Overview
Vera’s practice concentrates on the development, financing, acquisition and disposition of energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure facilities and tax structuring for energy acquisitions and international project development. She has worked on energy, infrastructure and related projects in the U.S. and throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. She has also advised commercial and multilateral lenders on a variety of structured and corporate finance transactions.
Her work in the area of international energy transactions has included advising U.S. energy companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions, cross-border acquisitions, joint venture tax-planning, equipment sale and leasing transactions, and the development and financing of energy projects and acquisitions. In addition, Vera has assisted governments in a number of Latin American countries with the privatization of their energy industries and the restructuring of their energy regulatory frameworks. She has also advised clients, including state owned Chinese companies in the acquisition of upstream oil and gas assets throughout Latin America and Africa.
Vera has also represented private developers, manufacturers and suppliers in a variety of international commercial transactions, including acting as counsel in connection with major hotel acquisitions and management agreements in the Caribbean, and representing suppliers in the establishment of distribution and licensing arrangements under foreign investment laws in various Latin American countries.
Accolades
Honors & Recognitions
- Recognized in the International category of Latin Lawyer 250, 2021, 2023-2025
- Named among Latin America’s Top 100 Lawyers for Banking and Finance and Project Finance, Latinvex (2014-2020)
- Selected as one of Latin America’s Top 100 Female Lawyers, Latinvex (2016-2024)
- Selected as one of Latin America’s Top 50 Female Lawyers, Latinvex (2015-2021)
- Recommended for Energy Transactions: Conventional Power (2017-2018, 2020-2021), Project Finance (2016-2019, 2023), Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power (2014-2016) and M&A: Middle Market (2014-2015), Legal 500 United States
- Recognized as a Washington, DC Super Lawyer in International Law, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters (published in Washington Lawyer magazine) (2014-2019)
- Selected as “Energy M&A Attorney of the Year in Washington, DC,” Corporate Intl Magazine (2014)
- Recognized as a Leader in Banking & Finance in Latin America (2012-2024), Banking & Finance in the USA (2016-2019) and Projects in Latin America (2017-2018) and the USA (2013-2019), Chambers Global
- Profiled as one of the leading Banking and Finance (2012-2025) and Projects (2013-2018) lawyers in Latin America, Chambers & Partners Latin America: Latin America’s Leading Business Lawyers
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Profiled as one of the leading Banking & Finance (2013-2014; 2018-2024) and Projects & Energy (2013-2024) international lawyers in Latin America, The Legal 500 Latin America
Affiliations
Professional
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Inter/American Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- American Society for International Law
Insights
Events & Speaking Engagements
Publications
News
Education
JD, The George Washington University Law School, 1985
BSFS, Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service, 1979
Admissions
District of Columbia
Maryland
Languages
- French
- German
- Spanish
Areas of Focus
- Banking and Finance
- Lending Services
- Energy
- Energy and Infrastructure
- Energy M&A
- Oil, Gas and LNG
- Project Finance and Development
- Renewable Energy and Clean Power
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Biomass
- Geothermal
- Hydro
- International Renewable Energy and Clean Power
- Solar
- Wind
- Energy Finance and Securitization
- Structured Finance and Securitization
- Africa
- Asia Pacific
- Latin America
- Sustainability and Corporate Clean Power
- Agency Finance
- Financial Services
- Hospitality