Overview
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 Global Projects 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.
Areas of Focus
Industries
Spoken Languages
- English
- Spanish
- French
Experience
Project Finance
Financial Institution Financing
- 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 arrangers, placement agents and investors, in connection with three separate issuances of notes and loans totaling US$500 million secured by diversified payment rights originated by Banco Industrial, S.A.
- Represented the arranger and lenders, including FMO, in connection with US$150 million in loans secured by diversified payments rights originated by Banco Davivienda Salvadoreño.
- 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 originator, servicer, arrangers, placement agent, and initial purchasers in connection with three Rule 144A/Reg S note issuances totaling over US$550 million secured by diversified payment rights originated by Banco de Credito de Peru, S.A.
- Represented originator, servicer, arranger and placement agent in connection with the initial US$121 million issuance of Reg S floating rate notes secured by diversified payment right originated by Internacional del Perú S.A.A. (Interbank).
- Represented the arranger and initial purchaser in connection with the initial US$175 million issuance of Rule 144A/Reg S fixed and floating rate notes secured by diversified payments rights originated by Scotiabank Peru S.A.A.
- Represented arranger and initial purchaser in connection with the exchange of US$394.3 million Rule 144A/Reg S floating rate notes secured by diversified payment rights originated by Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi T.A.O. (Vakifbank).
- Represented BRAC, a Bangladeshi bank focused on small and medium enterprises, in connection with a US$62 million syndicated credit facility, the proceeds of which were intended to support BRAC’s microfinance operations in Tanzania, Uganda and Southern Sudan.
- Represented initial purchaser in connection with the issuance of US$175 million of subordinated Tier II debt by First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
Other Lending Transactions
- Represented the arrangers, lenders and administrative agent in connection with a $223 million loan to finance the acquisition by Promerica Financial Corporation of Citibank’s Guatemalan banking operations and secured by assets in Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.
- 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 Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF), as lender, and Rabobank, as participant, collateral agent and account bank, in connection with the US$100 million A/B Loan pre-export financing to Aceitera General Deheza S.A., an Argentine agribusiness 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$220 million secured credit facility to finance the operations of, and acquisitions by, Tuscany International Drilling Ltd. in Latin America and Africa.
- 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.
Perspectives
Events
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October 292020
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January 152020
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October 032019
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October 032017
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October 182016
News
Education
New York University School of Law, JD
Columbia University, BA, summa cum laude
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Illinois