Dr Eugenio Hernández-Bretón > Baker & McKenzie, S.C. > Valencia, Venezuela > Lawyer Profile

Baker & McKenzie, S.C.
WORLD TRADE CENTER, 8TH FLOOR
OFFICE 8-A, AV. 168 SALVADOR FEO LA CRUZ ESTE-OESTE
NAGUANAGUA 2005, VALENCIA ESTADO CARABOBO
Venezuela
Eugenio Hernández-Bretón photo

Work Department

Corporate

Position

Dr. Eugenio Hernández-Bretón has been an attorney in the firm since 1981 and became partner in 1993. Eugenio is an elected member of the Venezuelan Academy of Political and Social Sciences, the Instituto Hispano Luso Americano de Derecho Internacional and the International Academy of Comparative Law. He has been recognized as a leading lawyer in energy and natural resources, international and domestic arbitration, and litigation by top legal directories including Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. He is a tenured law professor at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Universidad Monteávila and Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. He holds a PhD from the University of Heidelberg and has authored of four books and more than three hundred articles.

Career

Eugenio is the head of the Energy, Mining and Infrastructure practice group in Venezuela and the Dispute Resolution practice group as well. Eugenio has extensive experience advising companies from the energy sector in arbitration procedures, contracts with the State and regulatory matters for oil, gas and mining international companies doing business in Venezuela.

Languages

English, German, Italian, Spanish

Memberships

  • Caracas Bar Association (1981)
  • Member and former President of the Venezuelan Academy of Political and Social Sciences
  • President of the Advisory Council of the Asociación Americana de Derecho Internacional Privado
  • Instituto Hispano Luso Americano de Derecho Internacional
  • International Academy of Comparative Law

Education

  • University of Heidelberg (Dr. iur. utr., summa cum laude) (1991)
  • Faculte Int’l de Droit Comparé (Diploma) (1990)
  • University of Tuebingen (LL.M., magna cum laude) (1988)
  • Columbia University (LL.M.) (1983)
  • Andrés Bello Catholic University (J.D., summa cum laude) (1981)

Lawyer Rankings

Venezuela > Banking and finance

Baker & McKenzie, S.C. provides services related to acquisition and project finance, as well as securitisations and structured finance, financial restructurings and regulatory issues, with the firm frequently utilising its access to a global network to assist clients with cross-border matters. The key names in the team include Eugenio Hernández-Bretón and Jesús Dávila, who jointly head the practice, and María Eugenia Salazar-Furiati; all three have experience of advising international financial institutions on complex regulatory matters. Senior associates Adriana Gonçalves and Marie Roschelle Quintero are also noted.

Venezuela > Dispute resolution

(Leading partners)

Eugenio Hernández-BretónBaker & McKenzie, S.C.

Baker & McKenzie, S.C.‘s dispute resolution group is experienced in high-profile local and international disputes, ranging from civil and commercial litigation to commercial and international investment arbitration. The team benefits from being a part of a global network, which allows it to handle cross-border matters efficiently, with María Eugenia Salazar-Furiati leading cross-border teams from the Paris and New York offices in international investment arbitrations taking place in Venezuela. The strong compliance practice includes Jesús Dávila and senior associates Jesús Villegas and Adriana Gonçalves, whose expertise includes compliance investigations, as well as regulatory and compliance defence strategies for several industries. Senior associate Héctor Martínez is experienced in investment arbitration, having represented clients before ICSID and UNCITRAL tribunals, while Eugenio Hernández-Bretón and Gabriel De Jesús are other key individuals from the firm.

Venezuela > Energy and natural resources

(Leading partners)

Eugenio Hernández-BretónBaker & McKenzie, S.C.

Baker & McKenzie, S.C. has seen a significant recent increase in oil and gas-related work, building on extensive experience of advising major international companies on corporate and regulatory issues relating to their Venezuelan operations. Eugenio Hernández-Bretón has broad expertise in oil and gas matters, including assisting with arbitrations, and contractual and regulatory matters in this space. María Eugenia Salazar-Furiati is experienced in handling regulatory and contentious matters for oil and gas clients. Senior associates Héctor Martínez, an expert in the mining and oil and gas fields, and regulatory and compliance specialist Jesús Villegas are other key names.

Venezuela > Public law

Baker & McKenzie, S.C.‘s broad practice spans new and emerging aspects of public law. The team is able to advise a diverse range of clients on the Venezuelan regulations relating to telecoms, especially radio spectrum concessions, energy, including crude oil and gas extraction operations, and tourism, data privacy and government concessions. Notably, the firm is able to draw upon its network of offices across the globe to advise multinational companies and national clients on public procurement mandates, health regulations and administrative litigation against public entities. María Eugenia Salazar is experienced in regulatory matters and co-leads the government relations and contracts practice group alongside Eugenio Hernández-Bretón, whose key areas of expertise include advising companies from the energy sector on contracts with the state and regulatory matters affecting oil and gas companies. Senior associate Héctor Martínez specialises in providing legal advice to clients in the consumer product, pharmaceutical, mining and telecoms companies.