Profile: Michael E Santa Maria

Mr Santa Maria received his BA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, in 1986, his MBA from The Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in 1988, and his JD, magna cum laude, from the Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock, Texas, in 1992. He was raised in Mexico City and graduated from the American School Foundation.

Mr Santa Maria joined the firm in 1999 as the first partner in the Dallas office. In addition to his responsibilities as hiring partner in the Dallas office, Mr Santa Maria focuses his legal practice on all facets of international transactions - helping clients develop international development strategies, assisting in the tax analysis and structural implementation of the strategy and being engaged in the negotiation and implementation of all matters outside of the US. In addition to assisting clients in franchise-related transactions (eg, master franchising, development agreements and direct franchising), he has helped clients in a host of different types of direct investment transactions, particularly in Latin America.

Mr Santa Maria's international practice extends to complex joint venture agreements, international real estate development contracts, licensing contracts, labour and employment agreements and contract manufacturing agreements, among others. His practice also includes the representation of several internet companies and internet incubators.

Mr Santa Maria is a frequent speaker on international matters and the co-author of the 2002 book Negotiating an International Master Franchise Agreement. He is a former member of the board of directors of the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce (Southwest Chapter), a former director of the Dallas Bar Association Section on Franchising and Distribution, and is a frequent speaker on international matters. Before entering the private practice of law, Mr Santa Maria worked as a financial analyst in leveraged buyouts in the transportation industry and as a Registered Investment Advisor.

DLA Piper is one of the world's largest law firms, with more than 3,000 lawyers in 58 offices in 22 countries and 21 US offices. The firm is a national and international leader in franchise and distribution law, with clients ranging from entrepreneurs and start-up companies to the world's largest franchisers and manufacturers. The firm's practice is focused on business and technology (corporate and securities, corporate governance, franchise and distribution, intellectual property, information technology, taxation, bankruptcy, biosciences, IPOs, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, project finance, and other major practices in the United States); litigation (including white-collar, product liability, securities, labour and commercial litigation); government affairs (federal affairs and legislative, government contracts, environmental, e-commerce and privacy, tax legislation, antitrust and communications); international (including international dispute resolution and public international law); and real estate (the highest-ranked and largest practice in the nation, offering transactional, finance and securities capabilities for owners and investors in all property sectors).