Marlene Cervantes Raab is an Associate Attorney in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a member of Gibson Dunn’s Projects and Infrastructure, Latin America, Capital Markets and Global Finance Practice Groups.
Marlene’s practice focuses on infrastructure and energy projects both in the United States and in Latin America, with particular experience in project finance, corporate and financing matters, public-private partnerships and the acquisition of infrastructure assets. She has advised a variety of multi-national and local industry participants including sponsors, developers, investors and financial institutions.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Marlene was an associate at Gonzales Calvillo, a law firm in Mexico.
Marlene received an LLM from Columbia Law School and a bachelor’s degree in law from Universidad Iberoamericana, Ciudad de Mexico, in Mexico.
Marlene is admitted to practice in the State of New York and in Mexico.
Representative Transactions:
Airports
- Representation of JFK NTO LLC, developer of the New Terminal One at JFK International Airport, in its US$2B Special Facilities Revenue Bonds, Series 2023, issued by the New York Transportation Development Corporation, to finance a portion of Phase A of the Project. Awarded 2023 North America Transport Deal of the Year: Airport by IJ Global.
- Representation of Ferrovial Airports in its acquisition of 96% of The Carlyle Global Infrastructure Fund’s 51% stake in the New Terminal One consortium, which will design, build, and operate the new Terminal One at JFK International Airport in New York, a $9.5 billion project being developed under a lease with the PANYNJ.
Ports
- Representation of MIP V Bidco, a subsidiary of Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, in the acquisition of Husky Terminal & Stevedoring and International Transportation Services.
- Representation of NYK Ports, owner of Yusen Terminal, operator of a container terminal in the Port of Los Angeles, in respect of its senior secured credit facilities and an equipment lease financing.
- Representation of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) in its $1.78 billion acquisition of the operator of the Long Beach Container Terminal from Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL).
Rail
- Representation of Purple Line Transit Partners LLC, the concessionaire in respect of the Purple Line Light Rail Project in Maryland, in connection with various construction-related disputes with the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Administration, the procurement of a new design-build contractor and the $2.6 billion refinancing of the project with private activity bonds, a TIFIA loan and committed equity. Awarded 2023 North America Restructure Deal of the Year by IJ Investor and 2022 North America Transport Deal of the Year: Restructure by IJ Global.
Roads
- Representation of NTE Mobility Partners, developer and operator of the North Tarrant Express Project, a managed toll lanes project in Tarrant County, Texas, in the issuance of senior lien private activity bonds.
Water Infrastructure
- Representation of Poseidon Resources (Channelside), a private water project developer, on its US$328.5M debt refinancing for ongoing matters at Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, its reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant supplying potable water to the San Diego County Water Authority in California. Awarded 2023 North America Water Deal of the Year: Desalination by IJ Global.
Latin America
- Representation of I Squared Capital in the acquisition of KIO Networks, a leading digital infrastructure service provider in Mexico.
- Representation of lenders (indirectly through a Mexican SOFOM structure) in respect of a 500 million Mexican Peso subordinated loan tranche of a senior secured receivables financing credit facility to a Mexican financing subsidiary of Mercado Libre (MELI).
- Representation of Chilean transportation company, Empresa de Transporte de Pasajeros Metro, in its issuance of US$650 million worth of notes.
- Representation of credit fund as borrower under a $125 million senior secured revolving credit facility from Nomura Corporate Funding Americas, the proceeds of which are used to indirectly finance credit facilities to finance projects undertaken by oil and gas industry contractors in Mexico.