Profile
Erick is Co-Chair of the Mexico City Energy & Natural Resources Practice and Chair of the Mexico City Environmental practice. He focuses his practice on environmental, energy, ESG, real estate, administrative litigation, food, beverage & agribusiness, mining and regulatory matters.
With over 20 years of experience, Erick represents domestic and international clients in the industrial sector, in several matters related to renewables, liquefied natural gas, oil & gas, energy litigation, energy transactions, electric energy tenders, as well as hydrocarbons tender procedures, among others.
On the environmental front, he has deep experience in water law, carbon, land use, urban development, corporate environmental regularization, environmental impact and risk matters, financing of green projects, environmental, social & governance (ESG), soil contamination, as well as emissions reductions and climate change, among others.
Erick advises clients on a broad range of transactional matters, including complex domestic and international acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, project finance and regulatory legal matters on a wide range of industries, with particular emphasis on energy, health care & life sciences, environmental, pharmaceutical and medical devices, food and beverage, agribusiness, manufacturing, infrastructure, mining, real estate and hospitality. Likewise, he has participated in several public and private forums and associations with companies, international associations, banks, lawyers and authorities related to Mexican Environmental, Energy, Real Estate, Administrative and Regulatory Law.
He has been involved on the preparation of several Mexican Official Standards as well as environmental and administrative regulations.
Erick is consistently recognized as a leading lawyer by international legal publications such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Latin Lawyer, Best Lawyers, as well as a Legal Influencer by Lexology. He recently was appointed as co-chair of the ICC’s Circular Economy Global Working Group, as well as VP of the Environmental Commission of the ICC Mexico.
Concentrations
- Energy and Natural Resources
- Environmental
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Finance
- Real Estate
- Regulatory and Compliance
Capabilities
Experience
- Representation of Envision International in the implementation of a green ammonia project through the generation of renewable energy. This project will be one of the first green hydrogen projects in Mexico and Latam.
- Represented a Mexican/Canadian company in the Mexican public tender for hydrocarbons extraction on land and also represents the Company in an ongoing oil field on environmental, energy and regulatory matters.
- Representing a U.S. company in a major energy cross-border project consisting in the transportation of ammonia through U.S. pipelines crossing different states, the import of such product into Mexico, and the supply to an export terminal to be located in northern Mexico, which will enable the company to produce green hydrogen, which will in turn be exported to Asian markets.
- Legal assistance in the implementation of a Methanol plant in Topolobampo, Sinaloa, including the securement of the land, obtainment of all permits from all authorities, negotiation with authorities and third parties, financing.
- Representation of a group of Mexico companies in the structuring of a first-of-a-kind project in Mexico to develop natural gas liquefaction plants in several states within Mexico.
- Preparation of a legal framework related with all obligations to be complied for the instalment of a solar farm in Mexico.
- Preparation of a legal framework related with all obligations to be complied for the sale of solar energy for residential purposes in Mexico.
- Legal assistance on environmental, energy and regulatory matters for the purchase of a thermoelectric plant in the State of Yucatan.
- Legal analysis for the fulfilment of gas and electricity obligations by transferring operations from one company to another.
- Legal assistance on regulatory matters for the installation and operation of gas and oil pipelines in Mexico.
- Representation of Envision International in the sale of a 63MW wind farm under development in Guanajuato. The project is a legacy windfarm which has a current self-supply permit that has already requested to migrate into the new regime and still pending on resolution.
- Represented the sponsor in the purchase, regularization, sale and financing of two wind farm projects in Mexico (400MW) on energy, environmental and regulatory matters.
- Representation of a Mexican energy company, in all legal aspects of several SPV’s involved in the generation of renewable energy in Mexico, including also their participation in the Mexican public tenders for the sale and purchase of electric energy in Mexico, by means of wind farms.
- Represented a Chinese International company in the acquisition of wind farms projects in Mexico as well as in the Mexican public tenders for the sale and purchase of electric energy in Mexico by means of wind farms.
- Represented an American company in the Mexican public tenders for the sale and purchase of electric energy in Mexico, by means of solar farms.
- Participation as Mexican energy expert in the preparation of a legal report for the World Bank and the Ministry of Energy for the possible implementation of enhanced oil recovery.
- Represented an International company in the negotiation for the purchase of energy and gas for its food plants in Mexico.
- Legal assistance in the implementation of strategy for the protection of international treaties (investment arbitration) of a Mexican company owner of wind and solar farm.
- Preparation of a legal framework related with all obligations to be complied for the sale of solar energy for residential purposes in Mexico.
- Participation in the purchase of a hydroelectric central in the State of Nayarit on environmental, energy and regulatory matters.
- Assisted in the continuation of several injunctions (more than 20) against different agreements and provisions of the energy governmental authorities in Mexico that are trying to restrict the power generation of private companies in order to give more leverage and control to CFE.
- ACS and Envision with a disputes resolution in connection with multibillion dollar investments in the oil & gas and power generation industry in Mexico, amparos against the Municipality of Progreso for trying to charge for municipal permits not applicable to a wind farm in Yucatan, as well as corporate restructure deriving from the recent acquisition of Grupo Cobra by Vinci.
- Representation of energy companies in amparo proceedings (injunctions) against public policies and governmental decisions in energy matters.
- Legal assistance in the preparation of a strategy for arbitration against CFE for breach of contract.
- Legal assistance to Taylor Farms, who is an American-based producer of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables and currently ranks as the world's largest salad and fresh-cut vegetable processor, in the assignment of a new water concession title and help with the fulfilment of its obligations derived from the existent water wells and wastewater discharges at its Guanajuato, Mexico facility. anonimizar
- Legal assistance to Grupo IDESA, a multibillion-dollar Mexican conglomerate integrated by four divisions: Petrochemical, Ditribution, Construction Systems, and Logistics, for the implementation of the environmental, social, and corporate governance policies and its ESG criteria in order to meet its financial obligations and improve their credit rating.
- Representation of Grupo Procaps in environmental and regulatory matters pertaining to the acquisition of all assets of the company known as Grupo Farmacéutico Somar by Procaps Group. The assets to be acquired include 4 properties, one of which is a laboratory for the production of pharmaceutical drug samples.
- Assisting The World Bank to help SEMARNAT (Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources) in the implementation of the basis to elaborate a Mexican Official Standard (NOM) for the CCUS (Carbon Capture, Use and Storage), as part of the efforts from Mexico to fight against Climate Change and comply with national and international obligations. Anonimizar
- Represents a Mexican petrochemical company in all environmental matters related with the operation of chemical plants in Mexico.
- Participation as Mexican environmental expert in the preparation of a legal report for the World Bank and the Ministry of Energy for the possible implementation of carbon capture, use and storage in Mexico.
- Represents an international company in the food business in all environmental matters related with the food plants of the company in Mexico, including all water matters.
- Participation as legal environmental expert in the preparation of environmental and regulatory framework for the operation of gas stations in Mexico.
- Participated in several legal audits on environmental matters for the financing and restructuring of hospitality projects.
- Represented a Canadian company in the possible acquisition of a mining company in Mexico, by participating in the legal environmental auditing.
- Represents a food company in Mexico on water matters.
- Legal assistance on environmental matters for the construction and operation of several wind farms in Mexico.
- Legal assistance on environmental, energy and regulatory matters for the purchase of several thermoelectric plants in Mexico.
- Several legal audits on environmental matters for the construction, purchase or refinancing of wind farm projects in the State of Oaxaca.
- Several legal audits and legal assistance for the construction and operation of infrastructure projects in Mexico, including Federal toll roads and penitentiary compounds in Mexico.
- Assistance on environmental matters for the implementation of Clean Development Mechanisms in accordance to the Kyoto Protocol in Mexico and Latin America.
- Legal analysis of the use restrictions of a property for the possible findings of archaeological vestiges and any other environmental restrictions.
- Legal analysis on the environmental and agrarian restrictions of a property in Tulum, in order to help our client (seller) to confirm to the buyer that it has legal property, no agrarian affectations, and that environmental restrictions allow the hotel to be built on the property.
- Legal assistance for the regularization and obtention of a concession title from SEMARNAT (Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources) for the use of Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone of a residential project located in the popular beach destination of Acapulco, Guerrero.
- Legal assistance in the due diligence process of the compliance environmental aspects for the in the purchase of a hotel resort chain in the south of Mexico (Cancun, Mayan Riviera).
- Legal assessment of a chemical industry in Mexico on environmental and regulatory matters, including the filing and obtainment of healthcare permits from Health Agency in Mexico “COFEPRIS.”
- Legal assessment of an international retail company in relation to the regulations and restrictions for the purchase and sale of drugs (medicines) by foreign citizens in Mexico.
- Regularization of various hospitality companies with regards to the compliance of all environmental and regulatory permits, including health care and sanitary permits needed for their operation.
- Legal assessment on regulatory and health care matters for the import and export of livestock through Mexico.
- Legal assistance to pharmaceutical companies in Mexico for the compliance of their environmental and regulatory obligations, including health care and e-commerce.
- Review of the compliance status of the legal obligations as part of several DD process for different companies, as well as legal assistance of the corresponding regularization processes on environmental, energy, regulatory and health care matters.
- Legal assistance on the filing and obtainment of sanitary and health care permits and licenses for different food companies.
- Legal involvement on the DD process on environmental, regulatory and health care matters for the purchase of a lens and contact lens and clinical laboratories companies in Mexico.
- Assistance to different companies on regulatory matters, including the use of confidential and private information on e-commerce web sites including medical sales and telemedicine.
- Legal assistance for the negotiation and finance obtaining for a project to supply electricity to an industrial park.
- Represents Mexican and Chinese companies in the project finance of a 70 MW wind farm in the State of Yucatan, with a value of more than US$30 million.
- Represented as part of the team on the financing of two wind farm projects in Mexico (400MW) on energy, environmental and regulatory matters, with a value of more than US$70 million.
- Participation in several environmental, energy and regulatory audits for the financing or refinancing of energy projects in Mexico.
- Legal assistance to FinSalud in environmental and regulatory matters pertaining to the structuring and negotiation of diverse agreements with the University Tec de Monterrey and Siemens for the financing, development, construction, operation, and maintenance of a chain of deambulatory healthcare facilities under the brand Tec de Monterrey.
- Participation with the Ministry of environment and Natural Resources for the preparation of several laws and regulations on different environmental matters.
- Participation in the purchase of a hydroelectric central in the State of Nayarit on environmental, energy and regulatory matters.
- Legal assistance on environmental, energy and regulatory matters for the operation and purchase of different thermoelectric plants in Mexico.
- Preparation of a legal framework related with all obligations to be complied for the sale of solar energy for residential purposes in Mexico.
- Legal assistance on regulatory matters for the installation and operation of gas and oil pipelines in Mexico.
- Legal assistance to ports in Mexico on environmental and regulatory matters.
- Ministry of the Interior, Mexican Government, 1998-2000
- Representation office of the Government of the State of Hidalgo in Mexico City, 1997-1998
- Overview and Challenges of the Consultation for Extractive Industrial and Infrastructure Projects in the Current Administration Seminar, Center for Environmental and Legal Studies, Mexico City, January 2019.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Chambers Latin America, 2023-2024
- Environment - Mexico, 2023-2024
- Energy & Natural Resources - Mexico, 2024
- Listed, Chambers Global, Energy & Natural Resources - Mexico, 2024
- Listed, Best Lawyers, “Best Lawyers in Mexico,” 2022 and 2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 Latin America Guide, 2021-2024
- Latin America: International – Projects and Energy, 2021-2022
- Latin America: Mexico - Next Generation Partners - Energy and Natural Resources, 2021-2024
- Latin America: Mexico - Next Generation Partners - Environment, 2021-2023
- Latin America: Mexico - Leading Individuals - Environment, 2024
- Team Member, a Law360 “Hospitality Practice Group of the Year,” 2021
- Named, Lexology, Legal Influencer Q2, 2020-2022 and Q1, 2024
- Listed, Corporate Insider, Legal Awards, Energy Law Firm of the Year, 2017
- Listed, Corporate Livewire Legal, Energy, 2015
- Listed, Who’s Who Intercontinental Registry, Featured Global Expert, Environment Mexico, 2014
- Listed, Acquisition International, Legal Awards Nominee, 2014
- Co-Chair, ICC Working Group on Circular Economy, 2022-Present
- Professor “Course of Environmental Legislation in Mexico”, imparted in English Language. UNAM, 2017
- Coauthor of the Report for the World Bank denominated “Legal Framework for the Carbon Capture Usage and Storage of Carbon in Mexico,” 2016
- Professor in the Seminar “Mexican Energy Reform” organized by the Government of the State of Sonora, 2016
- Professor “Course of environmental law for practitioners of KPMG,” 2015
- Participant in the worktable for the, "Discussion of the land ownership related with the Mexican Energy reform in Mexico, 2014
- Participant as professor in the seminar organized by the Ministry of Economy denominated “Energy Law in Mexico and the secondary legislation,” 2014
- Workshop for the discussion of the General Law of Climate Change, 2012
- Participant as professor in the seminar denominated “Legal preparation for the climate change, carbon markets promotion and sustainable development,” 2013
- Organization of the seminar “Adaptation of Mexico and Latin America for Climate Change,” 2011
- Participation in the Conference of the UN for Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol (COP16), 2010
Credentials
Education
- Diploma on Energy Matters, Energy Reform in Mexico, Escuela Libre de Derecho, Mexico City, Mexico, 2014
- Postgraduate Studies, Environmental Law, Universidad Panamericana, Mexico City, Mexico, 2005
- Law Degree, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Law School, Mexico City, Mexico, 2003
- Diploma on Public Affairs, Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública, 1999
Admissions
- Mexico
Languages
- Spanish, Native
- English, Fluent
- Italian, Fluent