Raul R. Herrera concentrates on international matters, with particular emphasis in international corporate and financing transactions in Latin America and the Caribbean. For more than 30 years, he has been involved in transactions in every country of the region on behalf of a wide variety of clients, including private, public, and multilateral entities.
Raul represents lenders (including multilateral and bilateral agencies, as well as commercial banks), host governments, and sponsors with the development and financing of projects and private equity funds across a wide range of industry sectors. He is knowledgeable of deal structures, procedural requirements and policy directives of agency lenders. With the depth of his regional experience, Raul is often called to resolve client disputes throughout Latin America. Previously he served as the general counsel of the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IDB Invest), the private sector multilateral financial institution affiliated with the Inter-American Development Bank. In addition, Raul has experience in international arbitration matters. He speaks Spanish and is conversant in Portuguese.
In 2017, Raul served as Interim General Counsel and Legal Director of the Green Climate Fund at the organization's headquarters in the Republic of Korea while remaining a partner of the firm. He is a frequent speaker on such topics as project finance, international arbitration, and the economic development of and investment opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Experience
- Republic of Turkey as a Strategic Advisor in its defense relationship with the United States and other international matters.
- Republic of Ecuador as a Strategic Advisor in its relationship with the United States and other international matters.
- Republic of Argentina as a Strategic Advisor in its relationship with the United States and other international matters.
- Banco Nacional de Costa Rica in its tender offer to repurchase notes for up to $150 million.
- Banco de Costa Rica, a state-owned bank, in its $150 million syndicated term loan led by Bladex and Credit Suisse.
- Korea Export-Import Bank and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance of Korea in negotiating and closing a $100 million financing facility with the Inter-American Development Bank.
- Banco de Costa Rica, a state-owned bank, in its $125 million syndicated loan led by Bladex.
- Corporacion Financiera de Desarrollo S.A. (COFIDE), the Peruvian development bank, in its $40 million term loan financing to Maple Energy's Peruvian affiliates Maple Etanol S.R.L. and Maple Biocombutibles S.R.L. for their ethanol and agribusiness projects.
- Multinational company in several joint venture transactions throughout Latin America.
- Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG (OeEB), the Austrian development bank, in its secured term loan financing to the Corporación Interamericana para el Financiamiento de Infraestructura, S.A. (CIFI).
- Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in its floating-rate notes issues for $300 million, maturing in 2022.
- Mahmood Saeed Collective Company (MSCC) in its $59.8 million term loan financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank , the first-ever Ex-Im Bank direct loan to a private company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and MSCC's multiple agency and distributorship transactions.
- Nederlandse Financierings Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingsla (FMO), the Dutch development agency, in its senior term-loans to Bolivia's Banco Sol, S.A. and to the Corporación Interamericana para el Financiamiento de Infraestructura S.A. (CIFI).
- Compañía General de Electricidad (CGE), a Chilean corporation, in its (a) term loan financing from Banco Santander for the acquisition of Iberdrola's controlling stake in Iberoamericana de Energía S.A. (Ibener); and (b) $517 million term loan financing from Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) for the $660 million acquisition from PPL Chile Energía Limitada of Empresas EMEL S.A. through a tender offer process on the Chilean Stock Exchange, both of which transactions resulted in CGE being the largest electricity distributor in Chile.
- Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in its term loan to the Corporación Interamericana para el Financiamiento de Infraestructura S.A. (CIFI) to finance infrastructure projects throughout the Caribbean.
Perspectives
Recognition
Banking & Finance (2022)
Capital Markets (2013-2015, 2018-2019, 2021-2023)
Banking & Finance (2013, 2016-2018, 2022-2023)
Credentials
Education
- J.D., The George Washington University Law School, 1984
- B.A., The George Washington University, 1981
Admissions
- District of Columbia
Activities
- Member (and Audit Committee Chair), The Thomas Lovejoy Amazon Biodiversity Center Board of Directors
- Member, Society for the Advancement of the Art Museum of the America Board of Directors
- Member, Global Women's Institute (at The George Washington University) Leadership Council
- Member, Inter-American Dialogue's Energy Board of Advisors
- Member, The GWU Law School's Latin Law Alumni Association
- Member, Fondazione Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice, Vatican City State
- Former Member, Virginia State University Board of Visitors (by appointment of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia)
- Former Chairman, Counterpart International of the Board of Director
- Former Member, John Carroll Society
- Founding Chair, CODESPA AMERICA Board of Directors
- Former Member, Inter-American Bar Association Board of Directors
- Former Member, Advisory Council of the Latin American Studies Program and the International Council of GWU's Elliott School of International Affairs
- Former Member, School Superintendent of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington Advisory Council
- Former Chair, Investment and Finance Committee of the D.C. Bar
- Former Member, Hispanic College Fund Advisory Board
- Former Member, American Bar Association's Latin American Legal Initiatives Council
- Former Member, Council of the America's Trade Advisory Group
- Former Member, International Bar Association’s Latin American Regional Counsel Committee
- Former Member, Latin American Venture Capital Association (LAVCA)’s Professional Standards Committee
- Former Member, Southern Florida Regional Corporate Counsel Group
- Former Member, Choral Arts Society's Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Tribute’s Steering Committee
Languages
- Spanish