Simpson Thacher names Juan Méndez Co-Head of Latin America Practice

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP has announced that Juan Francisco Méndez will become Co-Head of the firm’s Latin America Practice alongside Grenfel Calheiros.

"Juan Francisco has a long track record of success, including some of the most impactful capital markets and M&A transactions in Latin America," said Alden Millard, Chair of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee. "His proven leadership and deep regional expertise make him the right person to serve as Co-Head of our Latin America Practice along with Grenfel Calheiros. We think this combination of lifelong Simpson Thacher lawyers is a star tandem to lead our regional practice for years to come."

Méndez advises on cross-border transactional matters throughout Latin America, representing leading companies and investment banks in IPOs, bond and loan financings, M&A transactions, restructurings and other complex situations.

He joined Simpson Thacher in New York in 1999, straight out of law school. Since then, Méndez has been recognized for many years as a leading lawyer in the region, including by Chambers, The Legal 500, IFLR, Latin Lawyer and The Latin American Corporate Counsel Association (LACCA), among others.

The regional leadership team also includes Grenfel Calheiros, who has led the firm’s São Paulo office for more than a decade and has served as Co-Head of the Latin America Practice since last year.

While Méndez and Calheiros will share responsibility for the region as a whole and the team operates on an integrated basis, Méndez’s historic focus across Spanish-speaking countries, including Argentina, the Andean countries and Mexico, complements Calheiros’ practice in Brazil and neighboring countries.

Together, they will oversee a team of seven partners and 35 lawyers advising on Latin American transactions and dispute resolution. They will also work to continue strengthening Simpson Thacher’s reputation as a premier international law firm in the region.

"It is an honor to lead our team together with my partner and friend Grenfel. We are focused on building on the Firm’s more than 100-year history in the region by continuing to give our clients premier legal services and access to Simpson Thacher’s world-class lawyers and resources," Méndez said.

"Our strength in Latin America is our team of professionals, our clients and our geographic reach," said Calheiros. "I look forward to working with Juan Francisco as together we aim to assure the optimal representation to our clients in cross-border transactions and disputes in the region."

Todd Crider, who has led the Latin America Practice for the past decade, will remain a partner in the group and will lead relationships with key private equity and corporate clients in the region.

"This is a planned transition that we believe will rejuvenate and strengthen our leadership team, while I remain dedicated to representing our clients in the region," Crider said.

In early 2026, the team added Christian Albanesi from Linklaters, a highly regarded international arbitration lawyer with extensive experience in Latin America, to strengthen the firm’s dispute resolution practice in the region.

Simpson Thacher’s Latin America Practice is widely recognized as a market leader by Chambers & Partners, Latin Lawyer, LatinFinance, International Financial Law Review, Latinvex and many others.

The team advises on complex cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets offerings, loan agreements, private equity investments and infrastructure financings involving global corporations, sovereigns, private equity firms and financial institutions.

The firm’s work spans industries ranging from technology, telecommunications, digital infrastructure and energy to financial services and consumer products.

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