Biography
His practice focuses on corporate and financing transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, commercial financing and public finance. He also has extensive experience with public private partnerships and financial institutions regulations.
Over the years, he has advised banks, broker-dealers, and other financial institutions on corporate (including mergers & acquisitions) matters, the structuring and negotiation of corporate and commercial loans, and other regulatory matters. He has also advised clients on various aspects of public-private partnerships, such as asset procurement, financing, and government affairs matters. Currently, he serves as legal counsel and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Association.
He is ranked among Puerto Rico’s Leading Attorneys in the Corporate field by both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, and as a leading attorney in Administrative Law, Banking and Finance Law, Corporate and M&A Law by The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide.
Mr. Méndez-Benabe takes a client-centered approach to his work, prioritizing the needs and goals of each client. In understanding that every business is unique, he aims to work closely with clients to develop tailored legal strategies that align with their objectives. His dedication to client satisfaction has earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor in the corporate legal world.
Prior to joining McConnell Valdés, Mr. Méndez-Benabe served as the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico (GDB), 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 RG Premier Bank, Western Bank Puerto Rico and Eurobank.
From 2016 through 2022, Mr. Méndez-Benabe served as President of the Board of Directors of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (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.
Representative Transactions
Some of his representative transactions include:
- Serving as one of the lead counsels to AmeriNational Community Services, LLC, servicer for the GDB Debt Recovery Authority, in the restructuring in approximately $4 billion of debt from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority, the Puerto Rico Aqueducts and Sewer Authority, and various other Commonwealth’s instrumentalities.
- Serving as Puerto Rico counsel to the Fuel Line Lenders that hold over $700 million in loans in the Title III proceeding of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.
- Represented Aerostar Airport Holdings as Puerto Rico counsel in the issuance of $200 million of 4.92% senior secured notes, the amendment of certain terms of its $350 million of 5.75% senior secured notes, its $50 million of 6.75% senior secured notes, its $10 million senior secured revolving credit facility and its $20 million unsecured revolving credit 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 Serrallés Hotel which included the purchase of all outstanding $54,370,000 Puerto Rico Industrial, Tourist, Educational, Medical and Environmental Control Facilities Financing Authority Tourism (AFICA) Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2006 Series A (Costa Caribe Resort Project).
- Represented Oriental Bank in the negotiation to secure the pay-off of a $32 million loan owed by the Metropolitan Bus Authority.
- Served as local counsel to Autopistas Metropolitanas de Puerto Rico in the private placement of its Senior Secured Notes and refinancing of certain of its loans facilities.
- Served 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 with the subsequent merger of Scotiabank into Oriental.
- Served as Puerto Rico counsel to FirstBank Puerto Rico in the acquisition of 100% of the common stock of Santander BanCorp from Santander Holdings USA, Inc., and the subsequent merger of FirstBank with Banco Santander Puerto Rico.
- Served as Puerto Rico legal counsel to a global private equity firm specializing in infrastructure investments in the acquisition of 100% of the shares of a world leader infrastructure operator that had a preferred bidding stake in a public‐private partnership agreement that was being negotiated with a Puerto Rico public corporation.
- Served as legal counsel to a public private partnership (P3) operating in Puerto Rico, in the negotiation and execution of a professional services agreement with a Puerto Rico public corporation, which resulted in a grant that could total an estimated $60 million dollars under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to fund the design and installation of the CoGen project that will benefit the users of the infrastructure project currently being managed by the P3.
- Represented Bank of America in the financing of a private marina known as Villa Marina in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, the shopping centers known as Oriental Plaza in Humacao, Puerto Rico and Doramar Plaza in Dorado, Puerto Rico.
- Represented the borrowers in the financings of the following hospitality projects: the La Concha Renaissance Resort, the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, the Best Western Plus Condado Palm, the Marriott Courtyard, Isla Verde Beach Resort and the Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino.
- Represented several international financial entities in all legal matters stemming from regulatory actions by the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, and assisted in the voluntary liquidation of the entities.
- Served as counsel to a technology company that sold 100% of its shares to a major digital company with major operations in 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 Financial Institutions Practice Team AlertApril 14, 2020
- An McV Corporate 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 Government Affairs AlertMarch 30, 2020
- An McV Health Care 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