About

Number of years practice: 25

Principal practice areas: Cross-border M&A, Financings

Bar admissions: New York, Madrid

Languages spoken: English, French, Portuguese (working knowledge), Spanish (native)

Dual-trained as both an economist and a lawyer, María Luisa Cánovas has 25 years’ corporate law experience. Her diverse practice focuses on cross-border and infrastructure M&A, joint ventures, private equity and financings, and her transactional experience spans the energy, infrastructure, media, and hospitality sectors in the US and Europe as well as Latin America. Her arrival at Jones Day in 2013, following periods at two other international law firms, coincided with the expansion of the firm’s Mexico office and an uptick in her engagement in Mexico-facing matters.

Recent mandates include advising Sanofi in the sale to Laboratorios Sanfer of eye drops Irix in Argentina, the antiseptic Isodine in Mexico and Colombia, and the anti-inflammatory Lonol in Mexico. She participated in the firm’s advice to INVEX Infraestructura 4 on the acquisition of 100 percent of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Trafigura Mexico (which in turn owned 99.99 percent of the issued and outstanding capital stock of PPM Energy). She was subsequently involved in the Grupo Simsa/Invex pipeline project, a matter involving further development of a port and two terminal facilities as well as the acquisition of rights of way for the pipeline. In the hospitality sector she has acted for Playa Hotels on multiple acquisitions, while her media work includes acting for News Corporation on a series of transactions with Mexico’s Grupo Televisa, among others. Her financial services mandates include involvement in Grupo Investa’s acquistion of RBS Mexico.

As well as being New York-qualified, Ms Cánovas is a member of the Madrid Bar Association and the Latin America Council of the New York State Bar Association.

View Maria’s L500 Profile