Recognised as a leading energy practice in a city renowned for its energy work, Baker Botts L.L.P.’s Houston office handles the full spectrum of related mandates in Latin America, from project finance and development to corporate acquisitions and international arbitration. The team has expertise across all industry segments, covering renewable energy, LNG, and upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas matters. While the firm continues to be highly active in energy projects and transactions in Mexico – including advising Mexico Pacific on LNG sale and purchase agreements for an LNG liquefaction project in Sonora, one of the few projects under development on the Pacific Coast of North America – its recent workload also takes in matters in Peru, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Latin America practice chair Carlos Solé, who also serves as deputy chair of the global projects department, has a stellar reputation for advising US and multinational clients on cross-border project finance and M&A involving both renewable and traditional energy assets, with particularly deep knowledge of Mexico’s energy sector. David Jetter is another well-regarded adviser on energy project development and transactions, with a broad practice that spans LNG, natural gas, carbon capture and e-fuels projects.

Following the opening of its Houston office in June 2023, Clifford Chance LLP has an increased connection to Latin America and its dynamic energy markets, providing comprehensive advice to local and international clients on traditional and renewable energy matters in the region, including oil and gas, carbon capture and trading, clean hydrogen, energy infrastructure, new nuclear and renewables-related work. The team has strong capabilities in M&A, strategic joint ventures and project development, primarily handling cross-border mandates; its recent highlights include work in the Dominican Republic, Suriname, Peru and Uruguay. David Sweeney heads up the oil and gas group, with extensive experience in high-value M&A, debt and equity financings, and financial restructurings across the oil and gas, coal and other natural resources sub-sectors. Counsel Joshua Bernard is skilled in handling cross-border corporate transactions in Latin America.

Haynes and Boone, L.L.P.‘s Houston office serves as a key hub for the firm’s sizeable Latin America practice, which has a strong emphasis on the energy sector. The team enjoys an excellent reputation for handling oil and gas-related deals involving Mexico, but has advised major Latin American and international energy companies on transactions in numerous jurisdictions, including Argentina, Colombia and Central America. Houston office managing partner Ricardo Garcia-Moreno has a wealth of experience in cross-border transactions in the traditional and renewable energy sectors in Latin America. George Gonzalez – who, like Garcia-Moreno, divides his time between the Houston and Mexico City offices – is another well-known name for M&A and energy work in the region. Other notable advisers include senior counsel Brad Richards, who has advised on project development in countries including Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, and Odean Volker, the head of the international arbitration practice group.

Hogan Lovells US LLP‘s Houston office acts for an impressive roster of Latin American companies, government bodies and sovereign states, with a particularly strong offering in the oil, gas and petrochemicals industries – although the insurance sector is also a key area of expertise – and a focus on Mexico and Ecuador. The team is well versed in the development of energy and infrastructure projects, with expertise spanning project finance, regulatory and contractual issues. Practice head Bruno Ciuffetelli, who is admitted to practise in Venezuela and is a foreign legal consultant with the state of Texas, has an excellent reputation in the oil sector and the sovereigns and quasi-sovereigns sphere (he also heads the Americas Sovereigns practice); alongside the New York and Miami offices, he recently led the team which assisted the Republic of Ecuador with its historic $1.5bn ‘debt-for-nature’ swap to advance the Amazon Biocorridor Programme. Carlos Ramos Miranda, who splits his time between the Houston and Mexico City offices, is a go-to name for a wide range of M&A, insurance, infrastructure and energy matters in Latin America, particularly Mexico, with recent highlights including his advice to TC Energy on the negotiation of a new natural gas transportation agreement with Mexico’s state-owned electric utility.

King & Spalding LLP‘s Houston-based Latin America practice is renowned for its capabilities in international arbitration, with a sizeable team (the majority of whom are fluent in Spanish or Portuguese) which is skilled in high-stakes commercial and investment arbitration, as well as related litigation; its enviable recent caseload includes handling multibillion-dollar claims against Argentina, Ecuador and Colombia. The office has a strong focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors, something that is reflected in the work of both the disputes team and the equally impressive construction and project development group. Doak Bishop co-heads the international arbitration practice group, while Roberto Aguirre Luzi, who is admitted to practise in Argentina and as a foreign legal consultant in Texas, leads the Latin America international arbitration practice alongside Craig Miles, who splits his time between the Houston and Miami offices; all three practitioners have a wealth of experience in high-profile disputes in the region, especially in the oil, gas, mining and infrastructure sectors. Fernando Rodriguez-Cortina has a rapidly growing profile in international arbitration, particularly in cases involving Mexico. Scott Greer oversees the worldwide energy and construction transactional practice, and is a well-known name for oil and gas, LNG, petrochemical, power and mining projects in Latin America. Washington, DC and Houston-based Brandt Leibe, a specialist in white-collar defence and government investigations, is also noted.

The Houston branch of Mayer Brown houses a broad Latin America-focused offering, spanning banking and finance, projects and infrastructure, capital markets, M&A, energy and international disputes. Jose Valera, a member of the global energy group, has an excellent track record of advising oil, gas and electric power companies in Latin America in relation to energy transactions and projects. Pablo Ferrante, who is admitted to practise in Argentina and New York, and as a foreign legal consultant in Texas, is a partner in the global oil and gas group with a focus on Latin America, and a go-to adviser on cross-border corporate transactions and financings. Alexandre Chequer, who divides his time between Houston and the Rio de Janeiro office of associated firm Tauil & Chequer Advogados, heads the global energy team, and has extensive experience in oil, gas and energy matters in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America.

The Houston-based team at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP has a wealth of expertise in project development and finance, M&A and joint ventures, capital markets transactions, and regulatory and compliance issues in Latin America, with in-depth knowledge of the energy, banking and telecoms sectors, among others. In particular, the group is widely recognised for its experience in cross-border matters between the US and Mexico; among its standout recent work, the team advised a multinational engineering and construction company on its acquisition of a 50% interest in a major development project which includes a new international bridge at the Texas-Mexico border. Humberto Padilla Gonzalez is a sought-after adviser on a wide range of multi-jurisdictional mandates in Latin America, including M&A, investments, joint ventures, international commercial finance transactions and contractual matters; he is admitted to practise in Mexico, New York and Texas. John Crespo, who divides his time between the Houston and New York offices, co-chairs the Latin America practice and advises a stellar roster of public and private corporations, private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and financial institutions on transactions in the region. Felipe Alice is admitted to practise in Brazil, New York and Texas, and advises on a wide array of energy transactions and infrastructure projects.

The Latin America practice of Reed Smith LLP‘s Houston office stands out for its formidable international arbitration offering, with a strong track record of handling commercial and investor-state disputes involving jurisdictions throughout the region. Francisco Rivero heads the Latin America business team and has played a prominent role in high-stakes international arbitrations across a swathe of sectors, including energy, mining, oil and gas, and renewables, with experience as both an arbitrator and a party representative. Arturo Muñoz Holguin has a growing profile in energy-related disputes before courts and arbitration tribunals in Latin America, and William Russell is another key name for litigation and international arbitration, with a focus on oil and gas, construction and commercial cases. Senior associate Daniel Avila is also noted for his disputes expertise. All are fluent Spanish speakers.

Sidley Austin LLP‘s Latin America practice draws on the strong M&A and project development capabilities of its Houston-based practitioners, with a particularly extensive offering in the energy sector, covering the full spectrum of oil and gas, power, mining, renewables and LNG-related work. Brian Bradshaw drives a project development practice which is renowned in the region, bringing to bear more than 25 years’ experience in project development and finance, corporate finance, and M&A across the oil and gas, power, LNG and energy transition spheres in Latin America. Timothy Chandler is a prominent name in the private equity investment, M&A, joint ventures, project development and financing fields, with notable experience of working in Brazil. Office co-managing partner Cliff Vrielink, who leads the global energy, transportation and infrastructure practice, is also recognised for his advice to clients in the oil and gas, power, telecoms, waste and water, and other infrastructure sub-sectors in Latin America. Admitted to practise in Mexico and Texas, counsel Eduardo Marquez Certucha is skilled in cross-border transactions in the region, frequently assisting private equity firms and institutional investors in conventional and renewable energy, mining and transportation deals.

Houston-headquartered Vinson & Elkins LLP is renowned for its strength in the energy and construction sectors, with strong connections to Latin America. The Houston team particularly stands out for its international arbitration capabilities, handling both commercial and investor-state cases in the region; Peter Danysh, who has significant expertise in disputes concerning multi-jurisdictional construction, engineering, energy and infrastructure projects, recently acted for the Panama Canal Authority in a high-profile series of arbitrations relating to the canal expansion project, alongside the London office. James Loftis, who divides his time between Texas and Dubai, and serves as global head of international disputes, is also a key name for Latin American energy, construction and infrastructure-related cases. On the transactional side, Alan Alexander focuses on project development, project financings and joint ventures, with notable experience in Latin America (particularly Mexico). Shay Kuperman, a native Spanish speaker, has a strong record in oil and gas-related transactions in the region.

White & Case LLP‘s Houston office is frequently the first port of call for global corporations seeking advice on cross-border M&A transactions involving Latin America, housing an experienced team of practitioners with a strong profile in energy, power, infrastructure and technology sector deals, and a growing presence in the retail and consumer goods industries. While Mexico remains a core area of focus, over the last year the group has handled matters in an array of jurisdictions, with Brazil, Chile and Peru among them. William Parish is a standout name for energy-related transactions in Latin America; his recent workload includes advising EIG Global Energy Partners on the restructuring of a Chile-based power and gas infrastructure company. Rodrigo Dominguez Sotomayor (who divides his time between the Houston, New York and Mexico City offices) and Emilio Grandío are also well regarded for their expertise in cross-border transactions in sectors such as energy and technology, including assisting Klar with the acquisition of a Mexican fintech. Steven Otillar has a wealth of experience in energy project development and financing, with particularly in-depth knowledge of offshore energy projects. In addition, the deep associate bench includes Luisa Muskus, who is well versed in M&A and private equity investments, with an emphasis on Latin America, and Adrian Leal, who focuses on corporate and project finance transactions in the region. All are fluent Spanish speakers.

Winston & Strawn LLP's Houston team frequently joins forces with the firm's Miami and New York offices to handle a wide range of corporate and international arbitration mandates involving Latin American jurisdictions. Among other key figures in the practice are infrastructure and projects global disputes chair Laurens Wilkes, who joined the firm from Jones Day in March 2024, and has extensive experience in international arbitration; Imad Khan, who was promoted to the partnership in January 2024, and is well versed in investment treaty and international commercial arbitration (as well as the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards); and Rodolfo Herrara-Moro, who is admitted to practise in Mexico and as a foreign legal consultant in Houston, with a strong background in representing Latin America-based clients in arbitration and litigation. Houston managing partner Mike Blankenship, who also co-chairs the capital markets practice, is another name to note.

Womble Bond Dickinson‘s emergent Latin America practice is led out of the Houston office by José Luis Vittor, an Argentine-qualified foreign legal consultant who specialises in structuring, financing and project development matters, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors, along with cross-border banking, M&A, and foreign direct investments; he also leads the firm’s oil and gas practice. Fellow Argentine-qualified mining specialist Francisco Balduzzi (also a foreign legal consultant) is a former head of legal (for Latin America and Asia Pacific) at Barrick Mining Corporation and is co-chair of the mining practice group; he also specialises in cross-border and international corporate and commercial investment transactions and disputes involving Latin America. Headline news for the Latin America practice was the firm’s establishment of a strategic alliance with Brazil’s Schmidt, Valois, Miranda, Ferreira & Agel Advogados in March 2025, further building out its reach in the region, with a particular focus on the energy sector.