Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) continues to globally expand its transaction advisory capabilities by strengthening its offerings for Latin America. The appointments of Los Angeles-based managing director Fabio Pires and Miami-based managing director Alvaro Araujo bring significant in-market expertise in nearly all countries across the region, including Brazil, Mexico Colombia, Chile and Peru, building on A&M’s commitment to serve clients’ global needs as evidenced by the firm’s recent growth in Europe and Asia.

Additionally, Sergio Aguilar joins the firm as a senior director based in Miami along with David Arrabito, who joins as a senior director based in Los Angeles.

“A&M’s Transaction Advisory Group is a fully global practice with significant bench strength in Latin America and around the world,” said Paul Aversano, a managing director in A&M’s Private Equity Services practice and the Global Practice Leader for the firm’s Transaction Advisory Group. “Fabio, Alvaro, Sergio and David have in-depth, on the ground knowledge of Latin America. Their professional in-country experience extends our world class operational, functional and industry expertise and enhances our ability to help clients create value within this region and across the globe.”

Ernesto Perez, a managing director with A&M Tax and a Global Leader of the firm’s Transaction Advisory Tax practice, said, “Our Latin America Transaction Advisory Group further strengthens our global financial and global tax offerings. Our private equity clients will benefit from the firm’s deep operational expertise in conjunction with Fabio’s, Alvaro’s, Sergio’s and David’s in-depth transaction knowledge.”

Pires brings more than 13 years of transaction experience throughout Latin America and the U.S. He developed a Brazil-based high-growth sell-side practice and led complex cross-border buy-side due diligence engagements on behalf of multinational strategic clients as well as Brazil-based and international private equity firms. Prior to joining A&M, Pires was a partner with EY where he focused on Latin America cross-border transactions while based in EY’s Miami, Los Angeles and São Paulo, Brazil offices.

Pires said, “A&M’s unique business model leverages an integrated due diligence approach and taps into the knowledge of its top operating and transaction advisors, who bring deep in-country and sector expertise, providing a competitive advantage for our clients.”

Araujo has extensive experience advising prominent private equity firms, strategic buyers and multinational corporations on their investments in Latin America. Prior to joining A&M, he served over 10 years as an auditor and member of EY’s Transaction Advisory Services group in New York and Miami where he led financial and accounting due diligence initiatives, including cross-border and cross-functional teams. Araujo also served as lead transactions partner for EY Peru and was responsible for developing a transactions team in-country. Additionally, he has held the role of chief restructuring officer for a manufacturing company in Central America and successfully founded and operated a business process outsourcing entity.

Aguilar specializes in buy-side and sell-side financial due diligence and has vast experience advising on private equity and corporate cross-border transactions for large U.S. and European clients. He has over nine years of experience advising clients on transactions in the U.S. and Latin America, particularly in Colombia. He also has extensive experience in Mexico and in the U.S. planning and executing client audits. Aguilar’s transaction experience in Latin America includes manufacturing, consumer products, utilities, business services, chemicals, healthcare and infrastructure industries.

Arrabito has extensive public accounting and cross-border transaction-related experience. He specializes in buy-side and sell-side financial due diligence and has advised financial and strategic buyers on cross-border acquisitions and divestitures in the U.S., Latin America, Asia, India and Russia. Arrabito’s industry experience in Latin America spans the automotive, consumer products, e-commerce, education, energy, engineering and construction, food and beverage, manufacturing, services and retail sectors. Arrabito has worked extensively in São Paulo.