Vanessa Gimenez is counsel at Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, S.C. in Mexico City, where she specializes in Energy and Infrastructure transactions. She has represented Mexican and transnational participants in the energy sector, such as major energy companies, project developers, engineering and construction companies, as well as lenders and investors. She has been involved in all aspects of project development.
Vanessa obtained her law degree (JD) from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in 2003 and later obtained her LL.M degree from University of California at Berkeley in 2008. In 2005 she obtained a post-graduate degree diploma in Environmental Law and Natural Resources from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). Vanessa worked as Foreign Associate in the DC office of Clifford Chance.
Some of the most relevant matters she has recently worked on include:
– Counsel to two investment funds in a dispute against a European energy conglomerate in a multimillion-dollar dispute related to various Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contracts and Asset Management Agreements of renewable energy projects in Mexico.
– Counsel to Sumitomo Corporation México in its participation in the bidding processes called by FONATUR for the awarding of certain tons of steel for the Tren Maya Project railway system. Representation includes all regulatory compliance and contractual relationship with the contracting entity in their winning bids.
– Counsel to Howard Energy Partners in the development, financing and refinancing of the 200-mile Nueva Era pipeline in northern Mexico.
– Counsel to KKR, the U.S. private equity fund, in structuring and negotiating with Pemex, Mexico’s O&G company, a complex, first-of-its-kind US$1.2 billion sale-leaseback transaction involving upstream E&P assets.
– Counsel to BP Exploration Mexico, S.A. de C.V. in its participation in the prequalification processes for three rounds called by the National Hydrocarbons Commission for the awarding of Exploration and Extraction Agreements.
– Counsel to Macquarie Infrastructure Partners in the acquisition of two wind projects, operating as Self-Supply generators with an aggregate generation capacity of 93.4 MW peak. The advisory included the drafting and negotiation of the EPC Contract, O&M Agreement and ancillary project contracts for one of the wind projects and its photovoltaic expansion.
– Counsel to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board in the acquisition from Banco Santander of a majority interest in a portfolio of wind, solar and water infrastructure assets located across seven countries: Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Italy, Portugal and the United Kingdom, valued at more than US$2 billion and a total capacity of more than 1,400 MW.
Vanessa has also participated in the drafting of several publications, including:
– Project Finance – Mexico 2011 and 2013 Latin Lawyer – co-author.
– “Contracts and black gold” – published in “The 2011 Guide to Project Finance” – co-author.
– “A new Pemex legal framework” – published in “The 2010 Guide to Energy and Project Finance” – co-author.
Mrs. Gimenez´s native language is Spanish and she is fluent in English.