Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja

Partner
US-Latam Practice Group Regional Co-Leader, Finance
About

Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja serves as US-Latam Practice Group Regional Co-Leader, Finance. She advises financial institutions and corporations on financing and commercial transactions across Latin America.

Margarita has 25 years of extensive experience in project finance matters, particularly in helping major multilateral agencies, commercial financial institutions, sponsors, project companies and ECAs to structure and negotiate complex, multijurisdictional infrastructure and energy transactions. She also advises on a variety of general bank finance, capital markets and corporate transactions, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and outsourcings. Margarita Oliva Sainz de Aja is a partner of DLA Piper US, based in its New York office.

Bar admissionsNew York

EXPERIENCE

    • Represented a Canadian energy company on a bank facility with a major Japanese bank for the development and construction of a battery storage facility in Chile.
    • Represented Desalcott, the Trinidad & Tobago water desalination company, on its existing credit facility with local banks.
    • Represented BBVA (NY branch) on its USD50M synthetic credit facility to GMF Colombia guaranteed by GMF Inc.
    • Represented Finanzauto (Colombia), on its proposed credit facility with DFC.
    • Represented FinDev (Canadian DFI) and Triodos on their first project finance in Latin America consisting of a USD25M facility of a solar plant in the Dominican Republic.
    • Represented FootPrint International, a US corporate in the sustainable packaging business, on its approximately USD300M credit facility with Macquarie and the German ECA EulerHermes as guarantor of payments under the facility.
    • Represented BBVA (NY branch) on the restructuring of a credit agreement with a Uruguayan company on the agricultural sector.
    • Represented Innergex on its US private placement note issuance for the refinance of the acquisition of a portfolio of renewable projects and new developments by Canadian company Innergex.
    • Represented Marubeni on its secured credit facility to a Colombian company in the agricultural sector.
    • Represented Termorichal (a power company in Colombia) on the restructuring and increase of its project finance credit facility.
    • Represented TriplePoint on the coordination of security arrangements in several jurisdictions in Latin America.
    • Represented PROPARCO (French development bank) on the conversion to Peruvian Pesos of a USD20M credit facility for a Peruvian borrower.
    • Represented BBVA (NY branch) on a USD80M secured credit facility to Alpina, a Colombian corporate on the food business.
    • Represented SMBC on its USD100M credit facility to GNL Mejillones, in Chile.
    • Represented Deutsche Bank on a USD90M credit facility to Bolivian development bank Fonplata.
    • Represented Banco Santander as arranger of a loan agreement for Spanish group Sese on the NY law security arrangements over the shares of the US operations and certain contracts.
    • Represented Grupo Cobra on the analysis of bond documentation for a potential change of control in relation to their equity ownership of a power plant in Peru.
    • Represented BIO and Triodos on the restructuring of San Martin hydro project in Central America.
    • Represented BlueElephant on the financing for a solar project with German development bank DEG and Proparco, as lenders.
    • Represented BBVA (Uruguay branch) on first Sustainable Bond in Uruguay with IDB Invest as subscriber.
    • Represented PROPARCO (French development bank) on the conversion to Peruvian Pesos of a USD20M credit facility for a Peruvian borrower.
    • Represented BBVA (NY branch) on a USD80M secured credit facility to Alpina, a Colombian corporate on the agri-food business.
    • Represented SMBC on its USD100M credit facility to GNL Mejillones, in Chile.
    • Represented Deutsche Bank on a USD90M credit facility to Bolivian development bank Fonplata.
Languages
  • English
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • French
  • Italian
Education
  • IESE Business School (Senior Executive Program (SEP) Women in Business Scholarship) (2013)
  • LL.M., Harvard Law School (1995)
    Fullbright Scholar, honorary scholarship from Real Colegio Complutense

  • J.D., Universidad de Granada (1992)

Awards

The Legal 500 Latin America

  • Recommended, Latin America: International Firms Projects and Energy (2023-2024)
  • Recommended, Latin America: International Firms Banking and Finance (2022-2024)

Latin Lawyer 250

  • International Counsel, Banking and Finance (2023) 
  • International Counsel, Project Finance & Infrastructure (2023)
Additional Awards
  • Named among the Top 100 Female Lawyers in Latin America, Latinvex (2013-2024)
  • Women in Business, 100 Top Latinas in the US – Hola USA (2020)
Recent Transactions Recognition:
  • Ergon off-the grid solar project in Peru - Best Latin America Distributed Power Deal of the Year award, IJ Global
  • Ferrocarril Central project in Uruguay - Best Rail PPP Deal of the Year Award, IJ Global 
  • Cajamarca transmission line in Peru - Transmission Line Deal of the Year, IJGlobal and Niche Market Deal of the Year, CFG Media Group
  • San Martin hydro project in Nicaragua - Best Latin America Hydro Deal of the Year, IJGlobal
  • Enersis' $6 billion capital increase – Best Corporate Finance Deal of the Year, Latin Lawyer
  • Etileno XXI ethylene plant in Mexico - Latin America Petrochemical Deal of the Year, PFI Magazine
  • Quiport, airport in Ecuador - Airport Deal of the Year award, Euromoney

Publications

Seminars

  • Moderator, "Latin America, the United States, and Spain in the Global Economy Forum", Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, September 2024

Media Mentions

Memberships And Affiliations

 

  • Chair of Women’s Council – Spain-US Chamber of Commerce, 2021-present
  • Andean Association – Director of the Board, 2016-2019
  • Women in Leadership in Latin America (WILL) – Founder and Chair of the New York Chapter, 2015-2017
  • Spain-US Chamber of Commerce – Chair, Board of Directors, 2009-2010

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