Aeronautics

We provide legal advice to companies involved in cargo and passenger air transport, air services, aircraft registration, leasing, air routes concessions, drones, restructures, and the setting up of airlines in Uruguay.

Automotive

Our Firm regularly assists foreign and domestic clients in the automotive sector, in the following areas:

• Motor dealership acquisitions and disposals
• Acquisitions and disposals of fleet hire businesses
• Employment advice to dealerships and fleet hire companies
• Sponsorship and image rights agreements between dealerships and manufacturers
• Restructuring and corporate finance matters

Advertising

Our firm has a team specialized in advertisement law which monitors on ongoing bases the guidelines and ads of our clients at both local and regional levels. We are also the local counsel of leader companies in outdoor advertising.

We also often appear before the courts or bodies in charge of consumer rights in the defense of our clients affected by unfair and abusive advertising (deceiving campaigns, unlawful comparisons, etc.).

Hughes & Hughes also has a long tradition in advising companies resorting to promotions with prizes, contests and other marketing actions. Likewise, we are proud to be the firm with the deepest experience in proceedings designed to revise publicity ads before the court of experts of the Uruguayan Council for the Self-Regulation of Advertising Campaigns (Consejo Nacional de Autoregulation Publicitaria, CONARP) .

Agribusiness and Forestry

We are fully experienced in the field of agribusinesses, including rural contracts, agricultural partnerships, and agrarian companies, inter alia. For afforestation companies, we have drawn special contract forms fit to meet the needs of our clients (promotion contracts, for instance).

We often provide advice to all kinds of transactions involving the purchase or sale of forests or timber. We also provide assistance to some of the main agribusiness companies in Uruguay, which has gained us knowledge and experience in the legal aspects of the transactions used to deal with fertilizers, bio-stimulants, the protection of cultures and seeds, pesticides, etc.

Chemical

We have been representing chemical companies since ever and we are familiar with all features of the chemical industry as well as relevant aspects of its business. Our Firm has helped clients during their set up, construction and in the proceedings to obtain authorization of their facilities in Uruguay.

H&H has assisted clients in every step of the way to comply with regulatory measures at local and national level. Our attorneys are experienced in dealing with issues affecting the chemicals industry globally, including transactions, environmental and regulatory matters, dispute resolution, antitrust law, risk management, governmental issues, intellectual property and tax.

Construction

Hughes & Hughes provides a full legal support to the construction industry during the different phases of the projects, comprehending:

Our practice includes:

• Pre-Construction Services (eg. Regulatory and Government Approvals, Site Acquisition and Leasing, Contract Drafting and Negotiations).
• Construction Phase Services (eg. Contract Administration Issues, Claims Prevention and Resolution).
• Post-Construction and Dispute Resolution Services.

Along all the construction phases we take charge of the relationships with the unions. We have represented owners, contractors, subcontractors and others in a wide variety of construction projects including pulp mill plants, highways, industrial premises, dredging of rivers, residential facilities and a wide variety of other projects.

Energy and Resources

We have provided advice on all types of projects for the development of energy resources in our country.

In particular, we have provided significant assistance in projects for the development of renewable energy, gas pipelines, wind farms, photovoltaics , construction of a power plant based on combined-cycled-gas-turbine generated energy, and other infrastructures related to the transportation of gas supply.

We have also advised on the exploration of oil resources within the Uruguayan maritime boundaries, having significant experience in the upstream sector.

In wind and photovoltaic projects we have advised sponsors, financiers and bank agents, having performed in all phases of these projects. We also have significant experience advising contractors and subcontractors who have acted in major renewable energy projects developed in Uruguay.

Hughes & Hughes is included in the Guide of Participants in Wind Power Energy in Uruguay created by the Wind Power Energy Program of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM), through the Energy and Nuclear Technology Division (http://www.energiaeolica.gub.uy).

Financial Institutions

As counsels specialized in banking law, we have been involved in the largest financial transactions in Uruguay ever, and as advisors to firms in the financial sector, we have been in the forefront of new financial trends, taking part in innovative, complex transactions.

Our practice includes:

• The design and structuring of debt paper issues;
• Project funding under traditional Project Finance layouts;
• Complex structured funding, securities issues, trusts structuring, mutual funds, and assets securitization;
• Mergers and acquisitions of banks and other companies in the financial sector;
• Advice on the setting up or incorporation of entities regulated by the Central Bank of Uruguay;
• Unequaled experience in advice to regulated entities operating in the FOREX/CFD market and in online trading;
• Comprehensive and ongoing advice on the development and negotiation of banking and stock contracts, fiduciary businesses, funding, guarantees, and transactions involving financial assets and derivatives, such as options and futures;
• Reorganization and liquidation of banks and other companies in the financial sector.

The deep experience acquired by our team has resulted in a unique skill in this area, to the extent that the opinion of members of our firm has been sought by lawmakers, who have invited them to take active part in the development of substantial rules and regulations making part of the framework designed to govern the Uruguayan financial system.

We have been involved in the funding of projects in the sectors of tourism, hospitality, agribusiness, industrial manufacturing, and mining. In recent years, we have had ongoing, fluent contact with regional and international credit entities such as IFC, IADB, CAF, and private international funds.

Food and Beverages

H&H has extensive experience in all relevant aspects of food regulation, environmental practices, licensing and national and local authorizations, especially before Local agencies in charge of the sanitary police.

Our Firm renders services to producers, processors, distributors and retailers with all aspects of the regulations needed to deal with the challenges they daily face in this industry. As part of our practice, we render services to our clients on labeling and standards, biotechnology issues and IP matters.

Hotels and Leisure

The Firm has vast experience in the hospitality, leisure and gaming industry. We advise some of the world’s leading hotel management companies as well as investors in the industry on a full range of legal services.

Our services include negotiation of hotel management agreements; regulatory developments; all aspects of hotel operations; relationship with key suppliers; among others.

We have an excellent understanding of the Industry and of the operational, business and legal issues that operators and their affiliates face in managing owner relations and mitigating risk.

Industries and Manufacturing

Hughes & Hughes represents many leading manufacturing and industrial companies—in segments such as equipment manufacturing, chemical engineering, etc.

Our Firm combines the expertise of attorneys with significant experience in manufacturing and industrials with the firm's knowledge of corporate, international, regulatory, labor and employment, litigation, intellectual property, and tax matters to provide legal service to clients from the beginning to the end of a project.

Success in representing manufacturers is based on the strong relationships we develop. Our lawyers work to fully understand client´s business and to recognize their needs, opportunities and challenges they face on a daily basis. We offer not only strategic counsel on major decisions, but general corporate advice.

Infrastructure

Our Firm represents clients in the public and private sectors in areas that include: airports; energy; maritime and ports; metals and mining; oil and gas; prisons; roads and rail; telecommunications; water, waste and sewage; and wind power.

Our team has a thorough understanding of risk allocation, tax structuring and transaction delivery in this sector. Our platform encompasses practitioners from a range of relevant disciplines, including finance, mergers and acquisitions, investment funds, sports, health care, capital markets, labor, government relations, litigation, environmental, insurance coverage, lodging and gaming, real estate and tax.

Insurance and Reinsurance

H&H provides insurance legal services from different standpoints, by representing insurers and reinsurers, health and safety companies, agents and operational companies.

Our practice includes operations, regulatory issues, managed care and health care as well as dispute resolutions, general corporate, mergers and acquisitions, finance and other transactions.

We provide counselling in all aspects of insurance operations, strategic planning, regulatory, compliance and internal policies.

Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare

For several decades our Firm has offered advice to prime national and international laboratories and other state-of-the-art companies in the fields of biotechnology and life sciences. We also provide assistance to agricultural producers, breeders, and food growers in the development of cultures, improved food, soil fertility and optimization, etc.

We also provide advice to leading companies in our markets of cosmetics and phytosanitary products as regards both regulations and the registration of products and protocols.
Ours is a multidisciplinary, result-oriented approach, which facilitates our meeting the term-related expectations of clients.

Media and Entertainment

Hughes & Hughes regularly provides specialist advice to local and international clients in all significant areas of media and entertainment: advertising, brands, broadcasting, computer games, digital media, film, interactive media, music, live events, publishing, theatre, television and the visual arts.

Mining

As a key player, H&H has been involved in transactions in the mining sector since its creation, back in the XIX century. The Firm has accompanied the expansion this sector witnessed in recent years and provides regular advice to local and international mining companies operating in a wide range of activities, processes, and auxiliary services.

The advice provided by H&H has allowed its clients' obtaining environmental permits and the corresponding national and municipal clearances. Within the scope of its services to mining companies, H&H has taken part in complex negotiations with the private sector and dialogues with the civil society.

NGOs

H&H renders legal services to pro-bono organizations and the Firm encourages its professionals to get involved in this service. We are aware of the tremendous privilege our profession entails and that our professionals are in a unique position to help people.

We have also advised on the exploration of oil resources within the Uruguayan maritime boundaries, having significant experience in the upstream sector. We devote to our pro bono activities the same, care, intensity and attention as we do with the rest of our clients.

Retail and Consumer Goods

Hughes & Hughes clients in consumer goods and retail sectors, include a wide range of areas, from food and beverage, supermarkets, beauty, clothing to pharmaceuticals.

We regularly advise on all aspects of their businesses and operations, including transactional matters and related issues, brand management, intellectual property, advertising, distribution and pricing policies, product issues and recalls, privacy and other consumer protection statutes, environmental issues, disputes with suppliers, competitors, employees, and consumers, tax structuring, and other issues. Our Firm is also very active in Antitrust Law and the applicable proceedings under Uruguayan Law.

Sports

We provide legal advice to sport institutions, athletes, and other agents related to this activity, in everything related to sport and its economic aspects.

Our team has extensive local and international experience in various segments and entities in the exercise of sports law.

Our services include:

• Contract negotiations between federations, associations, institutions and athletes.
• Advocacy of athletes and tied agents to sports.
• Institutional, equity and financial structuring.
• Support of sports projects and design of external financing.
• Management of human, labor and pension resources of sports institutions.
• Tax planning for sports organizations.
• Image rights and sponsorship management.
• Representation in local and international litigation and arbitration.

The global vision of our Firm in this area of ​​activity leads us to extend our services to local agents with activity outside our country. This has allowed us to work on international and local regulatory framework, we know the best practices and trends, and detect opportunities in other markets.

Within the general framework of this activity, we advise the various stakeholders on the need for openness to new opportunities from which the world of sport benefits. We seek to optimize all resources available to federations, associations, sports institutions, their agents and the athletes themselves.

Telecommunications and Technology

We provide comprehensive legal services to clients operating in the changing arena of the telecom and IT sector. We help them achieve their goals through complex transactions, and also in the fields of regulation, legal rules, and litigation. Our portfolio of clients in this sector includes both huge transnational companies and newly-incorporated small companies struggling to offer new and advanced services. Our clients in this area include companies of cable TV, satellite services, Internet services, wireless phone services, radio and TV broadcasting, phone services, tower and site owners, etc.

Transport and Logistcs

Our firm has a long standing experience acting as advisor to international and national companies belonging to almost all levels of the logistics sector, including diverse range of service providers, port and land-based operators and terminals.

As such, the firm has advised in concessions, finance, construction, regulatory permits, tax structures, and all aspects of logistics and transport everyday operations having an unparalleled knowledge of the business.