Mauricio Halpern leads the Banking and Finance practice group of DLA Piper Chile, and has wide practical experience in the restructuring, leveraged finance, acquisition financing, project and corporate finance areas, both nationally and internationally.
Also, considering his vast experience as an in-house lawyer, Mauricio Co-heads the Compliance group, assisting clients in the development and implementation of regulatory compliance models, according to Law 20,393 and its amendments, preparation of policies, procedures, reporting channels, risk matrixes and control panels, providing them with the best practices and market standards.
His extended experience includes also, Corporate and Capital Markets, as well as Insurance. Mauricio has stood out by leading the processes of first issue stock placement, public offering of shares, bond issuance and trade bills. He has actively participated providing strategic advice to boards of directors and senior management of public and private corporations, both local and foreign, in addition to collaborating in corporate restructuring processes, dispute resolution and complex negotiation between shareholders.
In connection with Insurance & Reinsurance, Mauricio advises foreign clients in their establishment in Chile in compliance with local special regulation, insurance´s liquidation and claims, among others.
For more than ten years, Mauricio has been professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Law School.
Employment History
- Partner, 2020 to date
- Counsel, 2017-2019
- Corporate General Counsel at SMU S.A., Santiago, Chile, 2015-2017
- Executive Legal Manager of Pacific Hydro, Santiago, Chile, 2011-2015
- Senior Associate at Bahamondez, Alvarez & Zegers, Santiago, Chile, 2010-2011
- Foreign Law Clerk at Clifford Chance in Washington D.C., United States, 2009-2010
- Associate at major law chilean firm, 2003-2007
Experience
Financing
- Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.: Advised the client, as borrower, in the structuring and execution of a US$ 803.1 million refinancing transaction for its portfolio of assets in Chile, through a US$ 710 million private placement green bond and a US$ 93.1 million credit agreement. This deal was recognized by Project Finance International as “2022 Americas Power Deal of the Year”, as "Latin American Bond Deal of the Year 2022" by Proximo Infra, and as "Bond of the Year" by LatinFinance 2023 Project & Infrastructure Finance.
- CarbonFree Technology: Advised on the debt financing facilities for their portfolio of utility-scale solar projects located in Chile. The financings are comprised of a US$19mm letter of credit facility, a US$71mm bridge-loan facility which will be used to fund ongoing construction costs, and a US$270mm private placement facility whose proceeds will be used primarily to refinance existing bank debt and repay the bridge-loan facility once projects complete construction. This deal was recognized as "Latin American Solar Deal Of the Year 2022" by Proximo.
- JPMorgan Chase Bank: Advised JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as arranger, and the rest of the Lenders, in the execution of the Amended and Restated Super-Priority Debtor-in-Possession Term Loan Agreement (A&R DIP Financing Agreement) with LATAM Airlines Group S.A., and other group entities, consisting of an amended and restated DIP Financing Agreement, guarantees and liens transference from the original lenders and legal clearance of the updated corporate/legal compliance, entered into by LATAM in the context of the approval of the Chapter 11 reorganization LATAM proposal at the proceedings before the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
- Seven Seas Water: Advised the Chilean entities of Seven Seas Water in the execution of a credit agreement under New York Law in the amount of US$205,000,000 with Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch as issuing bank, Investec Bank PLC, as administrative agent and issuing bank and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as collateral agent.
- Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.: Advised Oaktree Capital Management in the granting of a financing to LATAM Airlines Group S.A., and other group entities, up to the amount of US$750,000,000 corresponding to Tranche B of the DIP Financing Agreement entered into by LATAM, in the context of the Chapter 11 reorganization process before the Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York.
- Itaú Corpbanca, Banco de Crédito del Perú S.A.S and Banco BICE: Counsel to Itaú Corpbanca, Banco de Crédito del Perú S.A.A. and Banco BICE, as lenders for the loan facility granted to three Atlantica Yield´s entities (Transmisora Baquedano S.A., Transmisora Mejillones S.A. and Palmucho S.A.) for the second amendment to the financing.
- Lácteos del Sur S.A.: Counsel to Lácteos del Sur S.A., as lender to a loan agreement granted to Cooperativa Agrícola Torrencial Lechero, a Chilean company.
- Oaktree Capital Management L.P.: Advise the client, as a creditor of Tranche A, for US$1,300,000,000, for the DIP (“Debtor-in-Possession”) Financing Contract in Latin America – Awarded “Deal of the Year 2021” in the category “Banking and Finance” by Latin Lawyer.
- CarbonFree Chile SpA: Finance the acquisition and/or development, construction, commissioning, testing, start-up, operation and maintenance of a portfolio of projects consisting of several photovoltaic solar energy projects with an aggregate capacity, once fully constructed and operational, of approximately 225 MW located in Chile.
- Colegios Federico Froebel S.A.: Counsel to the client as borrower for a loan facility granted by Banco Security for new infrastructure investments of the Las Condes and Chicureo educational establishments of the Deutsche Schule and for the pre-payment and termination of a precedent real estate leasing with Banco de Chile.
- Mirae Asset Daewoo Co.: Advise the Korean bank, lender, and principal agent in charge of the term loan granted to DE Energía SpA for the development, construction, financing, operation and management of 12 photovoltaic power plants in Chile, with a total capacity of 105MW
- Banco BICE: Advise the client in the opening of the credit line for the issuance of the performance guarantees required by Sacyr Chile S.A. to guarantee the obligations derived from the construction contract with Sociedad Concesionaria Américo Vespucio Oriente S.A.; Assist Banco BICE in the drafting and execution of a Loan Agreement with BTG Pactual and Banco Internacional, in which the parties agreed on a collection and/or restitution mechanism pari passu for the issued Performance Obligations
- Sky Solar: Advise in the negotiation of a local syndicated loan with project finance guarantees for USD $35 million
- CarbonFree Technologies: Advise in the negotiation of an international syndicated loan with project finance guarantees for USD $107 million
Compliance
- Grupo Accepta: In the development and implementation of the Chilean regulatory compliance model (Law 20.393), including applicable policies and procedures.
- McCann: Updating of corporate compliance policies and procedures and their adaptation to Chilean regulations.
- Codelco: In the review of its compliance structure and internal control program, as well as the design of a new system
- Finning: Full compliance assessment focus on environmental and H&S risks at LATAM level, including Uruguay, Argentina and Bolivia. Development and implementation of compliance model according to Chilean regulation (Law 20.393), including applicable policies and procedures.
- Prestigious Chilean Think Tank: In the development and implementation of compliance model according to Chilean regulation (Law 20.393), including applicable policies and procedures.
- ELIS: In the development and implementation of compliance model according to Chilean regulation (Law 20.393), including applicable policies and procedures.
- Santillana: Update of compliance policies and procedures according to Chilean regulation (Law 20.393).
Energy
- CarbonFree Technology: Advise to CarbonFree Chile SpA as borrower for the 10th disbursement of the financing agreement granted by a bank syndicate led by Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, in its capacity as administrative agent. The draw was granted for the acquisition of four photovoltaic power projects owned by JREL Solar SpA and to cover operation and VAT expenses for certain existing projects.
Admissions
- Chile (2003)
Recognitions
- Best Lawyers® (Banking and Finance Law 2020 – 2021 – 2022 - 2023 - 2024, Corporate Governance & Compliance Practice 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023 - 2024, Project Finance and Development Practice 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023 - 2024)
- Latin Lawyer 250 (Banking and Finance 2019 – 2020 – Highly Recommended 2021 – 2022, Anticorruption investigation and compliance 2022 – Highly Recommended)
- Latin Lawyer National (Banking and Finance 2019 – 2020)
- Leaders League (Banking and Finance – Recommended 2021 – 2022 – Highly recommended 2023, Compliance – Recommended 2021 - Highly Recommended 2022)
- Legal 500 (Corporate and M&A including compliance 2018, Projects and infrastructure 2018, Banking and Finance 2019 – 2021 – 2022 - 2023 - 2024, Corporate and M&A 2019 – 2021, Compliance 2021 – 2022 – 2023 - 2024, Dispute Resolutions 2023)
- Legal Power List de A Word About Wind 2022
Languages
- Spanish and English
Education
- Law, School of Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2001
- Master of Laws (LL.M.), School of Law, University of Pennsylvania, USA, 2009
Academic Activity
- Professor of Commercial Law, School of Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2011 to date
- Assistant Professor of Procedural Law, School of Law, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2007
- Assistant Professor of Litigation, School of Law, Universidad del Desarrollo, 2003-2004.
Membership
- Chilean Bar Association
Events
- Speaker in Seminar "Las transacciones de M&A y la prevención del BC/FT - Parte 2", World Compliance Association
- Speaker in Seminar “Corrupción entre privados y compliance: ¿Cómo prepararse frente a los nuevos escenarios?”, DLA Piper Chile.
News
- Innergex Renewable Energy’s Acquisition of Aela Energía (Global Legal Chronicle - February 11, 2022)
- Canadiense Innergex compra al mayor productor chileno de energía renovable ( Lex Latin - February 11, 2022)
- Latam Airlines recibe Oaktree Capital por 750 millones de dólares (Lex Latin - December 1, 2021)
- Oaktree Capital Management’s US$750 Million Financing to LATAM Airlines Group (Global Legal Chronicle - November 23, 2021)
- Latam Airlines consigue crédito DIP para enfrentar la crisis (Lex Latin - October 30, 2020)
- Cambios de Ejecutivos (El Mercurio - March 9, 2020)
- CarbonFree obtiene financiamiento para proyectos solares en Chile (Lex Latin - March 2, 2020)
- Estudios jurídicos designan nuevos socios y mujeres logran mayor presencia (Diario Financiero - February 3, 2020)
- DLA Piper Expands Corporate Practice with Chilean Partner Appointment (Leaders League - January 21, 2020)
- DLA Piper Chile expande prácticas de financiamiento y compliance (Lex Latin - January 15, 2020)
- DLA Piper nombra a nuevo socio (El Mercurio Legal - January 14, 2020)
- DLA Piper Chile designa nuevo socio (Diario Financiero - January 13, 2020)
- Columna de opinión: Compliance corporativo: ¿preocuparse u ocuparse? (Diario Financiero - August 1, 2019)
