Rodrigo Dominguez Sotomayor

Partner, Houston

Biography

Rodrigo Dominguez represents clients in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, and corporate transactions throughout the United States and Latin America. He divides his time between the Houston, Mexico City and New York offices.

Overview

Rodrigo Dominguez is a partner in White & Case's Mergers & Acquisitions Practice and a member of the Latin America Interest Group. Rodrigo has over 20 years of experience representing clients in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, and corporate matters in regulated and non-regulated industries throughout the Americas. He also counsels on real estate matters involving traditional land acquisitions, complex long-term lease structures and large-scale project development across industries. Rodrigo represents clients in several industries, including energy and infrastructure, technology (including early stage and growth capital financing transactions), industrials and consumer products.

Over the years, he has served as officer and board member to various local and national organizations focused on the Hispanic community.

Bars and Courts
Texas State Bar
New York State Bar
Mexico
Education
JD
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
LLM
Northwestern University School of Law
Languages
English
Spanish

Experience

Energy & Infrastructure

Braskem Idesa's sale of Terminal Química Puerto México
Representation of Braskem Idesa, S.A.P.I., owner and operator of the US$5.2 billion Etileno XXI petrochemical complex in Mexico, on the sale of its 50% interest in Terminal Química Puerto México, S.A.P.I. de C.V., entity that will develop, finance, design, construct and operate an ethane import terminal for the receipt and storage of imported cryogenic ethane to be located in the Pajaritos Lagoon in the State of Veracruz, Mexico.

EIG Global Energy Partners and Fluxys' joint acquisition in GNL Quintero
Representation of EIG Global Energy Partners, a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors, and Belgian LNG terminal operator Fluxys in the US$1.16 billion joint acquisition of an 80% equity stake in GNL Quintero S.A., the largest liquefied natural gas regasification terminal in Chile, from Enagas Chile SpA and affiliates of OMERS Infrastructure.

Macquarie-led consortium acquisition of Reden Solar
Representation of a consortium led by Macquarie Asset Management, together with British Columbia Investment Management Corporation and MEAG (the asset manager of Munich Re and Ergo), on the consortium's acquisition of Reden Solar, a French-based developer, financer, builder and operator of solar power plants across Europe and Latin America, from InfraVia Capital Partners and Eurazeo for an enterprise value of €2.5 billion.

Solek Latam Holding framework agreement
Representation of Solek Latam Holding SpA, a Chilean subsidiary of Solek Holding SE, on negotiating and signing a framework agreement to develop, build and sell solar projects in Chile pursuant to which BlackRock's Global Renewable Power Fund III has agreed to purchase up to 200 MWs of qualifying projects.

Sempra Energy's sale to KKR
Representation of Sempra Energy, one of North America's leading energy infrastructure companies, in its US$3.37 billion sale to KKR of a non-controlling, 20% interest in Sempra Energy's new business platform, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, which integrates Sempra LNG, a leading developer of liquefied natural gas export infrastructure with IEnova (Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S.A.B. de C.V.), one of the largest private energy companies in Mexico.

Sempra Energy's take-private acquisition of IEnova
Representation of Sempra Energy, one of North America's leading energy infrastructure companies, in the US$1.8 billion stock-for-stock acquisition in Infraestructura Energética Nova (IEnova) and the $204 million cash acquisition of the remaining public float from public investors.

Technology

Brazilian unicorn in a multi-million media-for-equity deal
Representation of a Brazilian unicorn in a multi-million media-for-equity deal with one of Latin America's largest media conglomerates.

Navent group's acquisition of Segundamano and Vivanuncios
Representation of Navent group, a portfolio company of QuintoAndar, a Brazilian real estate platform that simplifies the rental of residential real estate for landlords and renters, in its acquisition of Adevinta's Mexican online classifieds businesses Segundamano and Vivanuncios.

Amadeus's acquisition of Kambr
Representation of Amadeus Americas, Inc., a subsidiary of Amadeus IT Group, S.A., a leading IT provider for the global travel and tourism industry, on the acquisition of Kambr, Inc., a software company that markets a revenue management tool for the airline industry.

QuintoAndar's acquisition of Navent Group's real estate portals
Representation of QuintoAndar, Ltd., a proptech unicorn startup company, which has developed a real estate marketplace focused on rentals and sales, in its acquisition of Navent Group's real estate portals and operations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. This transaction has been recognized as "M&A Private Deal of the Year" by Latin Lawyer.

Kavak's acquisition of Carzaty
Representation of Kavak, Mexico's largest online marketer of used vehicles, in the acquisition of Carzaty, a reseller of pre-owned cars in the Middle East.

VIA Motors' acquisition by Ideanomics
Representation of electric commercial vehicle company VIA Motors International, Inc. on its acquisition (in an all-stock merger valued at up to US$630 million) by Ideanomics, Inc., a global company focused on driving the adoption of commercial electric vehicles and associated energy consumption.

PayJoy Inc.'s acquisition of Adelantos
Representation of PayJoy in its cash and stock acquisition of Adelantos, a Latin American processor of micro-loans for consumer products.  Adelantos had a regional presence in Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru.

Industrials and Manufacturing

Schneider Electric's sale to YAGEO
Representation of Schneider Electric Industries SAS, a global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, on the EUR 723 million sale of its industrial sensors business, Telemecanique Sensors, to YAGEO Corporation, a global electronic component and service provider based in Taiwan.

Ultrapar Participações' sale of its specialized chemicals unit
Representation of Ultrapar Participações S.A., the leading Brazil-based fuel distributor, in the US$1.3 billion sale of its specialized chemicals unit Oxyteno to Thailand's Indorama Ventures PCL. The transaction included all of Oxyteno's operations in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, United States, and Uruguay.

China Fishery Group Chapter 11 reorganization
Representation of the Ad Hoc Group of Noteholders and Club Lenders in connection with the successful Chapter 11 reorganization for China Fishery Group, one of the largest anchovy suppliers in the world. White & Case's clients proposed the plan of reorganization and backstopped the US$150 million new money facility that funded the restructuring transaction.

Itron's sale of subsidiaries
Representation of Itron Inc. in the sale of its subsidiaries comprising its manufacturing and sales operations in Latin America to buyers led by Instalación Profesional y Tecnologías del Centro S.A. de C.V., a Mexican company doing business as Accell in Brazil (Accell).

Consumer Services

Mexican developer in its acquisition of luxury resort in Belize
Representation of one of Mexico's largest infrastructure developers in connection with its acquisition of a majority interest in the Four Seasons Caye Chapel Resort on the island of Caye Chapel, Belize.  The resort will include a high-end luxury hotel operated under the Four Seasons brand, private residences, a marina and a brand new 18-hole championship golf course.

Mexican developer in its acquisition of a luxury marina and resort in Mexico
Representation of one of Mexico's largest real estate and infrastructure developers in the acquisition of a 50% interest and negotiation of resulting partnership agreements for the development and operation of a Ritz-Carlton Marina and Resort located in the State of Nayarit, Mexico.  

Minerva joint venture with Amyris
Representation of Minerva S.A., a leader of beef exports in South America, in the creation of a joint venture with Amyris with the aim of developing molecules for the sustainable production and distribution of animal protein around the world.

Levi Strauss & Co.'s acquisition of The Jeans Company
Representation of Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) on its acquisition of approximately 80 stores located in Chile, Peru and Bolivia from The Jeans Company (TJC).

Group of Mexican Investors in the master franchising of Tim Hortons
Representation of a Mexican conglomerate in the negotiation of a multi-million equity joint venture with RBI for the development of the master franchise of Tim Horton's casual dining restaurants in Mexico.

US Private Equity Fund in its acquisition of Little Caesars Mexico
Representation of a US private equity backed company in a Mexican franchisee and operator of Little Caesars' restaurants across Mexico.

US Private Equity backed company in the sale of its global casual dining business
Representation of a US private equity backed company in the $450 million disposition of its fast food franchising business in the US, China, Mexico, and Colombia

Speaking Engagements

What is driving the surge in M&A deals?, International Bar Association Annual M&A Conference, São Paulo, Brazil, May 2022

Representations and Warranties Insurance in M&A Transactions, AON and AIG Insurance Seminar, October 2019

Publications

Co-Author, Brazilian M&A powers ahead in 2022, January 2023

Author, Is Latin America the next frontier for technology M&A?, October 2022

Co-Author, Latin America Focus: Fall 2021, October 2021

Co-Author, M&A in post-COVID-19 Latin America, October 2021

Co-Author, LatAm M&A rebounds, August 2021

Co-Author, Strong foundations, uncertain future: How COVID-19 will affect the M&A market in Latin America in 2020 and beyond, June 2020

Co-Author, US CARES Act: Relief Available to US Subsidiaries of Latin American Companies, June 2020

Awards and Recognition

Leading Lawyer, Corporate/M&A, Chambers Latin America, 2023

Leading Individual, Corporate/M&A, The Legal 500 Latin America, 2023

Leading Lawyer, Corporate/M&A, Chambers Brazil, International Firms, 2022

Leading Lawyer, Latin America Corporate/M&A, Chambers Global, 2021

Leading Lawyer, M&A in the United States, Euromoney, 2021

Ranked in Latinvex's Top 100 Lawyers in Latin America (2019, 2018 & 2017)

Named to The Legal 500 U.S. – Mexico Private Practice PowerList, 2019

Recommended for Corporate/M&A and Project & Energy in The Legal 500 Latin America, 2018

Listed, "Rising Stars," Texas Super Lawyers, 2014 - 2018