In the wake of the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the potential for consequential shifts in Venezuela’s oil and gas sector, Haynes Boone has formed a Venezuela Energy and Infrastructure Taskforce, a multidisciplinary and multinational team of seasoned oil and gas, transactional, finance and dispute-resolution lawyers advising global clients on the rapidly evolving legal and commercial landscape.

The Taskforce consists of attorneys in Houston, Dallas, New York, Washington DC, London and Mexico City, incorporating the experience and acumen of lawyers from the firm’s Latin America and the Caribbean Practice Group, which has deep ties across the region and has guided clients through complex energy, infrastructure and regulatory matters in every major Latin American market.

“Our clients are assessing what the future may hold for global energy security and their strategic portfolios for years to come. There are near term obstacles but long-term opportunities,” said Jeff Nichols, the chair of the Haynes Boone Energy Practice Group. “The  Venezuela Energy and Infrastructure Taskforce combines our firm’s longstanding energy market experience with our deep roots in Latin America to help companies act decisively in an uncertain and shifting environment. We have a long-established presence in the oil and gas industry across Latin America, including in Venezuela, and a strong Mexico City office, which we feel puts us in an enviable position to serve global clients in this market and the region, and to help them navigate potential risks and obstacles.”

The group will collaborate to help support the firm’s clients in refining, energy trading, infrastructure development and international trade who would seek to monitor emerging opportunities.