Well-travelled lawyer

What drew you to corporate law?

I was born and raised in Paraguay, which is where I secured my first role as a general commercial lawyer in Asunción. The work wasn’t that specialised, but it was intellectually challenging. I liked the dynamic nature of transactional work, and the way it brings people together to drive a deal forward. The combination of structured analysis, teamwork, and being close to the commercial drivers behind decisions I also found very interesting.

Why the move to New York?

The Paraguayan market is very small. To stand out I knew I needed to do something different. In 2018 I got a place to do a post-graduate degree in law at Harvard. On graduating I knew my experience abroad wasn’t complete, and I didn’t feel ready to return to Paraguay, so I applied to US firms and got a job as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis in the capital markets team. I had no experience in that area, but I was excited for the prospect of living and working in New York and thought my general corporate background would be useful.

I sat the New York State Bar exam, which was tough – both physically and mentally as I was working full-time and studying at the same time. I had no background in common law and the subjects tested in the exam, apart from the classes when I trained in Paraguay, which is a civil law country. A few months after I started working, Covid hit. Capital markets was one of the busiest areas as companies were financing and refinancing trying to stay afloat. The team was stretched thin, working long hours dealing with complex issues, which was equals parts interesting and challenging.

What capital markets transaction stood out in the US?

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings did a simultaneous quad tranche capital raise: a senior secured notes, exchangeable senior notes, common equity and a private placement. Our team worked on all four of these and within a very tight timeframe. I learnt so much, both from a technical perspective and about efficiency in processes, and how to prioritise workstreams. That is hard when you are just starting and don’t fully understand the deal flow.

Why did M&A in London appeal?

I started looking at M&A, which gives greater opportunity for negotiation and finding creative solutions to legal problems. That seemed a better fit for me. I was also ready to leave New York, but I didn’t want to take what felt like a step backwards in my career and go back to Paraguay. I wanted to go to another financial hub, where deals were equally as big and exciting – hence London.

Gibson Dunn really appealed as its transactional team was expanding. In 2022, they had just hired new partners and I was excited by the idea of being part of that growth. The firm puts an emphasis on making sure new recruits truly fit with its culture of cooperation, collaboration, and openness – this weighed heavily when making my decision. I joined in May 2022 and am now a senior associate in the M&A and private equity team. I’m in charge of drafting and negotiating core transaction documents, interfacing with clients and opposing counsel, overseeing legal due diligence processes, and supervising and training junior associates.

What was your most recent deal?

I’ve been busy since returning from maternity leave in July 2025, working on interesting matters, including high-profile transactions in the real estate and technology and AI space, advising on the buy-side and supporting the deal through signing and completion. I was involved in the negotiation of the main transaction documents, managing conversations with the client and seller’s counsel, overseeing the due diligence process and managing workstreams.

What are your future ambitions?

My experiences have made me attentive to cultural nuance, communication styles, and to how decision-making varies across parties and clients in different jurisdictions. That combination has made me the lawyer I am today.

I want to continue growing professionally by strengthening my legal and commercial skillset and doing more business development, while finding a rhythm that works for me. I’m still adjusting to being a working mum and figuring out what a work-life balance looks like in this new stage of my life.