María Shakespear is a partner at Beccar Varela. She is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She joined the firm in 1998.

María provides corporate advice to local and foreign clients with businesses in Argentina across a wide spectrum of industries. Her main practice areas are mergers and acquisitions, private equity, project finance, and fintech. She has vast experience in the negotiation and drafting of complex commercial agreements, commercialization, distribution, and franchising ones; debt renegotiations, and due diligence. She has advised international organizations on investments and divestitures. She also focuses on the designing of start-ups, entrepreneur businesses, and businesses seeking positive social and environmental impact, following a Triple Bottom Line model.

María obtained her Law degree from Universidad de Buenos Aires (2001) and her Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Dundee University, Dundee, Scotland (2007, with distinction). She also studied at Denver University (Colorado, USA, 2004), where she obtained a certificate for certain subjects from the LLM. She worked as foreign associate at Holme, Roberts & Owen (Denver, Colorado, USA, 2004).

Since 2005, María is Assistant Professor of International Private Law with Professor María Blanca Noodt Taquela at the Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Her most recent publications include “Private M&A transactions” (Thomson Reuters, UK, 2014); “Mergers and Acquisitions, questions and answers” (GTDT Market Intelligence, 2014 and 2015 editions); and “Shareholders’ rights (in private and public companies): a global guide from practical law” (Thomson Reuters, 2015).

She is a member of the Buenos Aires Bar Association and the International Bar Association (IBA). She is the Treasurer of the Board of Directors of FAME (Foro Argentino de Mujeres Ejecutivas).

María has been recognized by Chambers Latin America, Chambers Global, The Legal 500, Latin Lawyer 250, IFLR 1000 and Leaders League.

María speaks Spanish, English and basic French.