Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, represented Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, BBVA, and Santander as initial purchasers in connection with Fibra Uno’s US$1 billion inaugural international debt offering, consisting of US$600 million of 5.250% Senior Notes due 2024 and US$400 million of 6.950% Senior Notes due 2044. Fibra Uno becomes the first Mexican FIBRA to issue debt in the international capital markets in this ground-breaking transaction which also marks the largest debt issuance by a real estate entity in Latin America and the first issuance of 30-year notes by a REIT. The notes were issued pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S in a several times oversubscribed offering.
Paul Hastings attorneys also represented the initial purchasers in Fibra Uno’s historic IPO in 2011, its initial follow-on offering in 2012 and a subsequent follow-on on offering in 2013. After its IPO, Fibra Uno became the very first Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in Latin America and the first Mexican REIT to be utilized in the wake of a comprehensive legal overhaul in Mexico that created the “FIBRA”, a new Mexican investment vehicle, which bears many similarities to the U.S. REIT. The FIBRA provides a transparent and liquid vehicle to allow for individual investors, as opposed to a limited number of families, to own and trade in real estate in Mexico.
The introduction of the FIBRA asset class has transformed the Mexican real estate market as many other Mexican real estate companies have sought to follow the Fibra Uno precedent and repackage their real estate holdings into newly-created FIBRAs. Paul Hastings attorneys, using their strong real estate and Latin American franchises, have worked on all but two of the international FIBRA transactions concluded to date.
Latin America practice partners Mike Fitzgerald and Arturo Carrillo led the Paul Hastings team, which also included counsel Steven Sandretto, associate Arnaldo Rego and foreign associate Miguel Estrada.
