Cynthia Urda Kassis > Shearman & Sterling LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

The project development and finance team at Shearman & Sterling LLP is particularly notable for its infrastructure and PPP work for public authorities, with clients including the US Department of Transport, the US Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Practice head Cynthia Urda Kassis has particular expertise in the mining and metals sectors. Paul Epstein has broad expertise encompassing toll roads, rail lines, ports, and airports, as well as projects in the energy sector, and is well-versed in refinancings and concession agreements. He advises on complex and high-value financing issues, with notable support from senior associate Jackson Murley. Gregory Tan and Robert Freedman left the practice in May 2022. All mentioned lawyers are based in New York.

Shearman & Sterling LLP‘s project development and finance team, led by Cynthia Urda Kassis since the departures of Gregory Tan and Robert Freedman in May 2022, provides support across the full life-cycle of projects in wind, solar, hydrogen, and other renewables. Energy innovation practice head Omar Samji is a key contact for hydrogen projects work, and splits his time between New York and Houston, where Gabriel Salinas is particularly noted for his work in green hydrogen. Also recommended is Augusto Ruiloba, who was promoted to partnership in July 2022. All named lawyers are based in New York, except where otherwise noted.

Shearman & Sterling LLP has a longstanding presence in the Latin America market, with its banking and finance practice often leading the way in acquisition finance, export finance, structured finance, corporate lending, and restructurings and refinancing. It represents a range of financial institutions, corporates and private equity funds; clients include Barclays, JP Morgan, BNP Paribas, Banamex and Transelec. The team is largely located in New York with support from its established São Paulo office. Denise Grant leads the bank finance, project development and finance practice, and has a long history in Latin America financings, which includes extensive geographic coverage in the region. Promoted to the partnership in 2022, dual-qualified (New York/Peru) Augusto Ruiloba is another key member of the team and is particularly noted for acquisition financings in the mining, energy and other sectors. Cynthia Urda Kassis is a leading name in metals and mining finance.

Shearman & Sterling LLP has a long history in Latin America energy and infrastructure projects. It continues to be especially active in Chile, where it has worked on a series of major projects (including desalination plants, electric generation, power and renewables projects); more generally, it works extensively throughout the Latin America region – including Central America, Dominican Republic and Argentina. Its wider practice ranges from power and renewables to mining and natural resources, oil and gas, and transport infrastructure projects. The Latin America team has an impressive mix of sponsor/borrower, investor and lender clients, including commercial banks, DFIs and MLAs. Cynthia Urda Kassis is the global leader of the firm’s project development and finance practice, with much of her focus on the Americas in their entirety; she is a recognised authority in the mining and metals sector, along with energy and infrastructure. Dual-qualified (Peru/New York) Augusto Ruiloba was elected to the partnership in June 2022 and has worked on headline deals in Chile, Panama and across the region. Robert O’Leary was promoted to counsel the same month; a fluent Spanish speaker, he is heavily focused on Latin America. Alexandro Padrés  and Gregory Tan left the firm in mid 2022. Since the conclusion of research, the firm has announced its merger with Allen & Overy LLP to form A&O Shearman; the realisation of this combination remains in process and it is not yet possible to gauge its full impact.