María Luisa Cánovas

Practice Areas

A former partner at Hogan Lovells and Jones Day, María Luisa Canovas has been ranked for more than a decade as a leading New York lawyer for M&A by, among others, Chambers Latin America (2024), Chambers Global (2024), The Legal 500 Latin America and Latinvex “Top 50 Female Lawyers in Latin America.”Spain’s Expansion Jurídica recently listed her as one of the top Spanish lawyers practicing in the U.S.

Over the course of her career, María Luisa has worked extensively with public companies such as Sanofi, PepsiCo and News Corporation; private equity funds such as Macquarie, Hicks Muse and Playa Hotels & Resorts; and Latin-America based companies such as Betesh International and Cabcorp. Since launching a boutique practice in 2022, María Luisa has continued to work for long-standing clients on cross-border M&A transaction governed under New York law and taught several M&A courses at Columbia Law School. Highlights of last year were her representations of Grupo Hame in the acquisition of Agrokasa (Peru), one of the world's leading producers of avocados, blueberries and asparagus, and Waterlogic/Culligan in the acquisition of a controlling stake in the Mas Pura Group (Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras, Peru, Hong Kong and BVI). María Luisa partners with local counsel when doing deals and brings-in her own attorneys when appropriate.

In addition to advising corporate clients and world-wide teaching assignments, María Luisa has throughout her career been dedicated to pro-bono service and diversity-related matters. At Jones Day she was the partner-in-charge of the NY office Women´s Diversity Group for more than a decade and also a member of the Firm´s Global Women´s Diversity Group. She heads the corporate governance and nominating committee of the Board of the Queen Sophia Spanish Institute and is a member of the Board of the US-Mexico Bar Association and of the Finance Committee of the Brooklyn Public Library.

Career

Canovas Law PLLC • New York, New York

Founder, M&A (June 1, 2022 - Present)

Jones Day • New York, New York

Partner, M&A (July 2013 – June 1, 2022)

Hogan Lovells • New York, New York

Partner, M&A (January 2007 – July 2013)

Associate, M&A (July 2004 – December 2006)

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. • New York, New York

Associate – Business International Practice Group (September 1997 – July 2004)

M&A practice with an emphasis on energy matters and project development transactions, particularly in Latin America

Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue • Dallas, Texas

Associate – Business Practice Group (June 1995 - September 1997)

J. & B. Cremades y Asociados • Spain • France

Associate (1991 – 1994)

Corporate practice with an emphasis on M&A involving European companies, financial institutions and service firms

Professional Memberships

María Luisa Cánovas heads the corporate governance and nominating committee of the Board of the Queen Sophia Spanish Institute and is a member of the Board of the US-Mexico Bar Association and of the Finance Committee of the Brooklyn Public Library.

In addition, she is a member of the New York Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Colegio de Abogados de Madrid.

Publications

● Expansión Jurídica, Article: These Are the Top Spanish Lawyers in New York (January 24, 2023)

● Jones Day, Article: Nationalism in Latin America Threatens Investors (February 1, 2022)

● ICADE, Interview: Interview with ICADE (February 1, 2022)

● Latin Counsel, Interview: Impact of COVID-19 in Law Firms (September 16, 2020)

● Latin Lawyer, Article: Why Are Distressed Latin American Companies Seeking U.S. Insolvency Protection? (co-author, August 25, 2020)

● Abogados (Argentina), Article: Restructuring Options Available to Argentine Companies in the U.S. (co-author (Beccar Varela), August 3, 2020)

● Latinvex, Article: Resource Nationalism in Latin America (February 2022); Article: Latin America M&A’s Fourth Quarter Comeback? (July 15, 2020)

● El Mercurio (Chile), Article: Chapter 11? A Restructuring Alternative For Big Companies (co-author (Morales & Besa), June 28, 2020)

● Expansión (Spain), Article: Top Successful Spanish Professionals in New York (June 8, 2019)

LINKS TO PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE IN LINKEDIN PROFILE

Languages Spoken

Fluent in English and French. Native in Spanish.

Work Highlights

● Grupo Hame acquires Agrokasa (Peru) (Canovas Law PLLC - 2023).

● Waterlogic/Culligan acquires controlling stake in Mas Pura (Central America, Chile, Peru, BVI) (Canovas Law PLLC - 2023).

● Sanofi sells twelve brands to Hypera Pharma in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.

● Solvay sells barium, strontium and sodium percarbonate businesses to Latour Capital in Germany, Spain and Mexico.

● Portobello Capital portfolio company acquires BDS Natural Products in California.

● Sanofi sells pack of OTC brands to Laboratorios Sanfer in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia.

● Sanofi sells pharma manufacturing plants in Venezuela and Colombia.

● Investcorp International acquires Agromillora Catalana in Spain and the U.S.

● INVEX Infraestructura acquires Trafigura Mexico Holding B.V.

● Citibank and BBVA-led syndicate of lenders provide financing to ENAP for expansion of offshore O&G facilities.

● Livsmart acquires controlling interest in largest producer and distributor of natural juices in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Peru.

● Betesh International forms joint venture with Devanlay and Lacoste to distribute and sell Lacoste products in Mexico and sixteen other Latin American countries.

● Grupo Investa acquires RBS Mexico.

● Tiendas Efe acquires La Curacao, the largest home retailer in Peru (Latin Lawyer Deal of the Year 2012).

● Represented the acquisition by La Nación, the Argentine media company, of the leading Hispanic written news and information company in the U.S.

● Represented DirecTV Latin America and Sky Brasil in their merger, in which DirecTV acquired the interests of News Corp and Liberty Media in Sky Brazil; represented Hicks Musse in its joint venture with News Corp and Liberty Media.

● Represented Playa Hotels & Resorts in series of acquisitions of 17 all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Education

Awards