syndicated project financing arrangements for approx. USD130 million, to build, develop and operate a mobile telephone project in Chile, granted by Banco de Crédito e Inversiones and Banco Security.
- MetLife on the second stage of the bancassurance joint venture with BancoEstado, which included the payment of approx. USD58 million.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- Recognized in Corporate and M&A, Chambers Latin America.
- Recognized in Compliance, Legal 500.
- Recognized in Corporate and M&A, Aviation, and Anti-Corruption, Investigations and Compliance, Latin Lawyer 250.
- Recognized in Corporate and M&A, Corporate Governance and Compliance; and Investment, Best Lawyers.
- Recognized as Best Individual Lawyer in General Corporate Law in Chile, Client Choice (2010).
ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS
- Foreign Associate, Debevoise & Plimpton, New York (2005-2006).
- Professor of Civil Law, Universidad de los Andes (until 2008).
- Professor of Introduction to Law, School of Business and Economics, Universidad del Desarrollo (2001).
- Assistant Professor of Civil Law, Universidad de Valparaíso (1996-1998).
- Member of the Chilean Bar Association.
PUBLICATIONS
- Author and co-editor of the article "The International Contract: Problems Related to its Negotiation and Conclusion" included in the Law of Contracts. Studies about current issues, Universidad de los Andes (2002) and in Studies about International Contracts. Uniform Regime and Private International Law, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia (2004).
- Author of the article "Extinction and Liquidation of Individual Limited Liability Enterprises. Succession Issues" published in Individual Limited Liability Enterprises. New legal regime of business organization, Universidad de los Andes (2004).
SEMINARS
- Frequent lecturer in seminars and conferences in Chile and abroad.
RELATED AREAS
EDUCATION
- Law, Universidad de Valparaíso.
- LL.M., University of Southampton (2000).
- Recognized as Best Bachelor and Best Student in Civil and Commercial Law and in Procedural Law, Universidad de Valparaíso (1996).
ADMISSIONS
- Chile (1999).
LANGUAGES
- Spanish.
- English.
