About

With a career providing legal advice to oil and gas companies that spans 15 years, including 8 years at Pacific Exploration and Production Corporation (PEPC), Alejandra Bonilla Lagos is one of the leading extractives counsel in the region. In her time at PEPC, Bonilla Lagos has helped the company grow into a one of the dominant players in the industry. In early 2010, PEPC was the largest independent oil company operating in South America and was the fastest growing private company in Colombia. In 2011 it was responsible for 41% of the total growth in Colombia’s oil production. Bonilla Lagos has also advised on company-changing strategic decisions undertaken by the PEPC. In mid-2015 the company changed its name from Pacific Rubiales to Pacific Exploration and Production, signaling a tactical decision to move away from its Rubiales field and have a broader focus on Latin American operations. Of this achievement, Bonilla Lagos say her contribution was, ‘Successfully negotiating oil and gas contracts with the Venezuelan government so that the company could keep valuable assets and its presence in a country with important hydrocarbon reserves’. The biggest challenge facing Bonilla Lagos and PEPC now is the current fluctuations of oil prices, a situation they appear to be weathering well. Facing global unpredictability in the hydrocarbons market, PEPC’s legal team made a pre-emptive decision to renegotiate and restructure much of its senior debt (bank debts and bonds), seek new investors, and interact with shareholders and regulatory authorities. Consequently, they are now on the verge of successfully finalizing a complex and demanding negotiations process, which will likely see PEPC continue to play a strong part in the Colombian oil and gas industry for a long time to come.