Lisa A. Alfaro

Partner

Lisa A. Alfaro is a partner in the White Collar Defense and Investigations Group and the Power and Renewables Group.

For more than 25 years, Ms. Alfaro has advised U.S. and multi-national companies on their most significant and critical matters, including corporate transactions, corporate compliance and investigations.  Ms. Alfaro represents developers, investment banks, private funds, Fortune 100 companies, state owned entities and investors in the U.S. and Brazil.  Throughout her career, Ms. Alfaro has advised clients in milestone cross-border transactions, coordinating and supervising multi-jurisdictional cross disciplinary teams in complex transactions.

Ms. Alfaro leverages her corporate experience in the planning and implementation of internal corporate investigations, advising on the structuring, implementation and assessment of compliance management systems and representing companies before U.S. authorities.  She guides compliance officers, senior executives, legal officers and board members in analyzing and managing risk in their business operations and provides day to day counsel on strategic matters.  Ms. Alfaro advises boards of directors and executive officers on crisis management, counseling them on critical challenges to the company, balancing various stakeholders’ interests and expectations.

Ms. Alfaro regularly speaks on corporate, compliance and anti-corruption topics.  She has appeared in webcasts speaking on the topic of Anti-Corruption Enforcement and Compliance.

Ms. Alfaro is recognized as a leading lawyer for Corporate and M&A by The Best Lawyers in Brazil.  She is listed as one of the “Top 100 Female Lawyers” in the area of Latin America Energy and FCPA & Fraud for 2019 and 2018 by Latinvex, which also named her to the Latin America “Top 50 Female Lawyers” list for 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.  In addition, Ms. Alfaro was selected among the "Inspiring Women in Law" by Latin Lawyer.

Ms. Alfaro joined the Firm in 1995 after earning her Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School, where she was a member of the Law and Policy Review.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in government with high honors from the University of Texas in 1991.

Ms. Alfaro is a member of the California and New York bars and speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

Representative Corporate Matters

  • Chow Tai Fook (CTF) Enterprises:  Represented Chow Tai Fook Enterprises in its investment of R$165 million for the acquisition of a 35% stake in “Cidade Matarazzo”, an ultra-luxury retail and hotel project developed in an integrated complex in São Paulo by Group Allard (a French high-end retail developer), which retained 65% of the project.
  • Publicis Group:  Represented Publicis Group, a global advertising company, in multiple acquisitions of Brazilian advertising agencies.
  • Prumo Logistica S.A.:  Represented Prumo Logistica S.A. (formerly LLX S.A.) in the development of its multi-billion dollar Acu Port in Rio de Janeiro, including negotiation of all joint venture documents with its partner Anglo American plc, and all port operation and development agreements.
  • Standard Bank:  Represented Standard Bank in its financing to Central Resources for the acquisition of certain oil-producing assets in Brazil from Koch Industries.
  • Gordian Energy:  Represented Gordian Energy in various project related matters as the company developed a large agro-industrial project in North Brazil.
  • Neustar:  Represented Neustar in its acquisition of CO Internet S.A.S., a Colombian operator of a worldwide registry for internet addresses with the .co top-level domain.
  • Worldwide Wolverine:  Represented Worldwide Wolverine in a joint venture with local company in Colombia to manufacture and distribute retail goods.
  • Goldman Sachs:  Represented Goldman Sachs as lead arranger in the $1.15 billion construction and term financing of the Kleen Energy Systems gas-fired power plant in Connecticut.
  • Hawkeye Renewables, LLC:  Represented Hawkeye Renewables, LLC in connection with its $185 million Term Loan B financing for the construction of Hawkeye’s 180 MMGPY ethanol facilities in Iowa.Project Finance International named this transaction “Deal of The Year for Renewable Energy.”
  • Companhia Nacional de Acucar e Alcool, S.A.  :  Represented Companhia Nacional de Acucar e Alcool, S.A., a Brazilian bioenergy company formed by a consortium of investors including Goldman Sachs, Riverstone Holdings and Santelisa Vale, S.A., in connection with the construction of an approximately US $1.3 billion sugar, ethanol and cogeneration plantation and industrial complex in Brazil.
  • MMX S.A.:  Represented MMX S.A. in its US $8 billion sale of mining and related businesses to Anglo-American.
  • Gas TransBoliviano S.A.:  Represented Gas TransBoliviano S.A, a gas transportation company formed by Enron, Shell and other oil and gas companies, in connection with a $140 million international financing from several mezzanine lenders for the construction of compression facilities to expand capacity on the Bolivia-to-Brazil pipeline.
  • Gas TransBoliviano S.A.:  Represented Gas TransBoliviano S.A. in the negotiation of project documents relating to the development and operation of the Bolivia-to-Brazil gas pipeline.

Representative Investigations and Compliance Matters

  • Petrobras:  Represented Petrobras in connection with U.S. government investigations of possible FCPA violations.
  • Fortune 100 company:  Managed multiple internal investigations concerning possible anti-corruption issues in Brazil.
  • Alliance One:  Member of the compliance monitorship team of Alliance One, an international tobacco leaf company, concerning FCPA issues relating to a deferred prosecution agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice.
  • Confidential corporate clients:  Conducted internal investigations on behalf of confidential corporate clients into potential FCPA issues concerning the companies’ activities in Brazil.
  • Confidential corporate clients:  Regularly involved with due diligence reviews of potential FCPA issues in connection with numerous corporate transactions.
  • Confidential corporate clients:  Regularly involved with review of compliance programs and training for confidential corporate clients.

 

Capabilities

Credentials

Education:
  • Stanford University - 1995 Juris Doctor
  • University of Texas - 1991 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
  • Brazilian Bar (São Paulo) - Registered Foreign Lawyer
  • California Bar
  • New York Bar