Lina Velez
Lina is an associate in the Latin America Projects and Finance group.
She has an overreaching understanding of transactions involving multijurisdictional parties, with a special emphasis in Latin America. Lina has worked in multiple M&A and finance deals related to industries such as banking, consumer services, and oil and gas. She advised clients and worked with counterparties from different countries, such as Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Germany and France.
Lina was recognized by Legal 500 as a “Rising Star” in 2020 and was awarded a merit-based scholarship by NYU.
Background
Lina is fluent in Spanish and English and is licensed to practice law in New York and Colombia. Lina obtained an LL.M. as a Dean's Scholar from NYU in 2014, studied law in Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, and obtained a Finance Law degree from Universidad de los Andes.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Puerto Antioquia Project sponsors in connection with all aspects of the mezzanine financing provided by GIP Caps Antioquia Luxco S.A. R.L. in an amount up to US$130 million, for the development of the project
- Puerto Antioquia Project sponsors in connection with all aspects of the senior secured financing provided by Inter-American Investment Corporation, Inter-American Development Bank and China Co-Financing Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean, up to an aggregate amount of US$200 million and other onshore lenders, up to an aggregate amount of US$193.7 million for the development of the public use maritime terminal located in the Gulf of Urabá, in Colombia (together with the associated dredging works and the construction of a transmission line)
- IFC in connection with a US$200 million A/B financing to Louis Dreyfus to finance a portfolio of soy farmers in Latin America committed to zero deforestation
- IFC on a BRL160 million and US$20 million A/B financing to Usina Santa Adelia for its expansion capacity and energy efficiency investment program in Latin America
- IFC on the US$180 million project financing of the Sal de Vida lithium project in Catamarca, Argentina
- IFC on the US$650 million project financing of the Aconcagua desalination plant and water transportation system in Chile
- Lumibird in the acquisition of Prima Industrie’s high power laser and semiconductor business in Italy an in the United States
- Mercuria Energy Trading and other financing parties on the US$544 million financing to Seacrest Exploração e Produção for its acquisition of the Norte Capixaba cluster in Latin America
- Deutsche Lufthansa AG in the sale of its catering business LSG Group to Aurelius Group
- Engie in the sale of Equans business, a world leader in multi-technical services employing 75,00 people in 17 countries, to the Bouygues group, that allowed a reduction in Net Debt for Engie of about €7.1 billion.
- Biotage AB in the agreement to acquire Astrea Bioseparations a high-growth chromatography solutions provider from Gamma Biosciences, a life sciences tools platform created by KKR
- George Health Enterprises Pty Limited in the sale to Hillhouse, the global investment firm, of its clinical research organization business with operations in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America
- Noatum Holdings in the sale of the entire Noatum Group, a leading multinational group in transport, comprehensive logistics and port operations with presence in 26 countries, by AD Ports Group
- Johnson Matthey in the sale of its health business to Altaris Capital Partners for £325 million
- Bolero.net, leading provider of electronic Bills of Landing (eBL) and digital documentation capabilities to facilitate global trade, in its sale to WiseTech Global
- Deutsche Lufthansa AG in the sale of its catering business LSG Group to Aurelius Group
- SPAC Oxus Acquisition Corp in the agreement to merge with Borealis Foods with operations in Canada and in the US
- PCCW Limited in the sale to Canal+ of a minority stake in Viu, a leading OTT streaming service, for an aggregate amount of US$300 million
Sectors
