Ms Gabriela Sakamoto > Mayer Brown > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

Mayer Brown remains noted for project bonds and conventional project finance. It has achieved further growth in renewables and LNG, and continues to be heavily involved in infrastructure and PPP projects. In particular, the Latin America practice has impressed in toll road, metro and mass transit project financings in Peru, Panama, Colombia, Chile, Brazil and elsewhere. The team has also landed a series of engagements in smaller markets such as Uruguay, Paraguay and El Salvador. A growing portion of the practice group’s caseload now involves ESG and sustainability-linked financings. The firm has longstanding connections to banks and financial institutions, although the Latin America team is building links to sponsors, borrowers and issuers of project bonds. Washington DC and New York-based ‘essential lawyer‘ Christopher Erckert leads the project bonds and Latin America projects practice and is prominent in financings driven by commercial banks, DFIs and project bonds. Chicago’s Douglas Doetsch heads the Latin America group and is an established figure in project finance. Washington DC partners Gabriela Sakamoto, who was born in Argentina, and Juan Pablo Moreno are also key Latin America project finance specialists.

Mayer Brown‘s deep finance credentials and its extensive commitment to Latin America continues to pay dividends. It has broad capabilities across products, structures and geographies, and is particularly noted for specific niches such as future-flow securitisations and other structured finance transactions. The firm is also at the forefront of energy and infrastructure financings, along with additional growth in emerging segments such as fintech and private credit. It further benefits from an established team in Mexico City and its association with Tauil & Chequer Advogados in Brazil. Significantly, its impressive client base features an array of big-name international banks and DFIs. Chicago-based Douglas Doetsch heads the Latin America team and has an extensive record in infrastructure financings, structured credit and securitisations. New York partner David Duffee is co-head of the global lending group and has a fine record in Latin America acquisition financings and syndicated lending; this includes facilities for deals involving Latin American entities acquiring assets and businesses in the US and elsewhere. Washington DC’s Gabriela Sakamoto was born in Argentina and specialises in Latin America-related acquisition, project and structured finance. Chicago partner Juan Pablo Moreno is another pillar of the practice and has strong links to key banks. Mexico City’s Raúl Fernández-Briseño is also highly regarded. Francisco García-Naranjo González joined the Mexico City office from White & Case LLP in July 2021.