About

Number of years practice: 34 Principal practice areas: Energy Bar admissions: Mexico Languages spoken: English and Spanish

Prior to joining Mayer Brown as a partner in the firm’s global energy group, Francisco Mendez spent nearly 20 years as in-house counsel for Latin America at ExxonMobil Corporation, where, among other things, he advised the company on its approach to Mexico’s oil-and-gas sector following the opening of the market to private investment. Mendez was involved in the formation of the Mexican Hydrocarbons Association and has also played a key role in the establishment of Mayer Brown’s Mexico City office, which opened its doors in 2015. His current mandates include leading advice to Malaysia’s state-owned oil company, Petronas, on its commencement of operations in a joint-venture partnership following Mexico’s first-ever auction of deep water exploration areas, as well as with on-going exploration and production matters with regards to blocks 4, 5 and 6 (the latter in a consortium with Ecopetrol). The acquisitions represent Petronas’ entry into the Mexican energy market.