Biography: Oil and Gas

Sergio is an oil and gas specialist with Despacho de Abogados miembros de Norton Rose SC in Caracas. He also has an active practice advising clients on corporate and commercial matters. A partner since 2006, Sergio is admitted to practice in Venezuela.

Sergio advises on a broad spectrum of oil and gas projects on an international level, as well as Venezuelan regulatory matters concerning the energy sector. He provides legal counsel regarding upstream mixed companies, conversion processes, gas licenses, provision of services and for midstream/downstream projects. Major deals he has handled include agreements related to the conversion of former Venezuelan hydrocarbons projects into created mixed companies, the creation of new mixed companies for extra-heavy oil projects and acting as part of the team of consultants to the first upstream gas opening in Mexico.

In addition to his oil and gas practice, in Latin America, and Venezuela in particular, Sergio is engaged in corporate and transactional work involving the negotiation and drafting of contracts and agreements, advice on the incorporation and structuring of companies and projects and on due diligence matters.

The client guides for the 2010 and 2011 editions of Chambers Global and Chambers Latin America lists Sergio as a leading individual in corporate/M&A, as well as in energy and natural resources. Their review says that Sergio has been involved in a number of the firm's most significant corporate cases, and is praised as a 'very diligent and reliable lawyer'.

In addition to his legal work, Sergio has spoken at many conferences and is the author of numerous articles and other publications. He is currently a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN).

Sergio graduated summa cum laude from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, and received the Roberto Goldschmidt Award for Academic Excellence for 1996. He also holds a graduate degree from Columbia University School of Law.