Our Website Uses Cookies
We and the third parties that provide content, functionality, or business services on our website may use cookies to collect information about your browsing activities in order to provide you with more relevant content and promotional materials, on and off the website, and help us understand your interests and improve the website.
For more information, please contact us or consult our Privacy Notice.
Your binder contains too many pages, the maximum is 40.
We are unable to add this page to your binder, please try again later.
This page has been added to your binder.
Sergio Urias is co-chair of the firm's Private Equity Practice Group and a member of the Corporate Practice Group. Sergio represents leading private equity funds and their portfolio companies in a wide range of corporate transactions, including domestic and cross-border (primarily in Latin America) mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, leveraged financings, restructurings, reorganizations, growth equity investments, and other corporate transactional matters. In addition, he negotiates, structures, and executes corporate transactions on behalf of strategic buyers and sellers.
Mr. Urias has extensive industry experience representing clients across a broad spectrum of sectors, including technology, media, telecommunications, consumer products, energy, mining, healthcare, life sciences, food and beverage, software, manufacturing, financial services, agriculture, aerospace, defense, and hospitality. As a result, he can anticipate and address industry-unique issues that often arise in the transaction process and structure the transactions efficiently.
Mr. Urias also has extensive experience advising clients on complex inbound and outbound private equity and M&A transactions in Latin America and is recognized by The Legal 500 among its Private Practice Power list: U.S.-Mexico (2017).
Select Buyouts
- Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc., a leading outdoor advertising company, in its advertising assets exchange with Fairway Media Group LLC.
- Murray Energy Corporation in its acquisition of a Colombian coal mining business from Goldman, Sachs & Co., including two developed surface coal mines, three undeveloped mines, an Atlantic coal port loading facility, interests in an Atlantic railway route and related assets.
- TZP Group in its acquisition of one of the nation’s leading full-service hotel and resort management companies.
- The Gordian Group, a portfolio company of Warburg Pincus, in its acquisition of RSMeans, a web-based construction estimation business from Reed Elsevier Group plc (NYSE: RUK).
- Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe in its acquisition of Alert Logic, the recognized leader in "security-as-a-service" solutions for the cloud.
- Lincolnshire Management in its acquisition of National Pen, a global provider of direct mail promotional products.
- Warburg Pincus in its acquisition of The Gordian Group, a leading construction pricing data and procurement software business.
- Lincolnshire Management in its acquisition of Allison Marine, a marine outfitting, repair and refurbishment company that provides land-based and offshore services to oil and gas operators.
- Apax Partners in its acquisition of Activant Group, Inc., a business software firm in connection with the simultaneous going private acquisition of Epicor Software Corporation.
- Teays River Investment in its acquisition of a large scale grape growing and distribution operation.
- Discovery Global Citizens Capital Partners in its acquisition of Avantel S.A.S., a Colombian mobile carrier.
- Danaher Corporation in its acquisition of Arbor Networks, Inc., a leading provider of network security and management solutions.
- HDT International Holdings, a portfolio company of Metalmark Capital, in its acquisition of Airborne Systems Group Ltd., a maker of parachute systems and related products.
- Lincolnshire Management in its acquisition of Delta Connection Academy, a flight school and Aerosim Technologies, a provider of simulation-based training products and services.
- Vestar Capital Partners in its $1.1 billion acquisition of Radiation Therapy Services, Inc.
- Acted as Mexican counsel to Bain Capital in its $3.0 billion acquisition of a market leader in sensors and controls.
- Acted as Mexican counsel to Bain Capital in its $530 million acquisition of a leading producer of chemical grade phosphates.
- Acted as Mexican counsel to Hitachi Ltd. in its $2.05 billion acquisition of IBM's hard-disk drive business.
Select Sale Transactions
- Prisma Medios de Pago, Argentina’s leading payment processing company, in the sale of a controlling stake to Advent International, in a transaction that values Prisma at $1.42 billion.
- Rede D'Or Sao Luiz, a Brazilian hospital operator, in the sale of equity securities to The Carlyle Group.
- Lincolnshire Management, Inc. in its sale of National Pen Co. LLC, the leading manufacturer and marketer of custom writing instruments for small and medium businesses, to Cimpress N.V. (NASDAQ: CMPR).
- Lincolnshire Management, Inc. in its sale of Aerosim to L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL).
- Warburg Pincus in connection with Sterling Financial Corporation’s $2 billion merger with Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: UMPQ).
- Metalmark Capital in its sale of HDT Global, a leading provider of solutions for government, military, commercial and industrial customers, to Charlesbank Capital Partners.
- Imagina U.S. in its sale of three Spanish-language cable television networks to Hemisphere Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HMTV).
- Teays River Investments, LLC in its sale of Pacific Ridge Farms, a grower, packer and shipper of berries and various vegetables, to Frozsun Foods, Inc.
- Metalmark Capital in its sale of Airborne Systems Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of personnel parachutes, cargo aerial delivery systems, emergency escape systems, and naval decoys.
- Warburg Pincus in its sale of ReSearch Pharmaceuticals Services Inc, a leading global contract research organization (CRO) to KKR & Co. L.P.
- Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe in its sale of Retrievex, a records and information management services provider.
- MediMedia USA, Inc., a portfolio company of Vestar Capital Partners, in its divestiture of MediMedia Animal Health, LLC, a provider of online communications, professional education, and marketing solutions to the veterinary community.
- First Atlantic Capital in its sale of Country Pure Foods, a leading independent producer and distributor of quality premium juices.
- First Atlantic Capital in its divestiture of Precision Gear Holdings LLC, a manufacturer of gears for the aviation market and for the oil, gas, and mining sectors.
Select Equity Investments
- Avantel S.A.S., a Colombian mobile phone operator, in its acquisition of 4G LTE spectrum licenses and equity financing supported by Discovery Capital, Appaloosa Management, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Latin American Development Bank (CAF).
- Ecuador Bottling Company in its joint venture with Arca Continental S.A.B. de C.V. (f/k/a Embotelladoras Arca S.A.B. de C.V.).
- Warburg Pincus in its investment in Reed Construction Data, a leading provider of construction information.
- Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe in its investment in DriveCam, a provider of video-based products used for monitoring driver safety.
- Vestar Capital Partners in its investment in Triton Container International, the world's largest owner-lessor of marine intermodal cargo containers.
- Fontaine Partners in connection with its investments in Intelligent Energy plc, a U.K. privately held, global clean power systems and clean technology company.
- ICV Capital Partners in its investment in The PFM Group, a financial and investment advisor to state governments, local governments, and nonprofits.
- CVC Capital Partners in its purchase of 50% of the equity interests of Pilot Travel Centers LLC, a travel center owner and operator.
- OrbiMed Advisors in its investment in Gelesis Inc., a developer of obesity therapeutics.
Select Recapitalization Transactions
- Archstone in its out-of-court restructuring of $5.2 billion of its outstanding debt.
- Colorbök, Inc., in its 2009 equity and debt recapitalization.
- Acted as Mexican counsel to the International Finance Corporation in a U.S. $90 million secured debt restructuring.
Select Financing Transactions
- $140 million secured facility for Avantel S.A.S., from the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) in connection with the deployment of a 4G LTE wireless and fiber-optic broadband network in Colombia.
- $200 million secured facility for General Motors de México, S.A. de C.V. in connection with expansion of production plants.
- $110 million senior secured loan for Navistar Financial Corporation's Mexican subsidiaries.
Select Private Funds
- Kinderhook Capital in the formation of a private equity fund.
- Summit Partners in the formation of a private equity fund and a subordinated debt fund.
March 2021
As the legal, regulatory, and commercial implications of coronavirus COVID-19 continue to evolve, our lawyers and advisors are helping clients navigate the complex considerations that companies around the world are facing and develop plans and strategies in response. Reach out to our COVID-19 task force at COVID19@cov.com. Below is a compendium of resources ...
January 28, 2021
NEW YORK—Covington advised on the Deal of the Year winner in the Private Equity category at the LatinFinance 2020 Deals of the Year Awards. Covington represented Abertis Infraestructuras, S.A., a Spanish toll road company, in its equity arrangement in connection with its joint acquisition with GIC Special Investment Pte. Ltd. of a controlling stake in Red de ...
January 14, 2021
NEW YORK—Latinvex has included Covington among its 2020 Top Latin America M&A Advisors. Within the rankings, Covington had the most M&A deals among firms that do not have offices in Latin America. Covington’s Latin America practice draws on a dedicated team of lawyers and advisors who are experienced in dealing with local legal institutions and business ...
October 30, 2020
WASHINGTON—Covington represented GovernmentCIO, LLC, a leading provider of high-end technology and digital solutions to the Federal Health IT Services market, in its sale to Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. GovCIO is a rapidly growing provider of advanced technology solutions and digital services to the federal government. In the 10 years since its founding, ...
April 27, 2020, Covington Alert
COVID-19's march across the globe arrived in Latin America on February 25 in Brazil, coming roughly a month after Europe and the United States. High inequality and variable medical capacity across the region are driving governments to rely heavily on social distancing and business restrictions to slow and prevent the spread of the virus. As a result of this ...
April 15, 2020, The Deal
Sergio Urias and Amy Wollensack are quoted in The Deal regarding the rapidly moving economy’s effect on private equity firms to complete M&A activities and capital investments, as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Mr. Urias says, “I don’t think we’ve ever been called by our private equity clients to react so quickly to daily — and in some cases hourly — changes in ...
April 1, 2020, Covington Alert
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act opens up new Small Business Administration (SBA) loan opportunities to support many companies and nonprofit organizations with 500 or fewer employees.
March 27, 2020, Covington Alert
While Board duties remain unchanged in a crisis situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of a board of directors continues to be one of oversight, the disruption and dislocation resulting from the pandemic warrants greater and more frequent coordination between boards of directors and management teams which have responsibility for day-to-day ...
March 23, 2020
NEW YORK—The American Lawyer has named Covington lawyers Sergio Urías and Laura Torre as “Dealmakers of the Year.” The annual feature highlights “the most impressive and significant matters that deal lawyers worked on in 2019.” Shareholders of Covington’s client Prisma Medios de Pago, Argentina’s largest payment processing company, were mandated by the antitrust ...
February 5, 2020
WASHINGTON—Kimberly Breier, the U.S. Department of State’s former top diplomat for Latin America, has joined Covington as a senior advisor. Ms. Breier most recently served as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, the United States’ top diplomat for the Western Hemisphere. She led the State Department’s policy formation, oversaw U.S. ...
July 22, 2019
NEW YORK—Covington advised Bayer in a definitive agreement to sell the Dr. Scholl’s™ business to Yellow Wood Partners for a purchase price of $585 million. Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the ...
May 29, 2019, The Deal
Amy Wollensack and Sergio Urias are quoted in The Deal regarding middle market carve-outs. Ms. Wollensack says, “In the past, middle market firms haven't had the operational capacity to be able to create a free-standing business," Wollensack said. "But as private equity firms expand their operational capacities -- in many cases by adding operating partners -- ...
PE Firms Finding New Partners As Club Deals Climb
March 13, 2019, Law360
Sergio Urias and Amy Wollensack are quoted in Law360 regarding the increase in private equity firms partnering with sovereign wealth funds and pension funds in club deals. Mr. Urias says, “You spend a lot of time talking about and negotiating exit provisions — when do you go public? Can you sell down? What happens to your governance rights when you start to ...
Covington Advises Argentinian Payments Company on Sale with Enterprise Value of $1.42B
January 22, 2019
NEW YORK—Covington advised Prisma Medios de Pago, Argentina’s leading payments company, in the sale of a controlling stake to Advent International. Prisma’s existing shareholders will retain a 49% stake in the company. The transaction values 100 percent of Prisma at $1.42 billion. Prisma is an Argentinian company established in 2014 through the merger of Visa ...
December 5, 2018, Covington Alert
Earlier this year Congress passed and President Trump signed the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (“FIRRMA”), transformational legislation reforming the operations of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”).
November 2, 2018, Latin Lawyer
Sergio Urias participated in the “Latin Lawyer Live 9th Annual Private Equity Conference,” where he discussed regulatory and corporate issues, and is quoted in Latin Lawyer. Commenting on FIRRMA, Mr. Urias says, “This results in the most complex investment trade and transactional environment in many years and it won’t go away.” Although he thought FIRRMA will ...
Private Equity Team Joins Covington
May 22, 2018
NEW YORK—Amy Wollensack and Sergio Urias have joined Covington in New York as co-chairs of its Private Equity practice. Ms. Wollensack and Mr. Urias represent private equity sponsors in the acquisition and disposition of portfolio companies and investments across a wide range of industries. Mr. Urias, who practiced in Mexico before practicing in New York, also ...
May 22, 2018, Law360
Scott Smith, Amy Wollensack, and Sergio Urias are quoted in a Law360 article regarding Wollensack and Urias' arrival to Covington, where they will serve as co-chairs of the firm's Private Equity practice. According to Smith, the pair have strong reputations in the private equity community. "They bring the needed leadership for the future growth of our private ...
Covington taps two to co-chair private equity practice
May 22, 2018, PE Hub
PE Hub highlights the arrival of Amy Wollensack and Sergio Urias to Covington, where they will serve as co-chairs of the firm's Private Equity practice.
May 22, 2018, The New York Law Journal
Amy Wollensack and Sergio Urias are quoted by The New York Law Journal in an article regarding their move to Covington where they will serve as co-chairs of the firm's Private Equity practice. “When someone calls you and says, ‘We have an opportunity for you to co-chair a practice group,’ particularly at a firm like Covington, where the practice is stellar,” ...
- The American Lawyer, "Dealmakers of the Year" (2020)
- The Legal 500, Private Practice Power list: US-Mexico (2017)
- M&A Advisor, “40 under 40” (2015)
- Recognized by Latino Leaders as one of the 25 “Young Latino Leaders in New York” (2011)