Viso, Rodríguez, Cottin, Medina, Ramírez & Asociados

Law Firm Practice areas Legal developments Contact us

 

THE FIRM’S EXPERIENCE

Legal Audits Corporate Advise Labor Area Electric Sector
Trials Mines and Oil Industry Air Transportation Tender offers and takeovers
Telecommunications Taxation    

LEGAL AUDITS 

  1. Banco Consolidado:  Review of the legal information of the Data Room (1997)

  2. Banco República:  integral legal audit as a preparatory phase for the privatization process (1997)

  3. C.A. La Electricidad de Caracas: Legal review for a possible issue of GDRS (1992)

  4. State Electric Power Company of the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil: assistance during the entire privatization process (1997)

  5. Custravalca: Participation in the team of consultants in charge of reviewing the Data Room’s legal information (1997).

  6. Empresa Eléctrica de Guatemala: review of the legal information in the Data Room in said company’s privatization process (1998).

  7. Empresa Energía del Pacífico E.S.P. (EPSA) (Electric company of Cali, Colombia). Review of legal aspects contained in the Data Room, during said company’s privatization process (1997).

  8. Emevé Publicidad, C.A.: Legal audit on corporate and tax matters (1996).

  9. Privatization of Cement Assets, located in the State of Trujillo: assistance in the entire privatization process. Review of legal aspects in Data Room (1997).

  10. Privatization of electric power distributing utilities in El Salvador: Assistance in the entire privatization process. Review of legal aspects in Data Room (1998).

  11. Privatization of the Caracas Race Track.

  12. Telecomunicaciones Bantel, C.A.: Legal analysis of the data room (1997)

  13. Termocartagena, S.A. (Electric power utility of Cartagena, Colombia): Review of legal information in said company’s Data Room (1996)14. Legal Audit on labor area to Banco de Venezuela (1998)  

 

CORPORATE ADVISE:  BANKS, INSURANCE AND FINANCE  1.      Corporate  advise  and judicial services to the following banks: Banco de Venezuela, Banco Caracas, Banco  Unión and Banco República. 2.      Advise to the following companies: Federación Venezolana de Ahorro y Préstamo; La Vivienda E.A.P.; Seguros La Seguridad; Banco Hipotecario de Crédito  Urbano and Seguros Horizonte.   

 

LABOR AREA 

            Assistance and advise on labor collective bargaining of the following companies:   

  1. Venezolana Internacional de Aviación (VIASA)  

      Productos EFE  

    C. A. La Electricidad de Caracas  

    C.A. Editora El Nacional  

    Centro Médico de Caracas  

    Universidad Católica Andrés Bello

    Banco Hipotecario de Crédito Urbano  

    Luz Eléctrica de Venezuela  

     C.A. Electricidad de Guarenas y Guatire  

    Hilana, C.A.  

    Textilana, C.A.  

      Seguros Horizonte 

    Autotex de Venezuela, C.A.   

  2.  Banco de Venezuela Internacional

 

ELECTRIC SECTOR  

1.      Participation in the  making, drafting and review of the projects of statutes and regulations to establish the regulatory framework  for the electric sector in Venezuela. Within this area, it is worth mentioning the preparation on behalf of Venezuelan Electrical Industrial Chamber of the draft of an electric sector statute. 2.      Assistance to the Venezuelan Electrical Industrial Chamber on a variety of issues related to electric power. 3.      Advise in the matter of the financing of electric projects and assistance in negotiating the restructuring  of private foreign debt. 4.      Advise on tax issues. 5.      Counsel for the sector’s companies in trials for damages from accidents. Clients: C.A. La Electricidad de Caracas, CADAFE and ENELVEN. 6.      Counsel for the sector’s companies in trials for expropriation or imposition of electric rights of way. Clients: C.A. La Electricidad de Caracas and Genevapca. 7.      Corporate advise in all related to the placement of said companies’ securities in domestic and foreign capitals markets. Client:  C.A. La Electricidad de Caracas. 8.      Advise on the matter of tariffs, as wells as acting as judicial counsel for said sector’s companies in trials related to the validity of the tariffs system. 9.      Legal advise and assistance to the company CVG Electrificación del Caroní (EDELCA) in the negotiation and termination of construction agreements for  stages 1 and 2 of the Raúl Leoni Dam and Hydroelectric Plant(GURI). 10. Permanent corporate, managing and judicial assistance and advise to C.A. La Electricidad de Caracas, S.A.C.A. and its affiliates since 1985 up to this date. 11. Legal Assistance and advise to GENERACION DE VAPOR, C.A. (GENEVAPCA) in the bidding process for the construction of a power and steam plant for the long term supply to MARAVEN S.A.(a subsidiary of PDVSA), as well as the negotiation of the agreements entered with GENEVAPCA, MARAVEN and the Consortium formed by United Engineers and Westinghouse. 12. Studies and reports on the electric sector’s tariff and regulatory aspects, with special reference to Decree  #1558 of  October 30, 1996, and on the Organic Law for the Electric Service. 13. Legal assistance to ENELVEN in  complaints for damages. 14. Acting as judicial counsel for CADAFE in labor and civil trials. 15. Acting as judicial counsel for ENELBAR in contentious-administrative proceedings.    

TRIALS 

        The Firm is know for the active judicial defense of its clients’ rights and interests, having participated in numerous trials, of which we mention just a few: 1.      Judicial and corporate coordination of the defense system against the intended hostile takeover of Banco de Venezuela. 2.      Counsel for the Nader family in the trial related to its equity participation in the Duncan and Titan companies. 3.      Coordination and representation as defense counsel for C.A. La Electricidad de Caracas, in the trials for damages resulting from the Tacoa accident (years 1985 through 1997), as well as in trials for damages resulting from its operational activity. 4.      Representation of six of the children of Mr. Miguel Angel Capriles and Mrs. Carmen López in the complex estate trials related to the companies of the so-called Cadena Capriles. 5.      Counsel to a group of partners in trials related to the business of Opticas Berl in Venezuela. 6.      Counsel for the Wilson and Montejaque group in trials related to the acquisition of the El  Moro and Cervantes chains of stores. 7.      Sobrevila v. Strelow case.  8.    Counsel for the Polar conglomerate in the trial initiated by Cervecería Regional.

9.    Counsel for Togewa Swissnet Company in the trials related to the shareholders of Digitel.

TAXATION

1.     Tax consulting.2.     Tax audits.3.     Tax structuring for national and international transactions.4.     Representation in administrative procedures and tax litigation, including federal and local customs.   

MINES AND OIL INDUSTRY

Financial advise to Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) and Lagoven, S.A., a PDVSA subsidiary.     

TELECOMMUNICATIONS 

1.      Advisory services to Vehicle Resources for a Conatel concession.

2.      Advisory services to several affiliates of C.A. La Electricidad de Caracas, in the area of telecommunications, for the creation of concessions both at the domestic and the international level and the participation in outsourcing processes.     

AIR TRANSPORTATION 

1.      Permanent legal assistance and advise to VIASA airline since its creation until 1984. 2.      Permanent legal assistance and advise to AEROTECNICA S.A. since 1990 to this date. 3.      Advisory services to AEROTEC AIRWAYS.

4.      Advisory services to AVENSA since 1962 until 1979.  5.    Advisory services to AVIAFRANCA. 

 

TENDER OFFERS AND TAKEOVERS 

1.      Takeover of the Banco de Venezuela (1992-1994). 2.      Takeover of C.A. La Electricidad de Caracas (2000). 3.      Tender offer of Mavesa, S.A. (2001)