Milbank LLP received nine awards at the IFLR Americas Awards 2026, which were held on October 15 in New York City. The awards recognize legal innovation through dealmaking and celebrate work that improves the cross-border investment environment.
Iliana Ongun, co-head of the firm’s Public M&A practice, was inducted into the "North America Dealmakers Hall of Fame" and received the "Best in State Leader – New York" award.
Marcelo Mottesi, chair of the firm's Corporate Finance and Securities group and co-head of Milbank's Latin America practice group, was awarded the "Partner of the Year – High Yield" honor.
As a firm, Milbank was named “International Firm of the Year – Latin America Practice,” underscoring its longstanding strength in complex transactions across Latin America. The firm was also recognized as “Best in State – New York,” emphasizing its leading position in the New York market. Milbank’s market-leading capital markets and finance capabilities were further reflected with wins for “Team of the Year – High Yield” and “Transatlantic Lender Finance Team of the Year.”
In addition, Milbank received two “Deal of the Year” awards:
- "Deal of the Year – High Yield” for advising the initial purchasers on a $725 million notes offering by the Province of Córdoba, one of the standout high yield transactions in the Latin American market.
- "Deal of the Year – M&A" for advising U. S. Steel in its landmark $14.9 billion sale to Nippon Steel Corporation, a historic transaction that drew national attention and established a new playbook for high-stakes deals of national significance.
Milbank's full list of recognitions include:
- “North America Dealmakers Hall of Fame": Iliana Ongun
- "Best in State Leader – New York": Iliana Ongun
- "Partner of the Year – High Yield": Marcelo Mottesi
- "International Firm of the Year – Latin America Practice"
- "Best in State – New York"
- "Team of the Year – High Yield"
- "Transatlantic Lender Finance Team of the Year"
- "Deal of the Year – High Yield" (Province of Córdoba transaction)
- "Deal of the Year – M&A" (U.S. Steel/Nippon Steel)
“These recognitions reflect the strength of our public M&A practice and the trust our clients place in us to navigate their most complex and sensitive transactions,” said Ms. Ongun. “I’m honored to be recognized individually, but even more proud of the teams across our New York and Latin America platforms whose creativity and dedication made these outcomes possible.”
“This recognition is a testament to the sophistocated clients we serve and the cross-border capabilities and superb team that we have built over many years," said Mr. Mottesi. "From landmark Latin America financings to innovative structures in the global capital markets, these awards highlight the depth of our bench and our commitment to delivering market-leading solutions."
The IFLR Americas Awards recognize the region's most legally innovative cross-border transactions, as well as the law firms, in-house teams and individual lawyers who set the benchmark over the past year. The 2026 edition spans more than 150 awards and includes six transatlantic winner-only honors introduced through IFLR's collaboration with The Lawyer.
