Alston & Bird Hires Counsel to Focus on Infrastructure and Latin American Region Projects

The law firm of Alston & Bird LLP announced today that Ana Cruz-Backman has joined the firm’s New York office as counsel in the Financial Services & Products Group, concentrating on project finance and infrastructure development, with an emphasis on Latin America. She is currently focusing on Puerto Rico, having led the firm’s submission of public comments to the Puerto Rico Public Private Partnership Authority's Proposed Regulations for the Procurement, Evaluation, Selection, Negotiation and Award of Public-Private Partnership Contracts Under Act No. 29 of June 2009.

In this role, Ms. Cruz-Backman will work directly with developers and lenders in connection with the development, financing, sales and acquisitions of a wide variety of infrastructure projects, including independent power projects, airports, toll roads and hospitals.

“Ana is an excellent addition to Alston & Bird’s New York office and her proven success as a trusted advisor on cross-border matters will benefit our team tremendously,” said Richard Hays, managing partner of Alston & Bird LLP. “Her expertise and experience in working with organizations in Latin America and beyond strengthens our firm’s position on the international stage and will greatly serve our clients’ ability to succeed in today’s global economy.”

Ms. Cruz-Backman has experience representing a variety of clients in financings and acquisitions projects throughout Latin America. Recently, she has represented clients in Puerto Rico, Mexico, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and in Colombia, where she represented sponsors in the bridge-financing of the approximately $650 million expansion and modernization of El Dorado airport in Bogota. Ms. Cruz-Backman also worked with Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation in a joint venture with ONGC Videsh Limited for the nearly $850 million acquisition of oil and gas producing assets in Colombia.

Prior to joining Alston & Bird LLP, Ms. Cruz-Backman was senior counsel in the Banking & Project Finance Group at Allen & Overy LLP. Earlier in her career, she was an associate in the Project Finance Group at Chadbourne & Parke LLP and an associate in the Corporate International Group at Baker & Botts LLP.

Ms. Cruz-Backman graduated from the University of Chicago, where she earned her J.D., and from Harvard University, cum laude, where she received her A.B. She also holds a Master of Laws degree from the European University Institute. Ms. Cruz-Backman was a law clerk to Judge Juan R. Torruella of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and to Judge Jose A. Cabranes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New Haven, Connecticut. Ms. Cruz-Backman was born and raised in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and is fluent in Spanish and Italian.