Karyn Koiffman has joined Baker & McKenzie’s New York office as a partner, adding extensive experience in US and Latin American M&A and private equity matters to the Firm’s growing New York office.
Ms. Koiffman has handled a wide range of complex US and international transactions over the course of her career, representing sponsors, corporations and financial institutions in mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyout transactions, recapitalizations, reorganizations, going-private transactions, joint ventures, commercial contracts and related corporate matters.
Ms. Koiffman also regularly represents portfolio companies of private equity clients with respect to all their corporate needs, including add-on acquisitions and divestitures. In recent years, Ms. Koiffman’s practice has increasingly focused on matters involving Latin America and especially Brazil, where Ms. Koiffman was born and raised. She also practiced corporate law in Brazil for six years before relocating to the US in 2002.
“Karyn is a great addition to the practice,” said Marc R. Paul, Chair of Baker & McKenzie’s North America Corporate & Securities Practice. “She has a strong track record in domestic and cross-border M&A, leveraged buyouts and private equity, and I know clients will value her insight in handling major matters in Latin America.”
Ms. Koiffman’s regular representations include:
- Large Fortune 100 companies in cross-border transactions, including global expansions, joint venture and alliance agreements, operation agreements, and other multijurisdictional commercial agreements.
- Latin American clients in mergers and acquisitions transactions, structuring of their operations in the US, and corporate counseling.
- Middle market private equity sponsors in all phases of their investing, including co-investments, multijurisdictional acquisitions, management incentive arrangements, add-on acquisitions, reorganizations, recapitalizations and exit strategies.
“Karyn adds great depth to our transactional and private equity practice in New York,” said James C. Colihan, Managing Partner of the Firm’s New York Office. “She complements our growing team of lawyers who focus on Latin American transactional matters, and we’re pleased that she has joined Baker & McKenzie.”
“Baker & McKenzie’s reputation for excellence in cross-border transactions is well known, and I am very happy to join the Firm’s team,” said Ms. Koiffman. “I’m especially excited to offer clients the Firm’s impressive capabilities in Latin America and particularly in Brazil, where the Firm has been active for decades.”
“I know our clients in Brazil and throughout Latin America will appreciate the experience of our growing team in New York,” said Raymundo E. Enríquez, Chair of the Firm’s Latin America Regional Council. “In addition, our New York-based lawyers collaborating with our 500 lawyers in the region provide US enterprises doing business in Latin America unmatched resources.”
Ms. Koiffman is the latest in a series of accomplished lawyers to join Baker & McKenzie’s New York office. In recent months, veteran Latin American finance and transactional lawyers Lloyd Winans and Ricardo Martinez joined the Firm. Christopher Horn, who concentrates on cross-border structured finance matters, also joined the New York office in February 2012.
Ms. Koiffman received her LL.M. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2003, and her LL.B. from Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1998. She most recently was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in New York. Earlier in her career, she was an associate in Castro, Barros, Sobral, Gomes Advogados in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
