Ruben Diaz Jr. is an international transactional partner in Hughes Hubbard’s corporate group and is co-chair of Hughes Hubbard’s Latin America practice. After starting his career in private practice, Ruben served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of a privately-held Central American group with businesses in key sectors, including financial institutions and investment advisory services, agro-industrial, communications, automotive, energy, information technology, retail and consumer products, health care and real estate. He also previously served as Head of the Latin America Legal Practice at Ernst & Young.
Recognition
Recommended in The Legal 500 Latin America: International Firms, Banking and Finance (2022)
Recommended in The Legal 500 United States in the area of Tax: International Tax (2021, 2022)
Professional Activities
Presidential Advisory Board Member, INCAE Business School (2017 – present)
Advisory Board Member, American Nicaraguan Foundation (2004 – present)
Advisory Board Member, APROQUEN (2004 – present)
Previous Experience
Partner, Steel Hector & Davis LLP
Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, The Pellas Group
Highlighted Lectures
Co-chaired panel at the International Bar Association (IBA) Biennial Latin American Regional Forum Conference, “Compliance: Beyond Lava Jato and the Panama Papers,” March 14-16, 2018
Highlighted Matters
Lead legal advisor to the shareholders of BAC Florida Bank, controlled by Grupo Pellas (The Pellas Group), in the sale of the Coral Gables-based bank to Brazil’s Banco Bradesco. This transaction, Banco Bradesco's first-ever acquisition in the U.S. market, was named “Financial Services Deal of the Year" in the middle market segment at The Deal Awards 2021 and nominated for “Deal of the Year."
Representation of Ticofrut S.A., part of the Nicaragua-based Pellas Group, in a tort action filed by Del Monte in federal court alleging that Ticofrut has aided and abetted a pineapple grower’s breach of a contract with Del Monte.
Lead cousel on numerous mergers and acquisitions including the largest dollar value M&A transaction to that date in Central America.
Structured international joint ventures and restructured multinational groups.
Representations of both creditors and debtors in cross-border financings.
Representations of foreign companies regarding the establishment of U.S. entities and the acquisition of U.S. corporations, partnerships, and business assets.
