TTR DealMaker Q&A with Ritch Mueller Partner Luis Nicolau

Luis A. Nicolau has been a partner at Ritch Mueller since 1990. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity capital markets transactions and banking and finance. He is a leading expert in assisting underwriters and issuers in debt and equity offerings in Mexico and abroad. He has participated in many of the largest public Mexican M&A transactions and advises foreign and domestic private equity funds on a regular basis. He has assisted numerous international financial entities in setting up their Mexican operations, including Scotiabank, JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, Santander and Morgan Stanley.

He currently maintains several board memberships, including at Grupo Posadas, Coca-Cola FEMSA, the public equity fund IGNIA, Morgan Stanley Mexico, UBS Asesores, KIO Networks,  Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua, Gentera, and of the investment committee of Promotora Social México; former President of Fullbright Mexico’s Governing Body, former member of the board of directors of Papalote Museo del Niño, former member of the board of directors of the Indian Mountain School and former member of the Supervisory Board of the Mexican Stock Exchange.

Mr. Nicolau graduated from the Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City in 1986. He obtained a Master in Laws from Columbia University in 1988, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. Before joining Ritch Mueller, he was a foreign associate at Johnson & Gibbs, Dallas, and at Shearman & Sterling in New York. He joined Ritch Mueller in 1990 and has been a partner since then, except for the years 2001 and 2002, when he was the Chief Financial Officer of Vitro.

TTR: To begin, we would like you to give us a brief overview of the course of the first four months of the year in the Mexican M&A market. 

LN: The Mexican market for M&A transactions has been particularly slow for two (2) specific reasons. The first relates to political uncertainty and the lack of visibility in respect of prospects of the Mexican economy. The second, because the aforementioned factors have affected multiples applicable to M&A transactions involving Mexican companies. The good news is that the Fintech market is showing a significant level of activity, given the approval of the new Fintech Law and the fact that the period to obtain licenses under the Fintech Law has commenced. In addition, many Mexican families are showing interest in diversifying holdings and selling stakes, coupled with a different perception of political risk by foreign investors.

TTR:  Year-to-date, the number of transactions in the Internet subsector has increased, compared to last year; what can you tell us in relation to this data? What other sectors do you think will emerge during 2019?

LN: The reality is that generally the technology sectors have shown a substantial level of activity, fueled primarily by dedicated funds with excess liquidity, multiples used in other jurisdictions and the generalized underservice of the Mexican market.

¿Qué otros sectores, cree que, despuntarán a lo largo de 2019? As indicated, the Fintech sector has continued to show dynamism. In addition, the financial services industry has shown signs of further consolidation and there is continued interest in the pharma industry.

TTR:  In relation to the previous question, the majority of investments in the technology sector were from Venture Capital. What place do entrepreneurs and new companies occupy in the country?

LN: Although specific market data is not generally available, this is a sector of special interest, as a result of the new Fintech Law that has provided certainty to the industry, together with the fact that Mexico continues to be underserved from a technology perspective.

TTR:  Meanwhile, according to our records, although Mexico usually allocates a large part of its investments to Latin American countries, it does focus them in the country itself. Why does this unilateral relationship occur? 

LN: Again, this question is difficult to answer without the aid of economic data. However, there has been renewed and ongoing interest by Latin American investors in Mexico, in the Mexican oil and electricity sectors. Real estate and Fintech have shown some dynamism (see the examples of Mercado Libre and Rappi). It seems, however, that the Mexican market is larger, slightly more complex and subject to more competition, and that interesting opportunities remain in existence in several markets in Latin America.

TTR:  Continuing with the same topic, in the medium term, what Latin American countries do you think have the greatest potential to establish new trade links with Mexico and why?

LN: Difficult question to answer and will be dependent upon the desire to diversify, the availability of accretive multiples, competitive financing and the existence of liquidity. Larger Central American groups are likely to continue to look at Mexico as a stable hub, together with Colombia and Peru that are going through stable processes, and of course Brazil with its economic might and better skills to adapt to a large market as Mexico.

TTR:  Apparently, the beginning of the year has not been as economically positive as expected. However, you can see many local businesses in expansion and with the intention of entering new markets. Do you think that this situation could be improved?

LN: It is hard to see significant economic improvement this year, notwithstanding the efforts of private sector groups, because of remaining uncertainties in respect of economic conduction. The end of the year may bring a surprise or two, if the economy remains stable.