Shearman & Sterling partner Cynthia Urda Kassis, co-leader of the firm's Project Development & Finance Practice, was featured as a "Voice of Experience" on The Glass Hammer, an online community designed for women executives in financial services, law and business. Urda Kassis talked about her experiences advising clients on financing for projects all over the world, including Latin America, where she is particularly well known. "In project finance you almost always have real, tangible evidence of what you are working on," she said. "You begin by seeing the field that in a few years will become a power plant. You see in local economies the benefit from improved infrastructure—roads, housing, or water treatment plants—that improve the quality of life for local residents." Urda Kassis also talked about her integral role in the financing of the expansion of the Panama Canal, a landmark assignment. "I came out of my undergraduate studies and law school wanting to change the world," she recalled. "I hope, in some small way, I have."

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