Career and specialization

Carolina is a practicing lawyer of the Madrid Bar Association (ICAM) in Spain and the State Bar of California in the US. She has extensive experience in transnational business and cross-border operations, international economic sanctions, export and investment controls, regulatory compliance, internal and international investigations, risk management and global investigations.

Her professional career began at boutique law firm in Madrid where she was part of the International Operations team. She has in-house experience working for Banco Santander where she focused on contract management, banking regulations, compliance and data protection.

Likewise, Carolina worked at the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in New York where she carried out research and analysis of trade and investment policies and participated in Member State resolution negotiations within the Second Committee of the 74th UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.

She was an associate of the International Trade and Sanctions global team of a major US law firm in Spain where she assessed clients in finance, energy, infrastructure, and cannabis sectors.

Carolina has experience in the US as she worked for an American law firm based in DC in the areas of litigation, white-collar defense, sanctions and public policy. During her time at Samaniego Law, Carolina served as secondee in the legal department of a major global renewable energy company and she is now working on a project-by-project basis.

Education

Carolina completed her LL.M. on International Business and Economic Law at Georgetown University (Distinction, 22’) and her Bachelors of Laws at the University of Navarra (15’).

She graduated her Master of Legal Practice at UNIR and completed her Master studies specializing in international law, foreign trade, and international relations at ISDE. She also holds a certificate for her studies of US law from Columbia University and studies of international law and foreign relations from the Complutense University of Madrid.

Other relevant information

Carolina collaborates in multi-jurisdictional investigations involving politically exposed persons and clients in the banking, engineering, entertainment, and cannabis businesses.

She assisted in reviewing, testing, and evaluating a major multi-lateral banking organization’s internal compliance program.

Carolina has experience in contract drafting, negotiations, and management, as well as in deal structuring and transactional work.

Her experience has led her to work in US and EU international sanctions and its effects in jurisdictions such as Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Her work in these practice areas includes contract drafting and review, supply chain analysis and counseling, and risk consulting and mitigation.

She was a member of the legal defense team who represented entities and individuals sanctioned by the EU and has participated in their representation before the General Court and the Court of Justice of the EU in Luxembourg.

Carolina is the Co-Chair of the LL.M. Sub-Committee of the Hispanic Bar Association (HBA) of DC.

She was a fellow at the Georgetown Center for Transnational Business and the Law (22’).

Carolina is fluent in Spanish and English.