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South America

South America is home to many of the world's enormously successful families, who generate their wealth from a wide range of sectors from mining to technology. With a dedicated group of advisors based in the US, Europe and Asia, we provide South American families with a holistic service to advise them on their interests across the world.

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Recent recognition

Leading firm for commercial litigation (New York City)

Leading firm for commercial litigation (New Haven)

Leading firm for trust and estates law

Recommended for trust and succession disputes

Recommended for family law

Track record

Representing the Claimant in an LCIA arbitration

Representing the Claimant in an LCIA arbitration relating to gold mining licences and permits in South America.

Advice following the Madoff investment scandal

Following the Madoff scandal we advised the investment arm of a bank trustee with numerous Central and Latin American settlors / beneficiaries who had exposure to Madoff.

Argentinean hotel chain investment work

We provided thorough advice to an Argentinean hotel chain on tax optimizing its global structure for US investment and expansion. This included extensive pre-IPO planning, interim financing structuring, a review of the fund documents and the creation of convertible notes for a special class of investors.

Brazilian family offshore structuring

We worked alongside Brazilian counsel to advise a client on the FATCA and CRS reporting requirements applicable to their complex succession structure for his offshore assets. These included a private trust company, trusts, companies and other entities, a private investment fund and multiple investment accounts, and involved the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Switzerland and the US. The advice also needed to take into account the client's plans to relocate his family from Brazil to London, and possibly thereafter to New York City.

Chilean child US tax

A Chilean family's child was an accidental American by virtue of birth, and we helped them to address US tax reporting issues and eliminate future entanglement with the US.

Chilean investment in gold producer

A Chilean client engaged us to advise on their investment in the AIM-listed Brazilian gold producer Serabi Gold.

Chilean US family tax work

Working with a Chilean–US family, we helped to address compliance deficiencies in their family wealth succession planning structure. Small modifications to the structure substantially decreased US annual taxation and simplified reporting, addressing the US family members' income tax, FBAR and FATCA reporting issues. We also liaised with Chilean banks to quickly unfreeze needed accounts.

Chilean US immigration

We helped the US-resident daughter of a successful Chilean entrepreneur through immigration issues and residency planning, supported tax and reporting efficient giving from her father, and provided cross border structuring advice.

Columbian family IRS case

We represented a Columbian family with interests in Columbia and Brazil, which had been briefly stationed in the United States, with a delicate IRS matter. We assisted the family in negotiating a penalty abatement of upwards of US$1.6 million in potential penalties, and all of the IRS meetings and negotiations were addressed without clients needing to be physically present in the United States.

Ecuador v Colombia ICJ case

Our litigation team acted in Ecuador v Colombia (Aerial Herbicide Spraying) Counsel of Colombia, in an ICJ case involving issues of international environmental law.

Italian Brazilian speedboat case

Our client was an Italian company which supplied customised speedboats for use by the Brazilian Police Force. We represented our client in the recovery of a debt owed by a Brazilian company involved in the transaction.

Mexican telecoms project

A telecommunications equipment manufacturer providing customer financing for the construction of telecom fiber networks in Mexico and other Latin American countries engaged us to advise.

Pre-immigration planning for Brazil-USA move

A Brazilian private equity fund executive requested advice on pre-immigration planning in connection with his relocation to the United States. We helped to coordinate the timing of his tax recognition from certain transactions to occur while he was still a Brazilian tax resident and others to be taxed after becoming a US tax resident. We also established different types of trust structures to protect assets from US estate tax, a foreign trust to defer income taxation on existing carried interests, and a traditional US estate planning trust for carried interests not yet paying out.

Represented investors investing in a high-end Italian food market chain

We represented investors investing in a high-end Italian food market chain comprised of restaurants and food stations in New York, Chicago and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Venezuelan dairy investment

A family office, based in Florida, USA, carrying out an underlying investment in the Venezuelan dairy sector sought our advice on the deal.

Brazilian family

Aided a Brazilian family with significant US commercial real estate holdings to restructure the ownership of this property to avoid US estate tax. Also devised arrangements for Brazilian residents to create legitimate structures that are protected from Brazilian taxation, permit efficient repatriation of capital to Brazil when needed and ensure optimal flexibility and family control to respond to changing needs and tax laws in the future.

Chilean businessman

Represented a prominent Chilean businessman to secure and sustain his assets for his US-born descendants by allowing him to avoid US estate tax and reduce his Chilean property tax payments using usufruct transactions.

Clients in Chile, Mexico and Venezuela

Advised clients with cross-border interests in relation to the construction of private trust company structures, which effectively allowed for family business succession planning, cost reduction and greater control over certain trust decisions and tax minimization in the jurisdiction of domicile and internationally.

Colombian family offshore assets

Advised on the restructuring of a Colombian family's offshore assets in connection with Colombian tax reform.

Colombian family's US passport surrender

Advised a Colombian family on the surrender of their US passports in order to come into compliance with their US tax and reporting obligations and thereby cease to be subject to US compliance in a highly tax efficient manner.

Major Brazilian real estate investor

Assisted a major Brazilian real estate investor to immigrate to the US, start a new business, acquire US real estate and reorganize his Brazilian and offshore investments. This involved obtaining a new passport and visas, international tax and corporate structuring, real estate advice and business planning.

One of the wealthiest families in Argentina

Advised on the creation of a long term governance and succession planning structure for one of the wealthiest families in Argentina in order to ensure family control of the business across generations, educate younger generation family members on governance responsibilities and protect the value of the holdings.

Structuring trusts for wealthy Argentine family

Represented a wealthy Argentine family to structure trusts for both their personal and business interests. Our planning allowed this family to minimize domestic wealth tax, ensure compliance with US tax regulations, form a voting trust for the family business and facilitate commercial lending transactions.

US children of Peruvian parents

Creating US revocable and irrevocable trusts for the US children of Peruvian parents to enable the children to benefit from their parents' Peruvian wealth without causing US estate taxation and optimal income taxation.

Venezuelan family in relocation

Advised on the sale of assets in Venezuela and global residency, immigration and planning needs for a Venezuelan family needing to temporarily or permanently leave their country.

Venezuelan family's assets

Acted for a Venezuelan family concerned about security and control of the family's assets now and for future generations. This resulted in a comprehensive restructuring of their worldwide assets, including the reorganization of existing trusts and creation of a flexible set of arrangements for the migration of trusts to separate jurisdictions for different beneficiaries.

Windup of real estate fund

Handle sale out of multiple apartment assets owned by an offshore fund, together with windup of entity. Windup and liquidation of foreign corporation included issues of law of Curacao, Hong Kong and California/US.

Aircraft lease financings in North and South America

Advised on the development of multiple leveraged, tax-advantaged aircraft lease financings in North and South America for one of Israel’s largest aircraft companies.

US telecommunication companies asset acquisitions

We assisted US based and NYSE listed telecommunication companies in various assets acquisitions in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

A South American family

We worked with a South American family with significant business interests when they chose to liquidate holdings in a multi-billion dollar business outside their home country. The family wanted to diversify their exposure and explore more sophisticated investment opportunities. We advised on the creation of a holding structure for their investments and helped them to establish a family office, based in New York, to advise it.

Experience

Commercial litigation

Our highly skilled commercial litigators assist with complex, multi-jurisdictional cases of all kinds. Whether acting for an investor, business or brand, our creative approach gets results.

Immigration

Whether you are an individual, a family or an employer, our lawyers know each country’s systems and speak the local language, helping you to navigate through what can be opaque processes.

Private client

As a firm built around the needs of individuals and families, we offer an exceptional service to private clients. Wherever you are, and whatever you need, our lawyers are here to help.

Wealth structuring

We help individuals, families and their advisors to plan for the future, establishing priorities and finding solutions. And we offer seamless support for those with international interests.

Tax

With a team of more than 150 specialist tax lawyers, who are qualified in jurisdictions around the world, we are perfectly placed to handle even the most complex, cross-border tax issues.

Trust, estate and inheritance disputes

As one of the largest teams of trust, estate and inheritance dispute lawyers in the world, we draw on extensive experience to explore your succession dispute and find the best available solution.

Blockchain, cryptocurrency and decentralized finance

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FIND OUT MORE

Withers talks: cryptocurrency

Immigration

Email Reaz

+1 212 848 9853

Insight

International structures of Mexican families may be impacted by new Mexican tax law changes

Mexican legislative elections and the future of the tax reform

Get in touch

Our website will give you a flavour of the advice we provide - if you would like to talk to us for more information, please contact our client services team who will be happy to assist.

Get in touch

Banking and finance

Commercial litigation

Corporate

Divorce and family

Employment

Immigration

International arbitration

Investment funds

Intellectual property (IP)

Private client

Public international law

Real estate

Tax

Trust, estate and inheritance disputes

White collar defense and investigations

Art

Media and reputation

Philanthropy

Technology and life sciences (Withers tech)

Charities and not for profit

South America

Recent recognition

Track record

Representing the Claimant in an LCIA arbitration

Advice following the Madoff investment scandal

Argentinean hotel chain investment work

Brazilian family offshore structuring

Chilean child US tax

Chilean investment in gold producer

Chilean US family tax work

Chilean US immigration

Columbian family IRS case

Ecuador v Colombia ICJ case

Italian Brazilian speedboat case

Mexican telecoms project

Pre-immigration planning for Brazil-USA move

Represented investors investing in a high-end Italian food market chain

Venezuelan dairy investment

Brazilian family

Chilean businessman

Clients in Chile, Mexico and Venezuela

Colombian family offshore assets

Colombian family's US passport surrender

Major Brazilian real estate investor

One of the wealthiest families in Argentina

Structuring trusts for wealthy Argentine family

US children of Peruvian parents

Venezuelan family in relocation

Venezuelan family's assets

Windup of real estate fund

Aircraft lease financings in North and South America

US telecommunication companies asset acquisitions

A South American family

Experience

Blockchain, cryptocurrency and decentralized finance

Withers talks: cryptocurrency

Our team

Josefina Colomar

Josefina Colomar

Christina M. Baltz

Christina M. Baltz

Michelle B. Graham

Michelle B. Graham

Ivan A. Sacks

Ivan A. Sacks

Reaz H. Jafri

Reaz H. Jafri

Insight

International structures of Mexican families may be impacted by new Mexican tax law changes

Mexican legislative elections and the future of the tax reform

Get in touch