Nicholson y Cano is celebrating its 50th anniversary, a milestone that finds the firm firmly established as one of Argentina’s leading full-service law firms, with 145 lawyers, 35 partners, a practice consistently recognized by top international legal rankings, and participation in many of the most significant transactions across industries.
Founded in 1976 by Juan Antonio Nicholson, the firm began as a family-oriented practice focused on corporate legal advisory work, primarily serving regulated industries such as the sugar, insurance, and banking sectors.
During the 1990s, under the leadership of Santiago Nicholson, Juan Antonio’s son and the firm’s Managing Partner, Nicholson y Cano expanded its capabilities by establishing a Capital Markets practice and, in 1994, developing a specialized Pension Funds practice.
Over time, the firm continued to broaden and strengthen its expertise across multiple areas. In the early 2000s, it consolidated its Litigation Department through the addition of new partners. In 2005, it launched its Environmental Law and Real Estate practices, completing its transformation into a comprehensive full-service law firm.
In 2012, Nicholson y Cano merged with Cárdenas, a strategic integration that expanded its practice offerings, added prominent specialists, and helped create one of the country’s most significant corporate legal platforms.
Further growth followed in 2016 with the addition of specialists in Corporate Law and Infrastructure, as well as the later development of practices focused on Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Export Credit Agencies (ECAs). The firm also expanded its services through the creation of its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practice, strengthening its ability to advise clients operating in increasingly complex and globalized markets.
A Growing Platform
Nicholson y Cano’s evolution is reflected not only in its practice areas but also in the growth of its professional structure. From 15 lawyers in 1990, the firm expanded to 40 professionals in 2000, 80 in 2010, and more than 145 today, steadily broadening both its expertise and industry coverage.
The firm’s growth has also been driven by a long-standing commitment to developing talent from within. Many of its lawyers have built their entire professional careers at Nicholson y Cano, progressing through the ranks to become partners.
Today, the firm boasts more than 20 practice areas and advises leading companies across sectors including energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, agribusiness, finance, insurance, technology, construction, and manufacturing, among others. This broad industry reach has enabled the firm to participate in some of Argentina’s most significant transactions.
Notable matters include advising on the US$1.24 billion Chevron-YPF agreement in 2013, as well as advising Golar LNG on Argentina’s first offshore LNG transaction for the export of natural gas in 2025, a project valued at more than US$15 billion.
“It is a great source of satisfaction to reach this half-century milestone and witness the firm’s continuous growth,” said Santiago Nicholson, Managing Partner of Nicholson y Cano. “Today, our commitment remains unchanged: to provide outstanding legal counsel, guided by a strategic business perspective and a strong dedication to supporting our clients as they navigate the challenges of an increasingly dynamic and complex environment.”
