Melissa Raciti-Knapp > Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Melissa Raciti-Knapp

+1 212 277 4035 melissa.raciti@freshfields.com View profile

Position

Partner

Career

New York-based Melissa is co-head of the firm’s Latin America practice and head of our US energy and infrastructure group.

Melissa assists commercial banks, export credit agencies, multilaterals and other financial institutions as well as borrowers on a wide variety of financing, such as corporate, project financings, private placements, first- and second-lien financings and sovereign lending. Her sector experience includes power (both conventional and renewable), mining, oil and gas, water treatment, telecoms and other infrastructure.

While Melissa has significant experience in US matters, her expertise is focused on Latin American countries. These draw upon her language skills and ability to bridge cultural differences. Alongside local counsel, she and her team routinely negotiate and draft in Spanish and Portuguese.

All this experience, combined with knowing how the same issues are addressed in different contexts, allows Melissa to come up with thoughtful, constructive solutions – even in the most contentious and complex situations.

Education

• JD, Columbia University School of Law, Harlan Fiske Stone scholar, senior editor of the Columbia Law Review.
• BA, magna cum laude, Columbia College, Phi Beta Kappa.
• Admitted to practice in the State of New York.