Ricardo Martinez | New York | Hogan Lovells

Ricardo Martinez

Partner Corporate & Finance

Languages

English, Spanish, Portuguese

Martinez Ricardo

Ricardo Martinez
Martinez Ricardo
  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Credentials
  • Insights and events
quote mark

'He is a great financing lawyer.'

Client quoted in Chambers Global 2022

Rick Martinez represents lenders and borrowers in complex cross-border finance transactions. Clients seek Rick's guidance on cutting-edge matters and engage him in one-of-a kind assignments.

His practice covers a broad spectrum of contexts, including project finance, acquisition finance, asset based lending, and general working capital facilities, as well as trade, commodity and supply chain finance by means of letters of credit, pre-export credit facilities, and the purchase and sale of trade receivables. Most of these transactions have involved leveraged borrowers and thus have benefited from some form of credit support, whether in the form of a guarantee, letter of credit, derivative, a security interest in pledged property, or additional sponsor or parent company support.

Rick has significant experience advising on doing business in emerging markets. He has closed transactions involving every major Asian and Latin American country, as well as several African jurisdictions, over the course of his career spanning more than 20 years. He was recently ranked Band 1 for Projects: Agency Financing – USA – Nationwide by Chambers & Partners USA, noting his experience with the financing of energy projects for agency lenders in Asia and South America.

Rick commenced his career in the New York office of an international law firm, where he handled capital market transactions and acquisition financings for multinational corporations and financial institutions active in Latin America. Furthermore, Rick is a former Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Citibank NA, where he was one of two in-house attorneys responsible for the bank's trade finance products in North and South America.

In 1992, Rick proudly served as a speechwriter and translator for Costa Rican President and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Oscar Arias.

quote mark

Ricardo Martinez has an impressive record in representing IDB Invest and DFC in Latin American financings, and is also noted for advising commercial lenders – including Asian banks.

Legal 500 Latin America 2023

Representative experience

Represented one of the largest private equity funds and its affiliates on the formation and administration of a global inventory financing program worth $2+ billion and spanning 12+ jurisdictions.

Represented a Dutch international financial institution as administrative agent in a syndicated, delay draw $500m acquisition financing in favor of a major producer of agricultural machinery.

Advised IDB Invest on a US$65.5m loan to Arzyz Metales to finance the construction, equipment, and operation of an aluminum recycling plant in Cienega de Flores, Mexico.

Advised Rabobank on the financing of Kings & Convicts Brewing's acquisition of Ballast Point Brewing Co. and its portfolio of craft beers, breweries, and brewpubs throughout the United States.

Represented IDB Invest in a US$100m loan to finance Gas Natural de Lima y Callao SA's expansion of its distribution network to over 180,000 new, mostly economically disadvantaged users in Peru.

Advised DFC on a US$100m loan to Crédito Real to support small and medium enterprises in Mexico, with a focus on reaching businesses owned or led by women. 

Advised DFC on a US$20m senior debt financing commitment to help create a US$65m financing vehicle to provide energy access to approximately 1.2 million people in rural Kenya.

Represented a major provider of metal packaging for use in consumer goods, aerospace, and other technologies, in the successful closing of a US$110m receivables purchase program.

Advised Banco Santander on a US$110m master receivables factoring agreement with Vitro SAB de CV and certain subsidiaries.

Represented Bank of China's New York Branch in a US$1bn pre-export financing facility, and its amendment and restructuring, for a Brazilian conglomerate.

Represented Société Générale Factoring in its purchase of up to US$1bn in trade receivables from U.S., Canadian, and Mexican subsidiaries of a French automotive parts manufacturer.

Represented OPIC in a US$50m secured term loan facility to a Cayman Islands fund providing trade financing for small and medium-sized commodity exporters in Latin America.

Represented a Dutch international financial institution in its €110m senior secured term loan facility involving a major Latin American multi-brand restaurant operator.

Represented ING Bank NV in a US$100m loan to Argos USA LLC, a subsidiary of a multinational cement and concrete producer in Colombia, the U.S., Central America, and the Caribbean.

Represented a major Asian bank in connection with its participation in a US$1.1bn credit facility in favor of Bunge Limited Finance Corp. and its commercial paper program.

Represented OPIC, IDB, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, and Export Development Canada in the US$591m construction and project financing of an international airport in Quito, Ecuador.*

*Matter handled prior to joining Hogan Lovells.

Credentials

Education
  • J.D., Columbia Law School, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, 1998
  • A.B., Harvard University, magna cum laude, 1994
Bar admissions and qualifications
  • New York
Memberships
  • Co-Chair, American Bar Association's Subcommittee on Letters of Credit (2024)
  • Chairperson, Project Finance Committee, New York City Bar Association (2017-2020)
  • Member, American Bar Association's Subcommittee on Letters of Credit (2015-2017)

Recognition

Projects: Agency Financing (USA), Band 1

Chambers Global

2021-2024
International Firms: Banking and Finance

Legal 500 Latin America

2022-2024
Banking

Who's Who Legal

2020-2022
Finance: Project Finance

Legal 500 US

2019-2020