Gabriela Sakamoto

Gabriela Sakamoto is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Washington DC office and a member of the Banking & Finance practice and Latin America & Caribbean and Project Finance groups. Gabriela’s practice focuses on advising commercial banks, multilateral agencies and other financial institutions, as arrangers, lenders and agents, on cross-border project finance, structured finance, capital markets and acquisition financing transactions, particularly in Latin America.

Her Latin American experience is extensive and includes transactions in more than ten countries in the region and across a wide range of sectors, including energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure.

In addition, Gabriela has significant experience with financial institution financing, having represented arrangers, investors and originators on numerous future flow financing transactions (e.g. diversified payment rights, credit card merchant vouchers). Gaby was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and is fluent in Spanish.

Education :

• New York University School of Law, JD
• Columbia University, BA, summa cum laude

Admissions :

• Illinois
• District of Columbia

Experience :

• Represented OPIC in connection with three direct loans totaling US$33.6 million to finance the construction and operation of three solar projects in Panama.
• Represented arranger and lender in connection with a US$42 million refinancing of a geothermal project in Guatemala owned and operated by Ortitlan Limitada.
• Represented OPIC in connection with the US$155 million COPs funded project financing of the 70 MW PV Salvador SpA solar plant in the Atacama region in Chile.
• Represented the initial purchaser in connection with the US$550 million Rule 144A/Reg S secured bond issuance by Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI. S.A., the operator of several airports in the Dominican Republic.
• Represented the arrangers, lenders and letter of credit issuing bank in connection with a US$74.6 million multi-tranche syndicated project financing to Abengoa Transmisión Norte S.A. for the construction of electric transmission lines and related substations in northern Peru.
• Represented the initial purchaser in connection with the US$164.8 million Rule 144A/Regulations S bond refinancing of Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru.
• Represented the arranger and lender in connection with the initial US$100 million loan secured by credit card merchant voucher receivables originated by Banco del Pacifico, S.A. in Ecuador.
• Represented the arranger and lender in connection with a US$75 million loan secured by diversified payment rights originated by Banco G&T Continental S.A.
• Represented the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) in connection with a US$5 million secured loan to Telconet, S.A., an Ecuadorian telecommunications company.
• Represented the arranger, administrative agent and lenders in connection with a US$110 million syndicated, secured credit facility to finance the acquisition by Tapebicua LLC, an Argentine paper company, of Fanapel Celulosa Argentina S.A.
• Represented the administrative agent and lenders in connection with a US$80 million secured credit facility to finance the operations of, and acquisitions by, Estrella International Energy Services Ltd. in Latin America, including Argentina, Chile and Colombia.