About

Number of years practice: 21 Law school attended: Georgetown University Law Center Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: Compliance, Cross-border M&A, Global Project Development Admissions: District of Columbia, Maryland

Alvaro Mestre began working in the growing Mexican energy sector during the mid-90s and has since become one of the leading advisers in the field. Now chair of Squire Patton Boggs’ Mexico desk, Mestre has advised on some of Mexico’s most significant natural-gas-transportation infrastructure projects, receiving a wide range of industry awards for his work. For example, acting as lead development counsel, he represented three different Pemex affiliates on the Los Ramones Pipeline System. This integrated, four-phase project extends from Southern Texas to Central Mexico and significantly increases Mexico’s natural gas importation capacity from the US. He also represented Gasoductos de Chihuahua on every phase of the San Fernando Pipeline Project, the first Pemex project financed without a Pemex corporate guarantee. This representation included the development, permitting, construction, operation, and maintenance of the project, and required intensive interfacing with both the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the project lenders. These projects not only demonstrate Mestre’s understanding of how business is done in Mexico, but have also formed the basis of his long-standing relationships with top-level business, industry and legal professionals in the country. Though principally based in Squire Patton Boggs’ Washington D.C. office, Mestre spends a large amount of time in Mexico maintaining these relationships and keeping abreast of developments in the Mexican market. He is also an active member of various Bar Associations and was, for many years, a member of the board of directors of a Washington D.C. based non-profit organization serving the legal, immigration and social needs of the metropolitan area’s economically disadvantaged (primarily Latino) immigrant community. What are your predictions for change in the US-Mexico relationship? The Trump administration will undoubtedly cause a strain on US-Mexico political and business relationships, but it is my perhaps optimistic belief that our two countries remain too socially, economically and politically tied for the impact to be felt much beyond the few notable manufacturing facilities that have chosen to relocate from Mexico. We should continue to see a rise in US-Mexico energy investment, especially when it comes to increased cross-border natural gas transportation infrastructure. Is there a key economic factor or trend you regard as likely to impact the Mexican legal sector over the next 18 months? With the notable exception of energy players, the uncertainty of the Trump administration is likely to cause certain US businesses to take a more cautious approach to entering the Mexican market. Having said that, I believe the same strain on US-Mexican relations will create new opportunities for other foreign investors, particularly Chinese investors, to establish and grow their presence in Mexico. Are there any aspects of the Mexican legal market that you would like to see change? The Mexican legal market is sophisticated and well developed, but it is too concentrated in certain firms and too focused – geographically – on Mexico City. I would like to see the continued growth of Mexican firms in other key business centers around the country so that clients are more capable of obtaining consistent quality representation when developing projects in various parts of the country.