María González Calvet
Partner
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María González Calvet is an anti-corruption and international risk partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. With a practice that spans two decades, María is recognized for her deep understanding and significant experience in anti-corruption and other investigative matters in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, and in every significant business sector. Recognized for her deep understanding and experience in the application of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-bribery statutes, María has worked with leaders in government, business and finance to conduct a wide variety of investigations and risk assessments, as well as on behalf of companies, portfolio companies and individuals concerning multi-jurisdictional matters involving corruption, money laundering, and other forms of financial fraud. For example, María has recently assisted a global pharmaceutical company in managing the strategy for an investigation related to a corruption scandal. María is also leading an investigation on behalf of a medical device company in connection with allegations of fraud in connection with public bidding.
María has conducted internal and government investigations in more than 30 countries around the globe and draws on her past work in government and the corporate sector to help clients across industries, including private equity and other investors, and geographies to identify and mitigate corruption risks and implement effective compliance programs.
She has particular experience in the following areas:
- Pre- and post-acquisition due diligence in high-risk markets; including for private equity investors
- International white collar fraud investigations
- Jurisdictional questions and challenges that arise from coordinated prosecution by multiple enforcement authorities
- Transactions and business dealings with government entities and financial institutions
- Risks associated with consortia and other partnerships
Prior to joining Ropes & Gray in 2018, María served as Executive Counsel, Global Investigations for General Electric where she led and managed government, regulatory and internal investigations for the company’s business in Latin America. Earlier in her career, she was a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, and was a member of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Unit where she led some of the Department’s most important investigations involving allegations of corruption and other white collar offenses.
María is a fluent, native Spanish speaker, and an advanced Portuguese speaker. Before becoming a lawyer, she worked in education, focusing on adult literacy and bilingual education.
Publications
- Co-author, “Bribery: Costa Rica Enacts Corporate Criminal Liability,” Latinvex (October 30, 2019)
- Quoted, “Telefônica’s Settlement Demonstrates the Dangers of Lavish Hospitality Programs,” The Anti-Corruption Report (May 15, 2019)
- Co-author, “Firing on All Cylinders: What to Expect in the PDVSA Investigation and How Companies Should Respond,” The Anti-Corruption Report (May 1, 2019) (Part 2 of 2)
- Co-author, “Firing on All Cylinders: U.S. Enforcement Efforts Against Venezuelan State-Owned Oil Company PDVSA,” The Anti-Corruption Report (April 17, 2019) (Part 1 of 2)
- Co-author, “Brazilian Federal Supreme Court Decision May Invalidate Key Operation Car Wash Efforts, but Enforcement Efforts Show No Sign of Slowing Down,” Ropes & Gray Client Alert (March 26, 2019)
- Quoted, “International trends in the fight against corruption,” El Mundo del Abogado (February 28, 2019)
- Co-author, “Recent Developments in Latin American Anti-Corruption Enforcement,” The Anti-Corruption Report (January 9, 2019)
- Co-author, “AMLO in Office: A New Dawn in Mexico’s Fight Against Corruption?” Ropes & Gray Alert (January 8, 2019)
- Co-author, “Petrobras Reaches $1.78 billion FCPA Resolution,” Ropes & Gray Client Alert (October 1, 2018)
- Quoted, “New Observ Institute to Help Fight Corruption in Latin America,” Corporate Counsel (September 24, 2018)
- Featured, “María González Calvet, de Ropes & Gray, responde el Cuestionario LexLatin,” LexLatin (September 18, 2018)
- Featured, “Former GE in-house joins Ropes & Gray's LatAm practice,” Latin Lawyer (September 12, 2018)
- Featured, “General Electric’s Anti-Corruption Warrior,” Hispanic Executive Magazine (March/April 2018)
Presentations
- Panelist, “The Era of Corporate Governance,” Latin Lawyer – GIR 7th Annual Anti-Corruption & Investigations Brazil (October 17, 2019)
- Moderator, Ropes & Gray and FTI Consulting São Paulo Women’s Event (October 16, 2019)
- Panelist, “Recent FCPA Actions in Latin America: Compliance Lessons from Companies Operating in Mexico,” TRACE International Anti-Bribery Workshop, Mexico City (June 18, 2019)
- Moderator, Global Forum on Corporate Criminal Liability, Chantilly, France (March 7, 2019)
- Panelist, “New Trends in the Fight Against Corruption Through Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement,” Mexico International Chamber of Commerce Session of the Anticorruption Commission (February 13, 2019)
- Panelist, “What to Do If Your Third Parties Are Under Suspicion: How Multinationals are Responding in Real Time to More Regional Developments,” ACI’s 35th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (November 28, 2018)
- Panelist, “Internal investigations of All Shapes and Sizes,” Latin Lawyer – GIR 6th Annual Anti-Corruption & Investigations Brazil (October 18, 2018)
- Panelist, Ropes & Gray and FTI Consulting São Paulo Women’s Event (October 17, 2018)
- Panelist, “How to be on the safe side: new compliance challenges for clients and law firms,” IBA Annual Conference Rome (October 11, 2018)
- Speaker, “Internal Investigations in Latin America,” TRACE International Webinar (October 10, 2018)
- Panelist, “Creating an Internal Culture of Risk Management,” Bloomberg Law: In-House Forum East (October 4, 2018)
- Moderator, “Managing Overlapping Exposure from Anti-Corruption, Economic Sanctions, AML & Cybercrime,” ACI Financial Crime Executive Roundtable (September 26, 2018)
Education
- JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 2003
- MA, Pennsylvania State University, 1999
- BA, University of Pennsylvania, 1997