more
professional-bg-img

Andres Mena is a partner and U.S. Co-Chair of the firm's Finance Department. With over two decades of experience, he concentrates his practice on complex debt financing transactions, with special focus on private equity matters. Andres represents private equity funds, portfolio companies, corporate borrowers and lenders in a wide variety of domestic and cross-border transactions, direct and syndicated debt financing deals, restructuring matters and energy transactions. These include LBOs and acquisition financings, recapitalizations, out-of-court workouts, and DIP financings.

Andres has been widely recognized as a leader in his field by various legal ranking guides and publications, including Chambers Global for both Banking & Finance and Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Foreign Experts) and as "Highly Regarded" by the IFLR1000. He was profiled as a leading practitioner in Diario Financiero, Santiago de Chile, and featured in Latin Lawyer’s “Global Positioning” feature. He is also named to Lawyers of Color’s 2022 “Law Firm Leaders” list.

Andres served as contributing editor for the 2022 edition of Acquisition Finance, and co-authored the comprehensive chapter for the United States.

Experience

Prior to joining Willkie in 2021, Andres was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he spent more than 15 years of his career. Subsequently he was a partner at Paul Hastings LLP.

Andres was a member of the Board of Directors of the North American-Chilean Chamber of Commerce.

Andres is a frequent speaker on financing and restructuring topics.

  • "Chapter 11 for Brazilian Companies in the USA: An introduction to the Main Aspects of Chapter 11 for Creditors and Debtors" (2020)
  • "What is Chapter 11? Insolvency Regulation in the United States and its effect on Latin American Companies" (2020)
  • "Trends and Insights in the Latin American Market in Light of Covid-19" (2020)
  • "Casos Prácticos sobre Restructuraciones Financieras" (Practical Examples on Financial Restructurings), Morales & Besa, Larrain Vial and Greenhill & Co. event, Santiago de Chile (2017)
  • "Overview of the M&A Market in Latin America," IBA Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2017
  • "Drafting Debt Agreements," Practicing Law Institute, New York City (January 6, 2010)
  • "Drafting Debt Agreements," Practicing Law Institute, New York City (January 7, 2009)

Andres advised on the following selected significant matters*:

Selected Sponsor Side Representations

  • Avista Capital Partners in its acquisition of Spear Education, a provider of clinical training, practice analytics and consulting solutions for the dental market.
  • Karman Holdings Inc. in its acquisition of ISP, a leader in specialty energetic propulsion technologies, for approximately $60 million.
  • Atlas Holdings LLC in its bid to acquire R.R. Donnelly. 
  • MSD Private Capital in its $1.2 billion acquisition of West Monroe Partners Inc.
  • GI Partners in its recapitalizations of Netsmart, Inc. and Flexential Inc.
  • CapVest Partners LLP in its $300 million acquisition of Kar Nut Products, LLC. 
  • Sagard Capital in its acquisition in a 363 sale of Performance Sports Group.
  • Sithe Global Power (an affiliate of The Blackstone Group) in the financing of power plants in the Philippines and Uganda.

Selected Lender Side Representations

  • Jefferies in numerous acquisition financings (ranging US$350 million and US$2.0 billion) sponsored by:
    • Arcline,
    • Bain,
    • Golden Gate Capital,
    • KKR,
    • Sun Capital,
    • Thoma Bravo.
  • RBC, Macquarie and UBS, in acquisition financings (ranging US$80 million and US$250 million) sponsored by:
    • AE Partners,
    • Apax,
    • Greenbriar Equity.
  • Jefferies Finance LLC, KKR Capital Markets LLC, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Sydney Branch and MUFG Bank LTD., with respect to the financing of KKR's $2.2 billion acquisition of Campbell Soup's international operations, including Arnott's biscuits.
  • Brightwood Capital in its financing of the acquisition by Apax of The Herjavec Group and Coalfire Systems, Inc.
  • Comvest Credit Partners in its debt financing for Thoma Bravo’s majority investments in OPEXUS and Casepoint.
  • BMO Sponsor Finance on the financing of TA Associates Management, LP’s strategic investment in Nous Infosystems Inc.
  • Lenders on the financing for New Mountain Capital’s majority investment in Consor Engineers.

Selected Corporate Borrower Side Representations

  • SolAmerica Energy Holdings, LLC in the negotiation of a new revolving credit facility and an amendment to an existing facility.
  • 1251 Insurance in its $100 million senior secured term loan credit facility and its $20 million senior secured revolving loan credit facility with Carlyle.
  • Mercado Lending S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary of Mercado Libre, in a $250 million senior secured revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank.
  • Mercado Lending. S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary of Mercado Libre, in an origination agreement with Goldman Sachs for the purchase of Mercado consumer loans.
  • PBF Holding Company LLC, a subsidiary of PBF Energy Inc., on its amended and restated $3.5 billion asset-based revolving credit facility.
  • PBF Energy on the formation of a renewable diesel joint venture with Eni Sustainable Mobility and in connection with a $400 million working capital facility for the joint venture.
  • Second Nature Brands on its Acquisition of Sahale Snacks.
  • Second Nature Brands on its Acquisition of Brownie Brittle.
  • Rhythm Energy, Inc. on its working capital lending facility from ENGIE Energy Marketing NA, Inc.
  • Clearway Energy, Inc. in an amended $700 million revolving credit facility.
  • Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. in its $12.7 billion acquisition of Zynga, Inc.
  • Franchise Group, Inc. in its $600 million acquisition of W.S. Badcock.
  • NRG Energy, Inc. and its affiliates, in a variety of secured financings in excess of US$25 billion.
  • NRG Energy, Inc. in its US$5.75 billion acquisition of Texas Genco.
  • Chobani, LLC in its US$750 million financing by TPG.
  • Copamex S.A. de C.V. (Mexico's leading paper producer) in its US$250 million recapitalization.
  • Blink Fitness in its US$125 million secured financing provided by Varagon Capital and other lenders.

Restructurings

  • Counsel to the official committee of unsecured creditors of GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. and certain of its affiliates in their chapter 11 cases
  • Counsel to the official committee of unsecured creditors of WOM S.A. and certain of its affiliates in their chapter 11 cases
  • Texas Competitive Energy Holdings in its $4.475 billion DIP facility as part of its Chapter 11.
  • Creditors to NII Nextel Telefonica S.C.A. in a $350 million DIP Facility (Restructuring (U.S.) Deal of 2016).
  • Chilean Unsecured Bondholders representing approx. USD$500m of claims against LATAM Airlines Group S.A. as part of LATAM’s Chapter 11.
  • Charming Charlie LLC in its Chapter 11 cases.
  • Eagle Hospitality, a Singapore REIT in its Chapter 11 case including its $100m DIP facility.
  • Sagard Capital in a $375 million Chapter 11 exit financing for Performance Sports Group.

* Andres advised on these matters prior to joining Willkie.

Credentials

Education


University of Chicago Law School, LL.M., 2000 Universidad de Chile, J.D., 1996

Bar Admissions


New York

Related News