Nick Grabar’s practice focuses on capital markets and securities regulation and on the representation of large reporting companies.

He plays a primary role in the firm’s work for public company clients, including leading U.S. and Latin American businesses, sovereigns, and global investment banks, on their biggest and most complex capital markets and financing matters.

In recent years, Nick has focused on cutting edge developments, and he helps lead our sustainability working group, our digital assets team, and our SPAC practice.

Nick is known for creating durable relationships with his clients—including representing the Mexican government for more than 30 years—and is regarded as one of the premier authorities on SEC disclosure and securities reporting matters.

He has extensive experience in international financings in public and private markets, in U.S. securities law and regulations applicable to foreign issuers, and in the regulation of financial reporting. Nick also has experience in the telecommunications and natural resources sectors, and has advised on acquisitions, joint ventures, privatizations, and debt restructuring.

Nick repeatedly has been recognized for his work on behalf of clients, including by The American Lawyer, Chambers Global, Chambers Latin America, Chambers USA, The Legal 500 Latin America, and IFLR1000, among others. In 2016, Latin Lawyer named Nick its “International Lawyer of the Year,” describing him as “an elite dealmaker with a reputation for assisting on novel financing structures that set precedents for others to follow.”

Nick teaches international securities regulation as an adjunct faculty member at the Columbia Law School. He joined the firm in 1984, became a partner in 1991, and became senior counsel in 2022. From 1985 to 1989, he was resident in the Paris office.

Notable Experience

  • Multiple publicly filed U.S. SPAC IPOs.

  • Artius Acquisition Inc. in its $630 million IPO.

  • Liberty Mutual as regular counsel in its PIPE investments in SPACs.

  • The governments of Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina on international debt matters.

  • Securities law, disclosure, and capital markets matters in connection with major M&A transactions, including Family Dollar/Dollar Tree, Tech Data/Avnet, Tech Data/Apollo, and Kindred/Gentiva.

  • Petrobras in its SEC reporting and financing matters. 

  • Vale on corporate and financing matters.

  • BNDES, the Brazilian development bank, in its green bond and other capital markets transactions.

  • The Mexican government in its successful December 2018 amendment to its Mexico City airport financing.

  • IPOs by non-U.S. issuers, including GMéxico Transportes, Nexa Resources, Netshoes, Cementos Pacasmayo, and others.

  • Pemex on SEC reporting, international financing, and liability management.

  • Numerous companies in meeting their disclosure requirements with the SEC, including U.S. issuers (Family Dollar, Kindred Healthcare, Lowe’s, Tech Data, and Tempur Sealy) and non-U.S. issuers (América Móvil, Copel, Evertec, MercadoLibre, Petrobras, Sony, and Vale).

  • América Móvil in its international financing transactions, groundbreaking offerings of securities, and more than a dozen acquisitions and investments around the world.

  • Tech Data Corp. (Tech Data) in its sale to funds managed by Apollo Global Management Inc. (Apollo).

  • MercadoLibre in multiple transactions, including its $2 billion equity offering.

  • Financial restatements and other financial reporting challenges, including for Petrobras, Tech Data, and Interpublic.

  • Spin-offs, including BHP Billiton’s demerger of South32, and multiple spin-offs for América Móvil.

See More

Selected Activities

trigger
  • Former Member, Board of Directors, Council of the Americas
  • Former Chair, Annual “Global Capital Markets and the U.S. Securities Laws” Program, Practicing Law Institute, 2002-2010

Publications

Potential Litigation Risks Associated with the SEC’s Proposed Rule on Climate-Related Disclosures,” (September 2022)

The SEC Climate Disclosure Proposal – Top Ten Issues for Comment,” (May 2022)

Events