About

Principal practice areas: Projects and energy, M&A, corporate finance Bar admissions: Mexico, Texas (foreign legal constultant) Languages spoken: English, Spanish

As a lawyer licensed in Mexico, Houston-based Manuel Vera represents US financial service institutions, energy companies and investment firms in acquisitions in Mexico and Latin America, guiding them through cross-border project finance transactions and joint ventures. He has worked with clients on projects in more than a dozen Latin American countries, with a special emphasis on Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Chile and Argentina, as well as Spain. Vera is well versed in Mexican and international corporate and commercial law, particularly foreign investment, energy, project finance, banking, and real estate transactions, as well as labour, tax and regulatory issues affecting Mexican companies. His current client roster includes global Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 corporations. He was a member of the Bracewell team that closed the first upstream debt transaction for an independent oil and gas company in the newly deregulated Mexican market. The financing of the deal followed the client’s successful bid for a 50% operated interest in the onshore Cardenas and Mora fields in Mexico, partnering with Pemex. He has also assisted Kinder Morgan in connection with its cross-border natural gas pipeline and ownership of related assets for the transportation of gas in Mexico. Vera was part of the Bracewell team that advised Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank in the closing of a five-year amended $810m senior secured revolving facility for McDermott International. This deal was the second new credit facility for an offshore oilfield services company to close in 2017 (Bracewell also represented the lender on the first such closing only hours before this deal closed). The deals mark a turnaround within the offshore oilfield services industry. Among other matters, Vera has also assisted one of the largest independent owners of power generation in the US with all corporate and regulatory matters to form a Mexican subsidiary and is assisting with the obtainment of required registrations with the Mexican Comisión Reguladora de Energía (CRE) and Centro Nacional de Control de Energía (CENACE) in order to participate in the Financial Transmission Rights auctions in Mexico, represented an international power generator in restructuring gas supply and power offtake arrangements for a more than 1,000 MW power generation facility located in Mexico through purchasing and importing gas from the US, and entering into offtake arrangements in both the US and Mexico. The firm’s representation also includes negotiation of commercial contracts, as well as regulatory advice. Commenting on these matters, Vera says: ‘Although oil and gas exploration and production in Mexico has over 75 years of history, for most of that period the Mexican market was closed to private investment. Since the reforms, international investment in Mexico has gained momentum and the oil and gas industry has quickly become competitive as international companies seek to take part in developing the country’s considerable hydrocarbon reserves. Demand has been high, with companies that meet pre-qualification criteria able to bid for blocks awarded directly by the Mexican State, or to participate through contractual arrangements with Pemex. There are a wide range of possible investments for international oil and gas companies in Mexico. Opportunities exist for producing both conventional and unconventional resources, and are onshore and offshore in both shallow and deep water. Development is potentially aided by an existing infrastructure network for transportation and processing.’