Holland & Knight Advises Bladex and Lenders in $90 Million Syndicated Loan to Colombia’s Centelsa

NEW YORK (October 9, 2014) – Holland & Knight served as both New York and Colombian counsel to Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (Bladex) and a group of lenders on a $90 million syndicated loan to Centelsa, a leading Colombian manufacturer of power and telecommunications cables, and certain of its affiliates. The transaction closed on September 30, 2014.

Bladex, a supranational bank established by the central banks of Latin American and Caribbean countries to promote foreign trade finance and economic integration, acted as lead arranger and administrative agent in the transaction. Centelsa affiliates benefiting from the loan include subsidiaries in Peru and Ecuador and a guaranty from Centelsa’s parent company, Viakable, in Mexico.

Bladex and the lenders were represented by Holland & Knight partners Stephen Double, Norberto Quintana and associate Carlos Meza in New York; and partner Juan Carlos Valencia and associates Lucas Saffon and Juliana Saa in Bogotá.

“The transaction represented another example of the strong growth of the Bladex Latin America syndicated loan business,” noted Mr. Double, who advised the administrative agent and the lenders as to New York law on the transaction. “In addition, the transaction structure included various complexities, including multiple borrowers and guarantors from four separate countries,” he added.