Pérez Alati, Grondona, Benites & Arntsen works with domestic and international oil-and-gas companies on a range of regulatory and transactional matters. The firm has been a particularly influential stakeholder in the development and growth of the Vaca Muerta shale formation, assisting with the drafting process to amend hydrocarbons legislation, as well as the structuring of innovative joint venture deals between national oil-and-gas players and multinational oil companies. The practice also has an established presence in the oil-and-gas infrastructure space, handling matters related to transnational gas pipelines and LNG terminals. Regulatory and permitting issues are also covered. The outstanding oil-and-gas veteran Francisco Romano has decades of industry experience, including a spell in-house at Chevron; he co-leads the practice alongside Alan Arntsen, who is regularly sought out to advise on energy and infrastructure M&A and financings. The team can also call on the experienced Mariano Grondona, a key player in electricity sector; versatile transactional partner Tomás Pérez Alati; and environmental law specialist Nicole Jaureguiberry.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team is among the best in the country. Francisco Romano works seamlessly with internal teams, has exceptional knowledge of the hydrocarbons sector, understands commercial realities, and is flexible with billing.

  • ‘The team is led by the exceptional Francisco Romano, one of the most oil-and-gas lawyers in the industry. He has deep sector knowledge and has a firm grasp of regulatory and contractual matters.'

  • 'Francisco Romano is a very prominent actor in the field of energy law.'

Key clients

  • Mercuria Energy Group
  • Phoenix Global Resources
  • Petrolera El Trébol
  • Pampa Energía
  • Dow Chemical
  • Trafigura
  • IFC
  • YPF
  • Wintershall Energía
  • Equinor
  • Shell
  • Albanesi

Work highlights

  • Advised YPF in major acquisition of Vaca Muerta assets valued at around $2bn.
  • Advised Dow on renewable power purchase agreements for $60m.
  • Advised Phoenix Global Resources on the divestment of non-core fields in Mendoza in a $50m deal.

Lawyers

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Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Francisco Romano, Alan Arntsen