Biography
His main areas of practice include corporate, financial institutions regulation, securities, public finance, and commercial real estate.
He advises banks, broker-dealers, mortgage institutions, loan companies and other financial institutions on a wide range of transactions and regulatory matters.
Mr. Méndez-Benabe practices in the area of commercial real estate, where he has experience representing national banks, institutional lenders, financial institutions and borrowers in structuring the financing of hotels and shopping centers, as well as other commercial and industrial properties. He is ranked as one of Puerto Rico’s Leading Attorneys in the Corporate field by both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. He is also ranked as a leading attorney in Administrative Law, Banking and Finance Law, Corporate and M&A Law by The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide.
He also provides guidance to clients on government affairs matters, including public-private partnerships and all issues relating to municipal financing (general obligation, appropriation debt and revenue bond financing), such as deal structures related to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, its public corporations and instrumentalities.
Mr. Méndez-Benabe serves as legal counsel and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Association.
He served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico, where he was responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the GDB and its various lines of business. He also served as General Counsel and Secretary of the Boards of Directors of the GDB and its subsidiaries. Between 2003 and 2010 he worked as Legal Counsel to the Commissioner at the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions and was responsible for overseeing the execution of the regulatory policy and coordinating with the FDIC the resolution and receiverships in year 2010 of various Puerto Rican banks.
From 2016 thru 2022 Mr. Méndez-Benabe served as President of the Board of Directors of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MAC). He is now member of the Board of Directors of Coloring the World Foundation, an organization that aims to be a beacon for social diversity and improving the quality of people’s lives with its own distinctive identity based on the use of color as a symbol for diversity and equality.
He has undertaken doctoral studies in law at the Complutense University School of Law in Madrid, Spain and is a licensed Real Estate Broker.
Representative Transactions
Some of his representative transactions include:
- Representing AmeriNational Community Services, LLC (“AmeriNat”), as servicer for the GDB Debt Recovery Authority, in the restructuring in approximately $4 billion of debt from the Commonwealth of Puerto, various of the Commonwealth’s instrumentalities, several of its municipalities, and many of its public corporations. AmeriNat is the largest single creditor in the Title III proceeding for the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority and is a significant creditor in the Title III case of the Commonwealth.
- Serving as Puerto Rico counsel to Bank of Nova Scotia in the sale to Oriental Bank of 100% of the common stock of Scotiabank Puerto Rico (“SBPR”) with the subsequent merger of SBPR into Oriental.
- Serving as Puerto Rico counsel to FirstBank Puerto Rico (“FirstBank”) in the acquisition from Santander Holdings USA, Inc. of 100% of the common stock of Santander BanCorp (“HoldCo”), with the subsequent merger of HoldCo and Banco Santander Puerto Rico with and into FirstBank.
- Counseling Cortland Capital Market Services LLC, as administrative agent for certain lenders (the “Fuel Line Lenders”) that hold approximately $550 million in loans to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority under a fuel line facility. The Fuel Line Lenders is among the largest creditor constituencies in the PREPA restructuring.
- Representing a commercial bank in the collection of outstanding loans of $32 million with the Metropolitan Bus Authority, including discussions with the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority and litigation representation before the Court of First Instance as well as assessment of the collection repercussions by any Plan of Adjustment that may be filed by the Commonwealth as part of its ongoing Title III process.
- Acting as local counsel to a Puerto Rico public-private partnership regarding private placement issuance of Senior Secured Notes and refinancing of loan facility.
- Counsel to Autopistas de Puerto Rico on all corporate and securities matters related to the repurchase of a portion of the $153,222,270 Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority, Special Facility Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2003 Series A (Teodoro Moscoso Bridge).
- Counsel to Serrallés Group on all securities matters related to the recapitalization plan of Serralles Hotel which included the purchase of all outstanding $54,370,000 Puerto Rico Industrial, Tourist, Educational, Medical and Environmental Control Facilities Financing Authority Tourism Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2006 Series A (Costa Caribe Resort Project).
- Counsel in the financing of the following hospitality projects: the La Concha Renaissance Resort and the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Best Western Plus Condado Palm in San Juan, Puerto Rico and the Marriot Courtyard, Isla Verde Beach Resort.
- Counsel in the acquisition and financing of a private marina known as Villa Marina in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
- Counsel in the acquisition and financing of the shopping center known as Oriental Plaza in Humacao, Puerto Rico.
- Counsel in the financing of the shopping center known as Doramar Plaza in Dorado, Puerto Rico.
Practices
- Act 60
- Aviation and Aerospace
- Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring
- Corporate
- Corporate & Commercial Finance
- Federal Funding Programs
- Financial Institutions
- Government Affairs & Public Policy
- Government Enforcement, White Collar and Criminal Defense
- Infrastructure/Public-Private Partnerships
- International & Cross Border Transactions
- International Banking and Financial Entities (IFEs and IBEs)
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- PROMESA Task Force
- Securities & Public Finance
News & Publications
News
- McV NewsAugust 21, 2019
- May 24, 2019
- McV NewsSeptember 11, 2018
- McV NewsAugust 3, 2018
- McV NewsJuly 27, 2017
- July 14, 2016
- Nine McV Attorneys PromotedMay 11, 2015
Publications
- An McV Securities Practice Team AlertOctober 14, 2022
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 21, 2022
- An McV Health Care AlertMarch 24, 2022
- An McV Government Affairs AlertSeptember 8, 2021
- An McV Government Affairs AlertAugust 16, 2021
- An McV Recovery Financing AlertAugust 12, 2021
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertAugust 10, 2021
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMay 24, 2021
- An McV Corporate AlertApril 13, 2021
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMarch 17, 2021
- An McV Government Affairs AlertFebruary 9, 2021
- An McV Corporate AlertJanuary 19, 2021
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJanuary 12, 2021
- An McV Government Affairs AlertDecember 8, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 17, 2020
- November 13, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertOctober 30, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertOctober 3, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertSeptember 14, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertAugust 21, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertAugust 4, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJuly 24, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJuly 22, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJuly 17, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 10, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 9, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 9, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 8, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 8, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 7, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 7, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJuly 1, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJune 15, 2020
- An McV Emergency Task Force AlertJune 5, 2020
- An McV PROMESA Task Force AlertJune 1, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMay 25, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMay 5, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMay 2, 2020
- An McV Corporate & Tax AlertApril 28, 2020
- April 24, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertApril 15, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertApril 14, 2020
- An McV Financial Institutions Practice Team AlertApril 14, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertApril 13, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertApril 8, 2020
- April 8, 2020
- An McV Emergency Task Force AlertApril 6, 2020
- An McV Emergency Task Force AlertApril 1, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMarch 31, 2020
- An McV Health Care AlertMarch 30, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMarch 30, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMarch 27, 2020
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertMarch 26, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMarch 26, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMarch 25, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMarch 23, 2020
- An McV Recovery Financing Practice GroupFebruary 5, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 6, 2019
- An McV PROMESA Task Force AlertSeptember 30, 2019
- An McV Recovery Financing Practice Team AlertAugust 29, 2019
- An McV Government Affairs AlertAugust 7, 2019
- An McV Corporate AlertAugust 7, 2019
- An McV Government Affairs AlertAugust 5, 2019
- An McV Government Affairs AlertAugust 2, 2019
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJuly 26, 2019
- May 30, 2019
- An McV Recovery Financing Practice Team AlertMarch 1, 2019
- An McV PROMESA Task Force AlertFebruary 19, 2019
- Puerto Rico P3 Authority Issues Request for Public Comments on Transformation of the Electric SystemAn McV Infrastructure & Public-Private Partnerships Practice Team AlertFebruary 4, 2019
- An McV Financial Institutions AlertJanuary 30, 2019
- An McV Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnerships Practice Team AlertDecember 19, 2018
- An McV Infrastructure and Private-Public Partnerships AlertNovember 1, 2018
- An McV Recovery Financing Practice Team AlertSeptember 14, 2018
- An McV Corporate & Health Care AlertJune 20, 2018
- An McV Government Affairs & Financial Institutions Practice Team AlertJune 14, 2018
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertMay 29, 2018
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertMay 16, 2018
- An McV Government Affairs AlertApril 2, 2018
- An Energy & Government Affairs AlertMarch 13, 2018
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertFebruary 21, 2018
- An McV Government Affairs AlertFebruary 14, 2018
- An McV Government Affairs and Energy AlertJanuary 23, 2018
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJanuary 15, 2018
- An McV Corporate AlertDecember 28, 2017
- An McV Corporate AlertDecember 27, 2017
- An McV Corporate AlertNovember 30, 2017
- An McV Corporate AlertNovember 29, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 17, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 8, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 1, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertJuly 19, 2017
- An McV Corporate AlertMay 26, 2017
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertMay 5, 2017
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertApril 5, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs AlertMarch 22, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs and Tax AlertMarch 8, 2017
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertFebruary 24, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs and Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertJanuary 30, 2017
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertJanuary 13, 2017
- An McV Securities & Tax AlertDecember 19, 2016
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 9, 2016
- McV NewsSeptember 1, 2016
- An McV Corporate AlertJune 22, 2016
- An McV Corporate AlertMarch 11, 2016
- Government Affairs, October 21, 2015
Member, Policy Committee
Bar Admissions
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
Education
B.A., Magna Cum Laude, University of Puerto Rico, 1999
- Major: Marketing
J.D., University of Puerto Rico School of Law, 2002
Certified Legal Specialty
- Civil Law Notary