Charlie Meacham is a trilingual (Spanish and Portuguese) transactional lawyer based in the firm’s Houston office, who was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. For more than 30 years, he has advised corporate clients across a wide range of industries on successfully executing complex cross-border corporate, commercial, and M&A transactions, with an emphasis on Mexico and other Latin American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. He is a partner in the firm’s Transactions Practice.

With a broad knowledge base, Charlie advises clients on the impact on M&A transactions of U.S. and other anti-corruption laws including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act, complying with these laws in various foreign jurisdictions, and maintaining compliance with their corporate governance policies.

Charlie primarily represents U.S.-based clients and European and Asian clients with a U.S. presence, that are seeking to commence or already conduct business operations in Latin America, as well as Latin America-based clients seeking to do business within the United States. His deep knowledge of and experience with Latin American markets, including the evolving regulatory and legal landscape and local customs, and his development of a broad network of trusted relationships with local counsel, allows him to effectively serve as a bridge between clients’ complex business and legal needs and the local business environment.

Specifically, Charlie has extensive experience advising clients at every stage, from entry to exit, within the lifecycle of their corporate presence in Latin America and preparing all related documentation and commercial agreements, as follows:

• Market Entry: Charlie assists clients in successfully establishing a presence and commencing business operations in Latin America in a cost-effective and revenue-maximizing manner by navigating them through complex regulatory environments and advising on how to best structure their businesses based on corporate, tax, governance, antitrust, and local country risk and compliance implications. Based on these implications and primary business objectives, Charlie advises clients on whether they are best positioned to develop, manufacture, distribute and/or sell their goods or services within a specific jurisdiction by forming a new entity, acquiring an already-established local entity, or entering into a joint venture with a local partner.
  • Formation of New Entities: Formation of partially and wholly owned Latin American subsidiaries, as well as related business commencement and ongoing corporate governance and maintenance agreements, functions and operations.
  • Acquisition of Local Entities: Cross-border stock or asset acquisitions of existing Latin American entities when preference is to acquire an already-established local business including advising on local antitrust, foreign investment and labor profit-sharing rules and other regulatory matters.
  • Establishment of Joint Ventures: Creation of majority- or minority-controlled joint ventures to leverage a local partner’s established presence and their unique financial, capital, technological and/or management capabilities and experience.
• Ongoing Operations: Charlie advises clients on various corporate, real estate, labor, profit-sharing, and tax matters related to successfully expanding their operational footprint in Latin America, including purchasing or leasing real or personal property or other commercial goods, procuring local labor services and ensuring optimal employee and union relations, and securing appropriate authorizations from local governmental and customs authorities. Charlie also advises clients on maintaining compliance with their corporate governance policies and anti-corruption laws within foreign jurisdictions.
• Reorganization: Charlie assists clients with restructuring and/or consolidating their operations in Latin America in connection with their overall corporate or international reorganizations or strategy.
• Market Exit: Charlie assists clients seeking to exit from their current business circumstances in Latin America by advising on the sale of their equity interests or assets or the dissolution of their joint ventures or local subsidiaries on favorable terms.

Charlie also advises clients seeking to conduct business in Latin America without establishing a local presence or commencing operations there. Specifically, Charlie has structured and documented various manufacturing, sales agency, affiliation, distribution, royalty, licensing, intracompany services, and other cross-border commercial arrangements that best position clients to capture value on their goods and/or services while also minimizing potential liabilities.

He also advises foreign investors and high-net-worth individuals on acquiring or maximizing the value of their investments in various jurisdictions.