Clare Montgomery | People | Baker McKenzie

Biography

Clare Montgomery joined Baker McKenzie's Bogota office in 1994 and has been the head of the Companies, Restructures and Investment Practice Group since 2007. Prior to joining the Firm, she worked in a law firm in London from 1992 to 1994. She has been a lecturer for a post-graduate course on international contracts at the Externado University in Bogotá since 2005.

Practice Focus

Clare focuses her practice on corporate and company law, mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations, foreign exchange law, free trade zone and foreign investment. She regularly participates in complex cross-border reorganization and restructuring projects, mergers and acquisitions of multinational and local companies in Colombia, joint ventures and shareholder disputes. She also leads the Company Law and Foreign Exchange group.

Representative Legal Matters

Advised Spectrum Brands, a group of consumer brands with presence in 160 countries, in the process of transferring in Colombia the battery and portable lighting business to Energizer Holdings Inc, a worldwide leader in batteries and other lighting products, within a global transaction. This matter was important and complex as it involved two of the major players in the consumer goods market.
Advising an international private equity house on reorganizing its operations and entities in Colombia, including due diligence, cross-border asset and share transfers, incorporation and liquidation of entities.
Advised Network Management Holdings Ltd. on the Colombian portion of the sale of its telecommunications towers business IN 2017.
Advised a major international oil and gas company on the reorganization of its Colombian assets as part of a global reorganization IN 2017. Advised on and implemented the post-acquisition merger of companies involved in the industrial pumps business in Colombia in 2017.
Advised ICU Medical on the purchase of a medical devices company in Colombia from Pfizer in 2017.
Advised on and implemented a reverse spin of a large industrial company’s operation in Colombia in 2016.
Advised on the post-acquisition integration of two technology companies in their operations in Colombia in 2015.
Advised on and implemented the tax-driven restructure of an energy company’s branch office in Colombia in 2015.
Advised a major US corporation on its purchase of elevator companies in Colombia in 2013. Continues to advise the client on its post-integration restructuring.
Advised a major pharmaceutical company on a cross-border split and reorganization in Colombia and in other LA countries in 2012 and 2013, and on the post-acquisition reorganization of a group of companies it acquired in 2014 and 2016.
Advised a major US corporation providing BPO services on establishing a special free zone in Colombia as a service provider in 2009-2010 and on further extensions to the free zone in 2011 and toward its exit.
Advised on the acquisition of a major Colombian tobacco company in 2011 and on its post-acquisition integration.
Advised Groupe SEB on the acquisition of a Colombian kitchenware company and its post-acquisition restructure and merger in 2011.
Advised a major US company on the Colombian portion of a global restructuring, including sale of assets between Colombian entities in 2011.
Advised on the merger of a multinational computer technology corporation and multinational vendor of computers, computer software and hardware, in Colombia.
Advised a major US entity on the purchase of a Colombian tool company in 2009.
Advised a US entity on restructuring its Colombian entities and obtaining free zone status as a service provider in 2008-2009.
Advised Kulcyck Oil on the sale and restructuring of its Colombian assets in 2000-2009.
Acted as general secretary of a major Colombian oil transportation company, comprising various local and multinational oil companies from 2007 until 2009.
Advising a pharmaceutical company on the sale of its consumer health care division in Colombia in 2007-2008.
Advised TI Group on the sale of its refrigerator division in 2007.
Advised on the sale by BellSouth of its Colombian operation to Telefónica and the pre-sale restructuring in 2004.
Advised on the post-acquisition integration of Haarman & Reimer GmbH and Dragoco Gerberding & Co AG in 2002 and 2003.

Admissions

Colombia (1996)
England & Wales~United Kingdom (1994)

Education

Javeriana University (Colombian attorney qualification, Honors) (1996)
Nottingham Trent University (C.P.E.) (1992)
University College (History) (1985)

Languages

English
Spanish