Francisco J. Cerezo is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP where he is chair of the Latin America Practice and a member of the Transactional & Securities and International Practices. His practice focuses on corporate and international matters, advising U.S. and foreign companies, family groups and sovereigns doing business in the Americas and the Caribbean. He has extensive experience in corporate and financial services, cross-border transactions, strategic corporate counseling, mergers and acquisitions, and public-private partnerships. Mr. Cerezo is also a member of the firm's Automotive; Hospitality, Resort & Golf; Insurance; and Energy Industry Teams. Mr. Cerezo has been featured or cited in numerous publications, including the American Lawyer, Latin Lawyer, Miami Herald, Financier Worldwide and the Daily Business Review. He is also a regular television commentator on matters of international and corporate law, with appearances on CNN en Español and CNN Headline News. Mr. Cerezo was listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers, an annual listing of the leading business lawyers and law firms in the world (2010 and 2011). He was selected for inclusion in the Florida Super Lawyers - Rising Stars® (2009) lists in the areas of international, mergers & acquisitions, and securities & corporate finance. Mr. Cerezo was the recipient of the John Edward Smith Child Advocacy Award. Mr. Cerezo earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School. He received an LL.M. in European Union Law from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He earned an M.A. from the University of Virginia and a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. Mr. Cerezo's professional memberships include the Council of the Americas, American Bar Association, International Bar Association, New York State Bar Association and The Florida Bar. His community involvement includes serving as board member and trustee of the Carlos Albizu University Foundation and membership in Lawyers for Children America, Inc., Columbia University School of Law Alumni Association and Leadership Circle of the United Way of Miami. Mr. Cerezo is admitted to practice in Florida and New York. He speaks fluent Spanish and conversational French. Significant Representations* · Represented the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, including the Government Development Bank, on numerous matters · Represented selling shareholders in the sale of one of the largest mobile phone operators in Central America to a European telecom group · Represented Japanese multinational in the divestiture of its Latin American assets · Represented Latin American holding company in the divestiture of several of its resort properties and in the development of other resorts in the Caribbean · Represented investment group in the formation and management of a New York headquartered hedge fund with assets under management in excess of US$1 billion · Represented European infrastructure company in a proposed public-private partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation to lease, operate, maintain and receive toll revenues from the 78-mile stretch of I-75 · Represented selling shareholders in the sale of a South American mobile phone company to a U.S. telecom company · Represented one of the largest banks in Central America in the sale of 19% of its equity to a major U.S. financial institution · Represented Spanish media and Internet company in its acquisition of 100% of the capital stock of a U.S. consulting company · Represented Latin American private equity fund in several acquisitions and strategic investments · Represented major Spanish bank in private equity investments throughout Latin America · Represented U.S. venture capital firm in numerous private equity investments · Represented international travel services company in its acquisition of majority control of one of the largest ecotourism and travel-related services company in Latin America · Represented Latin American mobile phone operator in a private equity investment by several international telecom operators · Represented large multinational Latin American food group in its acquisition of a candy manufacturer and distributor in the United States and in several asset purchases throughout the United States and Latin America · Represented European rail company, and its rail services partners in the United States and Europe, in compliance with principles of both United States and European Union Law · Represented European luxury goods company in a joint venture agreement for the launching of a perfume line · Represented venture capital firm in the acquisition of a United States toy manufacturer · Represented selling shareholders in the sale of a telecommunications company to a private equity fund · Represented European industrial and construction products company in its acquisition of a U.S. company · Represented seller in the sale of a major subprime mortgage lender to one of the largest banks in the United States · Represented broadband network services company in several private placements of its convertible preferred stock · Represented significant Latin American publicly traded company in its establishment of a Euro-Commercial Paper Program · Represented European financial services institution in the establishment of a Euro Certificate of Deposit Program in the Dominican Republic · Represented significant Mexican publicly traded company in its compliance and securities work before the Securities and Exchange Commission and New York Stock Exchange · Represented major investment bank as underwriter's co-counsel in a multibillion dollar bond issuance by a state agency · Represented online brokerage company in its secondary public offering · Represented United States underwriter in a public offering of a banking institution in Puerto Rico · Represented major investment bank as underwriter's counsel in certificates of participation issuance *Certain of these transactions occurred prior to Mr. Cerezo joining Foley & Lardner LLP. Articles, Publications, & Lectures · Quoted, Financier Worldwide, "TalkingPoint: M&A in Latin America," September 2011 · Moderator, Foley & Lardner LLP Briefing, "Key Strategies and Considerations for Doing Business in the Americas," June 2011 · Moderator, International Management Network, Latin American Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing Forum, US, April 2009 · Speaker, CREW Miami, Spheres of Influence: How Foreign Investors are Impacting South Florida's Economy, US, October 2008 · Panelist, Latin American Corporate Counsel Association Roundtable, Argentina, Latin Lawyer magazine, October 2008 · Panelist, Latin American Corporate Counsel Association Roundtable, Costa Rica, Latin Lawyer magazine, June 2008 · Participant, Latin American Corporate Counsel Association Roundtable, Mexico, Latin Lawyer magazine, February 2008 · Cited, "Driving M&A Growth in Latin America," Financier Worldwide magazine, 2008 (Also at New York, N.Y. Office) |