Squire Patton Boggs

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Labor Force: Women and Challenges

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic challenges, women are disproportionately fighting unemployment and struggling to survive, as they remain pillars of the family and a foundation of society. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, some 270,000 women left the workforce last month. During the month of December, the economy saw a decrease … Continue Reading

How the U.S. Presidential Election Outcome Could Affect Latin America

As US citizens go to the polls, Latin American governments, businesses and citizens should examine how a re-elected President Trump or a newly elected Vice- President Biden may shape Western Hemisphere relations. The results of this election will certainly affect Latin America, as each candidate views the region through fundamentally different lenses.  President Trump has … Continue Reading

Mexico’s Infrastructure Plan 2020-2024

On Monday, October 5, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador presented a package of 39 infrastructure projects that he intends to move forward in conjunction with the Mexican private sector. These projects would invest approximately 300 billion pesos in the communications, energy, tourism and water sectors. This announcement represents the reactivation of the previous plan … Continue Reading

Mexican Supreme Court issues an injunction of the SENER Policy

On June 22, 2020, Mexico’s independent antitrust regulator (“COFECE”) filed a legal claim (controversia constitucional) with the nation’s Supreme Court arguing that the Ministry of Energy’s (“SENER”) Agreement setting forth the Policy of Reliability, Safety, Continuity, and Quality of the National Electric System (“Policy”), as published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on May … Continue Reading

Mexican Court Orders a Definitive Suspension of the Enforcement of SENER and CENACE Measures

On Wednesday, June 10, the Mexican court specialized in economic competition issued an order granting the definitive suspension of the Ministry of Energy’s (“SENER”) Agreement setting forth the Policy of Reliability, Safety, Continuity, and Quality of the National Electric System (“Policy”) and the independent system operator’s (“CENACE”) preoperative testing restrictions. This means that neither the … Continue Reading

CRE Adds its Name to the List of Agencies Disturbing Mexico’s Legal and Regulatory Certainty

Since our May 20 blog post, the Energy Regulatory Commission (“CRE”) added its name to the list of agencies disturbing Mexico’s legal and regulatory certainty. Additionally, the López Obrador administration has spent time publicly defending recent Ministry of Energy (“SENER”) and independent system operator (“CENACE”) regulatory changes affecting renewable energy projects. On the evening of … Continue Reading

Upcoming Dominican Republic Presidential Elections; Possible Challenges

With presidential and congressional elections scheduled to take place on July 5, 2020,[1] the President of the Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina Sánchez, announced last Sunday May 17, 2020, a set of measures for a staged reopening of the Dominican economy. This raises the question of what happens if these reopening measures result in drastic spikes … Continue Reading

Renewable Energy Projects in Mexico Dealt Another Blow by the Lopez Obrador Administration

On April 29, 2020, Mexico’s independent system operator (“CENACE”) notified generators of its decision to indefinitely suspend all legally mandated pre-operation tests for solar and wind projects in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such suspension purportedly seeks to safeguard the national grid against system interruptions clean intermittent energy projects could cause during the pandemic, and … Continue Reading

Brazil | Coronavirus Could Push Hundreds of Companies Close to Bankruptcy

The financial constraints caused by the coronavirus has affected the world’s economy and its outlook is still unknown and gloomy. Companies from all industries worldwide have been taking all sorts of measures to mitigate losses, preserve cash flow and, ultimately, survive. Just like other companies around the globe, the coronavirus has pushed many struggling Brazilian … Continue Reading

NOVEL CORONAVIRUS | COVID-19: Employment Maintenance Emergency Plan Enacted in Brazil

Since the declaration of the state of public calamity on March 20, the Brazilian Government has taken several measures to contain the fast spread of the novel coronavirus and to ease the negative impacts of the novel coronavirus outbreak on the domestic economy. The most anticipated measure is the stimulus aid package, which has yet … Continue Reading

Public-Private Partnerships in Dominican Republic

As the Dominican Republic established itself as Latin America’s fastest-growing economy in recent times, it became paramount to design, draft, reach a consensus and pass a public-private partnership law. In that sense, the latest legal framework proposal for the governance of public-private partnerships—which was passed into law by the Dominican Republic’s executive branch on February … Continue Reading

US Policy Prognosis: The Legislative Response to COVID-19

Our Public Policy Team is operating at the epicenter of the evolving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic, providing clients with timely updates, guidance and resources to weather the complex uncertainties, overcome challenges, mitigate risks, enhance resilience, maintain business continuity or normalize business operations as quickly as possible. We have just issued the following publications … Continue Reading

Coronavirus|COVID-19: Implications to Commercial and Financial Contracts Under the Brazilian Legal Framework

The coronavirus pandemic (also known as “COVID-19”) outbreak has challenged humanity to control the spread of the virus and save human lives. While the world is incredulous at the rising death toll, and more than a third of the global population is experiencing social distancing and self-isolation measures for the first time in history, country … Continue Reading

COVID–19 and Impacts in Latin America

The first quarter of 2020 is not ending on a positive note for most parts of the world, including Latin America. In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused by the novel coronavirus, the region is also facing the consequences of a historic dengue epidemic and feeling the impact of the oil pricing … Continue Reading

The Impact of Section 232 tariffs on Brazil and Argentina

On December 2, President Donald Trump announced Section 232 tariff exemptions previously granted to Argentina and Brazil would terminate “effective immediately.”  In his December 2 tweet, President Trump criticized the two countries for “presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies, which is not good for [U.S.] farmers.”  The U.S. reached agreements with Brazil and … Continue Reading

International Tax Policy: Newest Developments

The international tax policy landscape is in the process of some key changes that are important for Latin American businesses to monitor. In particular, businesses should pay attention to two key developments. First, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is asking for input on a global minimum tax proposal, a key part of … Continue Reading

Squire Patton Boggs Hosts Semana Dominicana Event | “Adapting to Global Supply Chain Disruption”

In September, Washington, DC welcomed a business delegation from the Dominican Republic (DR), as part of the annual Dominican Week (“SemDomUSA2019”). The trip allows for the dynamic Dominican private sector and Washington to exchange ideas toward strengthening economic ties between the United States and the Dominican Republic (DR). Squire Patton Boggs hosted the distinguished delegation … Continue Reading

Section 301: Risk in Latin America?

When it comes to trade, President Donald Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are not scared to chart an uncommon path.  The Trump Administration’s use of Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 demonstrates this fact. Section 301 is a tool that grants the president the authority to impose tariffs and/or other trade-related … Continue Reading

Despite a Gloomy Outlook, Argentina issues a Public Tender for a 487 Km, 500kV Transmission Line

Earlier this month, the Argentine government published a public tender for the construction and operation of a 487 kilometer, high-voltage electricity network, five substations, and ancillary 132 kV infrastructure, ultimately involving five provinces.  This project aims to relieve current transmission congestion and increase the capacity of the country’s existing transmission network through a 15 year … Continue Reading

President Macri’s Reforms

During a recent visit to Washington, DC, Argentina’s Minister of Production and Labor, Miguel Braun, stated that Argentina’s government continues to strengthen its economy by focusing on increasing foreign direct investment to the country. Minister Braun also stated that, while preparing for presidential elections in October 2019, President Mauricio Macri will continue to implement economic … Continue Reading

Brazil Strengthens Battle Against Corruption

Brazil has taken another important step towards the battle against corruption. In August 2018, Brazil enacted Decree-Law No. 9,468/18, which provides broader power to the Public Transparency and Anti-Corruption Council, public entity subject to the Secretary of Transparency, Supervision and Control of Brazil. Under the law, the Council’s purpose is to discuss ideas and suggestions … Continue Reading

H.R. 4606 – A Bill Aiming to Increase U.S. Exports of Natural Gas to the Caribbean and Latin America Clears the House of Representatives and is Now Headed to the Senate

On Thursday, September 6, 2018, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 4606 – Ensuring Small Scale LNG Certainty and Access Act (the “Bill”) by a vote of 260-146 largely along party lines with 37 Democrats joining 223 Republicans. The Bill amends Section 3(c) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b(c)) (the “NGA”) … Continue Reading
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