Carlos Omaña > D'Empaire > Caracas, Venezuela > Lawyer Profile

D'Empaire Offices

D'Empaire
EDIFICIO BANCARACAS, P.H
PLAZA LA CASTELLANA
CARACAS 1060
Venezuela
Visit website 58 212 264 6244

Carlos Omaña

Carlos Omaña photo
+58 212 2646244 comana@dra.com.ve

Work Department

Corporate, Finance, Oil and Gas, and Venezuelan Sovereign International Financings

Position

Partner

Career

Partner since 2001. He was an intern at Shearman & Sterling in 1995.

He specializes on Venezuelan sovereign and quasi-sovereigns international financings, corporate law, oil and gas projects and corporate restructurings . He has participated in most of the significant Venezuelan financing transactions, including the issuance of PDVSA bonds. He has represented BNP Paribas, Barclays, CAF, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Haitong Securities, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), JP Morgan, UBS Securities.

Notable experience and representations include:

  • ABN AMRO BANK, as sole lead arranger and dealer manager in the offer and sale of PDVSA’s US$3.0 billion principal amount of 5.25% Notes due 2017, PDVSA’s US$3.0 billion principal amount of 5.375% Notes due 2027 and PDVSA’s US$1.5 billion principal amount of 5.50% Notes due 2037
  • Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in a multi-billion dollar structured financing for PDVSA
  • Deutsche Bank Securities in connection with Siderurgica del Turbio’s US$100 million 10% notes due 2016, and related bridge financing facility
  • ABN AMRO Bank and a banking syndicate in connection with the US$135 million Pre-Export Finance Facility granted to C.V.G. Ferrominera Orinoco C.A.
  • ABN AMRO, Calyon Securities and Deutsche Bank in connection with the offering of US$1.5 billion Bonds due 2016 and US$1.5 billion Bonds due 2020 issued by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
  • Deutsche Bank and UBS Securities in connection with the offering of €1 billion 7% Global Bonds due 2015 issued by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
  • Deutsche Bank Securities and JP Morgan in the tender offer, consent solicitation and repurchase of US$2.6 billion notes by PDVSA Finance Ltd.
  • CSFB International in connection with the offering of US$1.5 billion 5.375% Notes due 2010 and the repurchase of US$3.8 billion Brady Bonds issued by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Carlos is currently ranked as “Band 1” by Chambers & Partners (2019 Venezuela Banking & Finance Rankings) and The Legal 500 describes him as “highly professional” and “well regarded” (2018 Venezuela Banking & Finance Rankings).

Languages

Spanish and English

Memberships

Bar Association of the Capital District, Caracas, Venezuela.

Education

He received a J.D. from Universidad Catolica Andres Bello in 1992, and an M.C.J. from New York University in 1994.

Lawyer Rankings

Venezuela > Corporate and M&A

D’Empaire‘s corporate and M&A practice has a strong track record of participating in major transactions resulting from the dollarisation of the market in Venezuela. In addition, the firm frequently collaborates with international law firms to advise global clients on cross-border transactions. Fulvio Italiani heads the team and is an experienced practitioner in M&A; his recent work highlights include assisting Brown-Forman with its acquisition of the Diplomático Rum brand and related assets. José Humberto Frías, Victorino Márquez, Roberto Mas and Inés Parra are active transactional lawyers, while Carlos Omaña has notable expertise in acquisitions in the onshore oil drilling sector. Associate Giancarlo Carrazza provides key support.

Venezuela > Banking and finance

D’Empaire‘s banking, finance and restructuring team is instructed by international and domestic financial institutions to represent them in complex financial transactions and regulatory matters. One of the firm’s standout recent highlights involved advising Meta on the application of legal and regulatory regimes in Venezuela in connection with its provision of non-fungible tokens (NFT) services; Roberto Mas and Daniel Bustos led the work. Carlos Omaña, who is focused on Venezuelan sovereign and quasi-sovereign international financings, leads the practice with Fulvio Italiani, whose areas of expertise include finance, restructuring, energy and sovereign debt. Roland Pettersson is experienced in insolvency and debt restructuring, and is noteworthy for being the only Venezuelan member of the International Insolvency Institute and INSOL International. Associate Miguel Zajía is a name to watch, owing to his work in representing international and domestic clients in transactions including financings and sovereign debt offerings.

Venezuela > Energy and natural resources

(Leading individuals)

Carlos Omaña – D’Empaire

D’Empaire is widely recognised for its oil and gas practice, which combines its knowledge and experience in the sector with its M&A and finance expertise. The firm has assisted foreign companies with energy-related projects and transactions, including advising international construction and engineering companies in connection with the execution of EPC turn-key projects. ‘Excellent advisers‘ Carlos Omaña, an expert in oil and gas projects, and Fulvio Italiani, who is experienced in major energy-related transactions, lead the team, while José Valecillos, José Humberto Frías, Arnoldo Troconis and Roberto Mas are also key names in the practice.

Lawyer Rankings

Top Tier Firm Rankings

Firm Rankings