About
JUAN CARLOS LUNA IS COUNSEL AT CREEL, GARCÍA-CUÉLLAR, AIZA Y ENRÍQUEZ, WHERE HE SPECIALIZES IN PROJECT FINANCE, ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSACTIONS, AND STRUCTURED PUBLIC FINANCE.
Juan Carlos advises sponsors, commercial banks, development banks, multilateral organizations, financial institutions, borrowers, and governmental entities on the development, financing, and regulation of complex projects across Mexico's energy (power and hydrocarbons), infrastructure, and natural resources sectors. His practice spans the full project lifecycle, from structuring and procurement through financing and acquisition, in both purely private arrangements and public-private partnerships.
Juan Carlos brings extensive experience in complex projects at the intersection of public and private sector interests. From 2014 to 2016, he served as chief of staff to a Commissioner of Mexico's National Hydrocarbons Commission during the implementation of Mexico's landmark energy reform, where he was involved in the design of exploration and production contracts, their bidding processes, and the assignments in favor of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). Over the past 15 years, he has actively advised a range of federal, state, and municipal government entities, notably the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and its affiliates, on landmark projects in the power sector and natural gas midstream segment, giving him a deep understanding of public-private sector dynamics.
Juan Carlos's selected experience includes advising Banco Nacional de Comercio Exterior, S.N.C. (Bancomext) on the financing of a distributed generation and battery energy storage system (BESS) project platform, secured by the equipment itself and repaid through a tolling arrangement for the use of the storage systems. He advised Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos, S.N.C. (Banobras) on USD 355 million in financings for two segments of the Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo railway megaproject, awarded to Grupo ICA affiliates, interconnecting Saltillo, Monterrey, and Nuevo Laredo.
He also advised a syndicate of commercial banks on the structuring of a USD 12.5 billion cross-border financing vehicle (Pemex Supplier Liquidity Facility, Onyx), backed by Mexican sovereign guarantee and implemented through a trust structure supported by payment rights against Pemex, to provide liquidity and facilitate the settlement of outstanding obligations to suppliers and contractors in a transaction involving multiple domestic and international banks. In the natural gas sector, he advised CFE on its strategic alliances with the private sector for natural gas pipelines, including the "Puerta al Sureste" pipeline (with TC Energy) and the "Centauro del Norte" pipeline (with Carso Energy). He participated in Mexico's first reserve-based lending transaction for oil and gas exploration and production assets, representing the lender syndicate. He also advised Mexico's Ministry of Finance (SHCP) on the enhancement of the Revenue Stabilization Fund for Subnational Governments (FEIEF) through a USD 4 billion structured subnational government financing (Latin Finance, "Financial Innovation of the Year 2021").
Additional experience includes advising Banobras on the restructuring of credit agreements for the development and operation of two correctional facilities under a public-private partnership framework; advising the State of Sonora on its 2020 public financing of approximately USD 90 million, including the structuring of the bidding process, negotiation of credit agreements, and establishment of an irrevocable trust as a repayment vehicle through federal revenue-sharing transfers; the development and financing of Mexico's wholesale telecommunications network (Altán Redes / Red Compartida); the acquisition by BlackRock / First Reserve of a 45% interest in TAG Pipelines Sur and TAG Norte for the development of the Ramones Phase II natural gas transportation systems; representing the Ministry of Finance in structuring the financing of the Mexico City–Toluca Interurban Train, a major transportation infrastructure megaproject; and the financing for the development and construction of Etileno XXI (Braskem Idesa), one of Latin America's largest petrochemical plants (Project Finance Awards, "Americas Deal of the Year 2012").
Juan Carlos obtained his LL.M. in Energy and Natural Resources from Queen Mary University of London in 2019, a Specialization in Investment Project Valuation from ITAM in 2016, a Master's in Administrative Law from Universidad Panamericana in 2012, and his Law Degree from Universidad Panamericana in 2010.
Prior to joining Creel, Juan Carlos practiced at a leading international law firm and served as a foreign lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, London, and Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, Spain.
His native language is Spanish, and he is fluent in English.