Juan Bernardo (JB) García

Provided legal assistance to Lowe's with the site selection, preliminary due diligence, full due diligence, identification of potential risks and applicable regulatory matters for the real estate acquisition and development for the establishment of new stores on several states in Mexico, including the drafting and negotiation of  letters of intent, Promissory and final Purchase and Sale Agreements, Lease Agreements, Trust Agreements and Development Agreements, among others, as well as with the procurement of required permits and licenses at a Federal, State and Municipal level.

Represented Lowe's in closing down operations throughout Mexico. We coordinated over 1,800 employment terminations in 13 stores, one distribution center and the corporate headquarters, across seven Mexican states, involving simultaneous participation of over 50 lawyers of the Firm. We simultaneously implemented lease terminations and a Request for Proposal process with more than 100 participants (local, national, regional and global companies) to implement the sale of all the Lowe's owned real properties (including stores) in Mexico, handled all the due diligence process and negotiation of agreements for the sale, as well as lease terminations, including all corporate, tax and anti-trust matters. We further advised the client in the liquidation of its Mexican entities and conclusion of agreements with all suppliers and clients, among other relevant matters.

Represented the US government providing advise on real estate due diligence, negotiations and acquisition, international tax and environmental advice in connection with the relocation of the US Consulate in Monterrey, Mexico, that involved implementing an amendment of the Foreign Investment Law and Regulations, the conversion of a long-term lease for 120 years into a real estate acquisition trust, the procurement of tax and government fee exemptions under the Vienna Convention. Process with the authorities a change in zoning use (consular purposes), procurement of zoning and construction permits for the development of the new consulate compound, procurement of all feasibilities for public utilities and for the installation of infrastructure at the consulate compound and in a second phase procurement of construction permits for additional fence, canopy and drainage works to be performed at the new consulate compound in Santa Catarina, Nuevo León, Mexico.

Acted for International Truck and Engine (Navistar) in the acquisition of a number of properties in Escobedo, Nuevo Leon, with a total surface area of 1,118,448 m², including negotiation of incentives with authorities, due diligence, title review of the property and negotiations of construction and development agreements for a truck manufacturing facility and further development of an industrial campus for its Joint Venture with Ford Motor company.

Represented Whirlpool in the sale and lease back of its Monterrey manufacturing campus to an institutional real estate investment fund (FIBRA), including advice on real estate, corporate restructuring, international tax, environmental, antitrust, among other. This deal has been identified as the largest single-asset, single-tenant, industrial sale/lease back transaction in the history of Mexico.

Advised Servicios Interpuerto in connection with the development (worth USD 2 billion) and sale structuring of a 1,254 hectare multimodal industrial, commercial and services port. This will be the largest logistics industrial platform in Mexico, and is included in Mexico's National Infrastructure Plan.

Acted for Vitro in the sale and lease back of approximately 40,000 sq. meters of land and office buildings composing Vitro's headquarters located in a premium area in San Pedro Garza Garcia.

Represented Inmobiliaria Torre M, S.A. de C.V. with respect to legal and regulatory advice required for the development of the largest real estate multiple use complex in Monterrey, Mexico with an investment of USD 150 million.

Represented Motorola in the sale and leaseback of its Mexico City office building located in Bosques de las Lomas.

Acted for a Canada-based global automotive supplier in acquiring a portfolio consisting of eight of its existing manufacturing facilities through a real estate company and leasing them back to its different manufacturing divisions.

Represent major industrial real estate developers in Mexico, such as Macquarie, Finsa, Davisa, Avante, Interpuerto, among others, in connection with their day-to-day real estate due diligence, acquisitions, sales, leases, and transactions related to their industrial real estate portfolios.

Represent major global companies in connection with their day-to-day real estate due diligence, acquisitions, sales, leases, and transactions related to their corporate and retail real estate.