Beccar Varela received the Latin Lawyer Deal of the Year Award in Project Finance: Energy and Natural Resources for the Vaca Muerta Sur (VMOS) financing
PRESS RELEASE
Beccar Varela recibió el premio Latin Lawyer Deal of the Year en Project Finance: Energy and Natural Resources por el financiamiento de Vaca Muerta Sur (VMOS)
• La firma asesoró a 19 bancos e inversores institucionales en el financiamiento sindicado por USD 2.000 millones para el proyecto Vaca Muerta Oil Sur (VMOS).
• La firma también recibió el premio Diversity Initiative of the Year por su participación en el Protocolo para la Contratación de Personas con Discapacidad.
• Los premios fueron entregados durante la 20° edición anual de los Latin Lawyer Awards, realizada en São Paulo.
Buenos Aires, May 8, 2026 — Beccar Varela was recognized at the 2026 Latin Lawyer Awards with the Deal of the Year Award in the Project Finance: Energy and Natural Resources category for its role in the US$2 billion syndicated financing for the development of the Vaca Muerta Sur (VMOS) project. In addition, the firm, together with other law firms and legal departments, received the Diversity Initiative of the Year Award for its participation in the Protocol for the Hiring of People with Disabilities, an initiative promoted by the Pro Bono Commission of the Buenos Aires City Bar Association.
The awards were presented on May 7 in São Paulo during the charity gala of the 20th annual Latin Lawyer Awards, which brought together more than 270 lawyers and leading figures from the Latin American legal market.
The Latin Lawyer Deal of the Year Award in the Project Finance: Energy and Natural Resources category was granted to the US$2 billion syndicated financing for the Vaca Muerta Oil Sur (VMOS) project, one of the most significant transactions in Argentina’s energy sector in recent decades. The financing was aimed at developing key infrastructure for the transportation and export of oil from the Neuquén Basin. In this transaction, Beccar Varela advised the lenders, a group comprising 19 leading international banks and institutional investors. The team was led by partner Ricardo Castañeda and included partners Lucía Degano, Pedro Silvestri and Gonzalo Ochoa. The lenders also received international legal counsel from Milbank.
“This award recognizes the scale and complexity of the VMOS financing, as well as the collaborative efforts of all parties involved. The transaction represents a milestone for project finance in Argentina and showed the importance of teamwork for the completion of a deal of this magnitude”, said Ricardo Castañeda, partner at Beccar Varela, who led the team advising the lenders in the transaction.
Meanwhile, the Latin Lawyer Diversity Initiative of the Year Award recognized the collective work behind the Protocol for the Hiring of People with Disabilities, developed together with other law firms and corporate legal departments as a tool aimed at promoting more inclusive hiring practices within the Argentine legal market.
Felipe Videla, partner at Beccar Varela and member of the team involved in developing the protocol, noted: “For our firm, being part of this initiative from the very beginning was highly meaningful, as it is fully aligned with our purpose and organizational DNA. The protocol reflects a technical and collaborative effort aimed at providing practical tools to promote more inclusive hiring processes and more diverse work environments, while fostering a broader perspective on inclusion within the legal sector.”
Representing Beccar Varela at this year’s Latin Lawyer Awards, which raised funds for Instituto Pro Bono Brasil, Fundación Barra Mexicana and Red Pro Bono de las Américas, were managing partner Maximiliano D’Auro, partners Ricardo Castañeda and Felipe Videla, and senior associate Delfina Carregal.
About the Latin Lawyer Awards
The Latin Lawyer Awards annually celebrate leading legal transactions, individual accomplishments and initiatives that set benchmarks for best practice in the Latin American legal industry.
