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On October 30, Womble Bond Dickinson brought the leaders shaping Latin America’s future to the Yale Club in New York City for 2025 WBD Latin America Symposium. This year’s theme was “Infrastructure & Energy at the Geopolitical Crossroads: Latin America as a Window to the Future”.

The event included two special guest speakers:

  • ​Chief Economist Latin America & Managing Director Ernesto Revilla, who joined WBD Latin America Practice Chair José Luis Vittor for a discussion. 
  • Houston Airport System Development Corporation President & CEO Agustin Arellano. He was joined in the discussion by José Luis Vittor, with Taber Cathcart, WBD’s Finance, Bankruptcy, and
  • Restructuring Practice Group Leader and Co-Leader of the Financial Services Sector Team, providing introductions.
  • American Airlines Vice Chair & Chief Strategy Officer Steve Johnson, joined by WBD Vice Chair Ken Van Winkle. WBD International Disputes Practice Leader Alex de Gramont introduced this fireside chat.

In addition, the session featured four panel discussions focused on Latin America’s future, particularly as seen through the lens of the energy and natural resources sectors.

Global Infrastructure Patterns: Latin America as the Leading Indicator

Infrastructure leaders analyzed how current investment and development patterns in Latin America's digital, transportation, and logistics sectors may preview what's coming for the rest of the world. The panel also explored whether Latin America's infrastructure trajectory represents a unique regional path or signals broader global shifts in how critical infrastructure is financed, developed, and operated in today's geopolitical environment.

  • ​Catalina Hayata, Head of LATAM Private Credit, Macquarie
  • Dio Bermudez, Legal Director CB & I
  • Javier Hernandez, Principal DigitalBridge
  • Jorge Ortiz de la Pena Muller, Managing Director, Head of Debt Capital Markets for Mexico, Bank of America
  • Moderator: WBD (UK) Partner Colin Graham

Energy & Resource Development in a Realigning World: Strategic and Legal Imperatives

This discussion examined Latin America's approach to energy development and if the concept of "energy expansion" or "additionality" using traditional hydrocarbons, nuclear, mining, and renewables are advancing simultaneously to meet rising demand has taken root in the developing region. The panelists analyzed how this "all of the above" energy strategy in Latin America may foreshadow similar patterns globally, particularly as countries navigate energy security concerns, transition pressures, and geopolitical realignments.

  • ​Jasper Bertisen, Board Member, Resource Capital Fund
  • David Delman, Senior Executive Vice President, Samsung Engineering
  • Iain Steel, Founding Partner, Negotient
  • Pablo Cortegoso, Co-Founder & CTO, Stardust Power
  • Scott Mahoney, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Avangrid
  • Moderator: WBD (US) Denver Co-Office Managing Partner Scot Anderson

Capital Flows at the Crossroads: How Latin American Infrastructure Finance May be a Harbinger of Global Shifts

This discussion brought together leading financial institutions across the spectrum-from commercial banks to private equity, multilaterals, and sovereign wealth funds-to analyze how infrastructure and energy financing in Latin America is evolving amid geopolitical realignment. The panelists examined whether these changing capital flows and financing structures represent a regional phenomenon or signal broader shifts that will reshape infrastructure finance globally.

  • ​John Marin, Vice President, Allianz Global Investors
  • Jasper Bertisen, Board Member, Resource Capital Fund
  • Rafael Borja Samperio, Managing Director, Private & Structured Credit & Origination, Mizuho Americas
  • Moderator: WBD (UK) Partner Charlie Reid

Strategic Repositioning: M&A Trends in Latin American Energy & Infrastructure as Global Indicators

This discussion examined the evolving landscape of energy and infrastructure M&A in Latin America, exploring whether current transaction patterns signal broader shifts in global markets. Our panelists analyzed how strategic imperatives, geopolitical factors, and sector-specific dynamics are driving investment and divestment decisions in the region, and what these patterns might tell us about future global M&A trends.

  • Catalina Niño, Managing Counsel, Wood
  • Mariano Juarez-Goni, General Counsel, PCR
  • Remco Meeuwis, Director, ING Bank
  • Moderator: WBD (US) Partner Francisco Balduzzi​

WBD Chair & CEO Merrick Benn and WBD Latin America Practice Chair José Luis Vittor opened the 2025 WBD Latin America Symposium.

The one-day event concluded with remarks from ThinkHuge Executive Director Greg Huger and WBD Head of Global Energy and Natural Resources Industry Sector Team Jeffrey Whittle. Tracy Bacigalupo, Managing Partner of WBD’s New York office, welcomed guests to New York.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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