Humberto Padilla Gonzalez

Partner

Humberto Padilla Gonzalez represents clients in a broad range of cross-border matters including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), investments, joint ventures, international commercial finance transactions, and contractual and simple operational matters throughout Latin America. Further, he often assists clients with respect to internal compliance investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), as well as data privacy issues. Humberto is also part of a cross-practice Global Workforce team providing integrated cross-border advice, counseling, and strategic planning on labor, employment, benefits, and immigration issues in Latin America. A native Spanish speaker, he is fluent in English.

Humberto’s clients can be found within numerous industries. He represents global public and private companies in energy, technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, financial services, and healthcare among others.

Previously, he worked at one of the leading law firms in Mexico City assisting clients in, among other things, asset-backed securitizations, syndicated loans, and project finance transactions. Humberto also served as in-house counsel to subsidiaries of US banks in Mexico and was responsible for day-to-day legal matters, including overview of regulatory and transactional legal issues, gaining experience in all types of cross-border financing.

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It would have been impossible to achieve our objective without his legal and corporate knowledge.
Chambers Latin America
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It is a pleasure to work with Humberto Padilla Gonzalez!
Chambers Latin America
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It's good to receive guidance from someone who knows and understands Latin America.
Chambers Global
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3 Perspectives on Latin America

Morgan Lewis partners Felipe Alice, John Crespo, and Humberto Padilla Gonzalez are energized about representing clients in Latin America. Learn why.

  • Represented Zurn Water Solutions Corporation, formerly known as Rexnord Corporation, in its $1.7 billion stock for stock merger with Elkay Manufacturing Company, a market leader in the growing commercial drinking water solutions business
  • Represented Rexnord Corp, a multiplatform industrial leader, in its definitive agreement with Regal Beloit Corp. under which Rexnord will separate its Process & Motion Control (PMC) segment by way of a tax-free spin-off to Rexnord shareholders and then combine it with Regal in a Reverse Morris Trust (RMT) transaction creating a $10 billion PMC business
  • Represented Transtelco in the company’s acquisition of Neutrona Networks, a Software-Defined Network Service provider that spans Latin America and the Caribbean with an international presence in the U.S., Europe and Asia
  • Represented Sandvik in the sale of its Varel International Energy Services business, a provider of drilling and downhole solutions to the oil and gas, mining, and industrial markets, to Blue Water Energy
  • Represented Transcontinental Inc. in its announced $1.32 billion acquisition of Coveris Americas, a top ten converter of flexible packaging and other value-added products in North America and a portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners
  • Represented Platinum Equity in its $2.1 billion acquisition of LifeScan, Inc., a provider of glucose monitoring products, from Johnson & Johnson
  • Represented Sumitomo Corp. in its $792 million acquisition of Fyffes plc, a global distributor of bananas and other produce
  • Represented MeetMe, Inc. in its $54.6 million acquisition of Skout, a global mobile network for meeting new people
  • Represented BHP in the creation of a cross-border tax, regulatory and corporate strategy with respect to its midstream activities as they concerned certain assets located in the Gulf of Mexico 
  • Represented institutional investors in connection with the purchase of approximately $60 million in secured notes from a major Mexican clothing manufacturer. The notes are guaranteed through a Mexican collateral trust where securities and assets were contributed by the clothing manufacturer and its subsidiaries. Proceeds were used to repay pre-existing debt
  • Acted as US Counsel for Banco Davivenda, Banco Colpatria, Bancaribe Curazao Bank and Bancolombia Panamá in their aggregate $245 million syndicated loan to Termocandelaria, a Colombian power generation company, to refinance existing debt
  • Represented a Mexican private equity firm in a joint venture with an international finance institution to invest in distressed assets (consumer loans and mortgages) in the Caribbean, including with respect to the equity participation and financing thereof
  • Represented the US subsidiary of one of Mexico’s leading manufacturers of structural and mechanical steel tubing, metal building components, and shapes for doors and windows as borrower in securing a $15 million loan from Comerica Bank
  • Acted as international counsel for Commerzbank in its €23.6 million loan to the US subsidiary of one of Mexico’s leading manufacturers of structural and mechanical steel tubing, metal building components, and shapes for doors and windows
  • Represented a US private equity firm mainly funded by Mexican investors focused on the ownership and management of for-rent apartment complexes in the US, in the financing of its acquisition of properties in Texas and Florida
  • Represented a Mexican private equity firm in its acquisition of a $30 million distressed loan from a diversified commercial finance company
  • Represented a US public company and one of the world's largest wire and cable companies in the acquisition of a majority interest in a privately-owned Colombian manufacturer of cable and wire products, for total consideration of $45 million
  • Represented one of the largest network data services companies in connection with its acquisition of a controlling stake in a listed company on the Colombia Stock Exchange and a leading Latin American credit services information provider, for an aggregate offer price of approximately $400 million
  • Advised a leading real estate private equity fund in the structuring and operation of its investment of more than $1 billion in real estate joint ventures in Latin America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru)
  • Assisted the Mexican government in connection with a Chapter 11 reorganization of Mexico's satellite company Satélites Mexicanos SA de C.V. (Satmex) (Reorganized for a 2011 Latin Lawyer Deal of the Year award)
  • Assisted one of the largest oil and gas companies with the structuring of a proposed transaction involving the provision of cross-border pipeline capacity and management of energy sales with respect to a mixed power plant to be constructed in northern Mexico
  • Advised a leading health organization in connection with proposed financing and construction of a cancer treatment pediatric clinic in Mexico
  • Participated in the structuring and implementation of several global public offerings (debt and capital markets) under Mexican securities laws, Rule 144A, and Regulation S for an aggregate amount of approximately $10.2 billion during the last five years, representing US, Mexican, and international underwriters
  • Participated in the structuring and implementation of a $682 million financing for a 750 mw hydroelectric power project in Mexico, which included a Rule 144A placement of $230 million and a syndicated loan of $452 million
  • Advised Mexican branches of three major US banks in connection with, among other things, regulatory compliance and secured and unsecured lending transactions of various degrees of complexity
  • Assessed Mexican antitrust implications and obtained clearance from the Mexican antitrust authorities in connection with the acquisition of a major pharmaceutical company in Mexico by an European pharmaceutical holding company
  • Represented several banks and investment entities in a series of project finance/short-term loans granted to Mexican contractors for Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) projects. Prepared the security packages in connection therewith
  • Represented a number of US and European companies in connection with the incorporation of their Mexican subsidiaries. Rendered legal advice on corporate, commercial, and foreign investment law matters
  • Participated in the acquisition of one of Central America's leading financial groups—with operations in El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras—by a leading worldwide bank
  • Universidad Panamericana, 2001, Law Degree
  • University of Texas School of Law, 2006, LL.M.
  • Mexico
  • New York
  • Texas

Highly Regarded – State, IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate (2021–2023)

Ranked, Corporate/M&A, Latin America-wide, Chambers Latin America (2010–2016, 2018–2023, 2025)

Ranked, Corporate/M&A, Latin America–wide, Chambers Global (2018–2025)

Recommended, Focus on Mexico, The Legal 500 Private Practice Powerlist: US-Mexico (2017–2022)

Ranked, Latin American Investment, Texas, Chambers USA (2018, 2019)

Member, Law Firm of the Year, Energy/Projects: Power (including Renewables), Chambers USA (2018)

Recommended, Industry focus: Energy: transactions: oil and gas , The Legal 500 US (2020)

Recommended, City Leaders – Houston, Latin America: International Firms, The Legal 500 Latin America (2024, 2025)

Recommended, Projects and Energy, Latin America: International Firms, The Legal 500 Latin America (2018–2025)

Recommended, Corporate and M&A, Latin America: International Firms, The Legal 500 Latin America (2016–2025) 

Recommended, Banking and Finance, Latin America: International Firms, The Legal 500 Latin America (2017, 2018, 2023, 2025)

Rising Star, Texas Super Lawyers (2015–2017)

Member, Practice Group of the Year, Employment, Law360 (2017)

Member, Practice Group of the Year, Energy, Law360 (2016)

Member, Energy Law Firm of the Year, US News & World Report/Best Lawyers (2015)

Recognized, Latin America’s Rising Legal Stars, Latinvex (2015)

Recipient, Empire State Counsel award, New York State Bar Association (2009, 2011, 2014)

Recipient, Champion of Civil Rights award, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas (2010)