María Luisa Cánovas has more than 20 years of experience in a diverse corporate practice focused on cross-border M&A, infrastructure M&A, joint ventures, private equity, and financings. She has worked on transactions in the energy, infrastructure, media, and hospitality sectors, representing clients in the United States, Latin America, and Europe.
María Luisa has worked on substantial matters with public companies such as Sanofi, PepsiCo, and News Corporation; private equity funds such as Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst, and Playa Hotels & Resorts; and Latin American-based companies such as Betesh International and Livsmart Américas. She routinely negotiates matters in Spanish, Portuguese, and French and drafts agreements in English governed by New York law.
Prior to joining Jones Day, María Luisa's representative experience included advising News Corporation in a series of complex transactions with DirecTV, Globo, Grupo Televisa, and Liberty Media in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia.
María Luisa is a regular speaker at international legal conferences and a frequent author on articles on cross-border M&A. She is a member of the Madrid Bar Association and the Latin America Council of the New York State Bar Association.
María Luisa serves as the chair for the Women’s Initiative and We LEAD immigration programs of Jones Day’s New York Office. She is also a member of the Firm’s Diversity Committee.
Experience
Sanofi sells Genfar Colombian pharmaceutical manufacturing plant to The Fareva Group
Jones Day advised Sanofi in its sale of the Genfar Colombian pharmaceutical manufacturing plant to The Fareva Group.
The Bank of Nova Scotia provides $80 million financing to ENAP for expansion of offshore O&G facilities
Jones Day advised The Bank of Nova Scotia in connection with a US$80 million multi-draw term loan financing to ENAP Sipetrol Argentina S.A., a subsidiary of the Chilean state-owned company Empresa Nacional del Petróleo, a leading vertically integrated oil and gas E&P company in Latin America and the guarantor of the borrower's obligations under the loan facility.
Investcorp International acquires Agromillora Catalana
Jones Day advised Investcorp International Ltd. in its acquisition of a majority stake in Agromillora Catalana, S.A., parent holding company of an international group engaged in the production, propagation, and genetic development of woody trees species and rootstocks for agricultural use, from Nazca.
INVEX Infraestructura acquires Trafigura Mexico Holding B.V.
Jones Day is advising INVEX Infraestructura 4, S.A.P.I. de C.V. in the acquisition of 100 percent of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Trafigura Mexico Holding B.V., which in turn owns 99.99 percent of the issued and outstanding capital stock of PPM Energy, S.A.P.I. de C.V.
Spanish engineering companies issue repackaged notes from PDVSA
Jones Day advised Spanish engineering companies in connection with the issuance of repackaged notes from Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).
Citibank and BBVA-led syndicate of lenders provide $150 million financing to ENAP for expansion of offshore O&G facilities
Jones Day advised Citibank N.A. and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) and certain of their respective affiliates as co-lead arrangers and as lenders in connection with a US$150 million multi-draw term loan financing to ENAP Sipetrol Argentina S.A., a subsidiary of the Chilean state-owned company Empresa Nacional del Petróleo, a leading vertically integrated oil and gas E&P company in Latin America and the guarantor of the borrower's obligations under the loan facility.
Livsmart acquires controlling interest in largest producer and distributor of fruit juices not-from-concentrate in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru
Jones Day advised Livsmart Americas, S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary of Central American Bottling Corporation, in the acquisition, through Livsmart Holdings S.A. (a Panamanian company) and Brookville, S.L. (a special-purpose Spanish company) of a controlling interest in El Carmen, S.A., the largest producer and distributor of fruit juices not-from-concentrate in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru through their Citric brand.
Leading international group forms joint venture with Devanlay and Lacoste to distribute and sell Lacoste products in Mexico and sixteen other Latin American countries
Jones Day represented a leading international group in its joint venture with Devanlay S.A. and Lacoste Holdings, S.A.S. in connection with the distribution and sale of Lacoste products in Mexico and sixteen other Latin American countries.
Grupo Investa acquires RBS Mexico
Jones Day advised Grupo Investa, S.A.P.I. de C.V. in the acquisition of RBS Mexico.
The following represents experience acquired prior to joining Jones Day.
Handled the acquisition by Tiendas Efe, a consortium formed by Linzor Capital Partners and Grupo Wiese, of La Curaçao, the largest home appliance retailer in Peru, which was named "Private Equity Deal of the Year 2012" by Latin Lawyer.
Represented DirecTV Latin America and Sky Brasil in their merger, in which DirecTV acquired the interests of News Corporation and Liberty Media in Sky Brasil.
Represented Fox International in a strategic acquisition of a content provider in Colombia.
Handled the disposition by a large hospitality group of three hotels in the United States.
Handled the acquisition by a publicly traded Spanish company of a group of companies in Israel and the United States in the water treatment industry sector.
Handled the acquisition by a subsidiary of S.A. La Nacion, the Argentine media company, of Impremedia, the leading Hispanic news and information company in the United States.
Additional Publications
- March 19, 2018Interview with Lara Valencia, LexLatin
Speaking Engagements
- June 5, 2018"Retos y Avances de la Diversidad de Género como Factor de Desarrollo Económico", speaker, Jones Day Client Event
- May 23, 2018Legal Overview of a Cross-Border M&A Transaction, speaker, Seminario Máster Acceso Abogacía, Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE) Madrid, Spain
- March 15, 2018The Impact of Protectionism in M&A Transations, speaker, Biennial IBA Latin American Regional Forum Conference
- March 16, 2017Financing Investments and M&A in Latin America, speaker, IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in Latin America Conference
- March 12, 2015Development of private equity in Latin America, speaker, IBA Mergers and Acquisitions in Latin America Conference
- March 11, 2015Women in the Profession Conference, WIP leader, Vance Center for International Justice
- March 12, 20142014 Biennal IBA Latin American Regional Forum Young Lawyer's Training Programme, speaker, Universidad de Montevideo (UM)
- Southern Methodist University (LL.M. 1996); Tufts University (M.A. 1995; Fulbright Scholar); Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (Economics Degree 1992; Erasmus Scholar; Law Degree 1991)
- New York and Madrid
Ranked in Chambers Latin America: Latin America's Leading Lawyers for Business for corporate/M&A (2016-2018)
Chambers Global: "Leaders in their Field" for corporate/M&A, Latin America-wide (2018)
Ranked in Legal 500 as a leading lawyer and as a leading U.S. lawyer with Mexico focus (2016-2018)
"Top 50 Female Lawyers in Latin America," Latinvex (2012-2018)
"Private Equity Deal of the Year 2012," Latin Lawyer
- French and Spanish