Julia González > Gonzalez Calvillo > Mexico City, Mexico > Lawyer Profile

The nine-strong environmental practice at Gonzalez Calvillo handles the full array of environmental matters, ranging from contract review and environmental due diligence, through risk mitigation and preventative measures, to project development related matters and administrative litigation. The group also houses expertise regarding clean development mechanisms, climate change policy and ESG. Recent matters include assisting Smurfit Cartón y Papel de México on all issues related to its water usage and associated concession titles; undertaking due diligence of the environmental and urban development matters related to a hotel development in Quintana Roo; and aiding Triumvirate Environmental obtain various environmental permits, including hazardous waste import authorisations, civil protection approvals and various modifications to the company’s waste transportation permits. The practice is led by a trio of deeply experienced counsel: Enrique Muñoz Guízar advises companies on the identification and obtaining of the environmental permits, licenses, authorisations, and concessions required for the development of infrastructure projects in the water, energy, tourism and industrial sectors; contentious specialist Carlos Fernando Castilla focuses on administrative litigation and dispute resolution, particularly in relation to environmental and regulatory law; while the practice of Paola Hernández Villalvazo (a September 2022 hire from Grupo México’s Americas Mining Corporation) is centred on ESG matters. Further depth is provided by counsel Julia González, who devises strategies as regards regulatory, litigious and risk prevention, as well as handling social impact matters; and senior associate Georgina Zavala, a water law specialist. Former senior Paulina Poo Romero moved in house in February 2023.

The energy practice is a key pillar of Gonzalez Calvillo’s broad service offering and the team places particular emphasis on projects work, from structuring and development, to financing and operation. Clients are supported through the full life-cycle of their projects, from inception, through fundraising and development, to operation, with the team also well equipped to handle potential disputes – it is particularly capable in alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Five lawyers share leadership of the broad practice group: founding partner Enrique González Calvillo is a regular lead partner on transactions and financing in the sector; Jorge Cervantes Trejo is a go-to figure for power project finance, but also has a strong practice in ADR in the sector; Rodrigo Rojas Robleda is another seasoned financing expert; Oscar Moreno Silva handles infrastructure projects and regulatory matters; and Diana Pineda Esteban is an expert on the development side of energy projects work. At counsel level, Antonio de Lisi has assisted sponsors, investors, financial institutions and governments with cross-border and domestic financings, as well as project development; while Julia González focuses on infrastructure projects and designs strategies spanning regulatory, dispute resolution and risk prevention matters. Associate Jeronimo Ramos assists with infrastructure and energy project finance, structured finance, real estate transactions and M&A. Since publication, Pineda Esteban has left the firm (effective April 2024), subsequent to which the firm has announced an agreement to merge into Spain’s Pérez-Llorca.

The ‘highly sophisticated’ and ‘extremely responsive’ team at Gonzalez Calvillo is noted by one client for its ‘significant infrastructure expertise’, which encompasses a range of transactional, regulatory and dispute resolution work relating to infrastructure and project finance. The group has a strong track record assisting financial institutions, government entities, local and international development banks, multilateral entities, suppliers, contractors, and sponsors in connection with project development and financing transactions in various segments – including power, oil-and-gas, water, roads, airports, ports, railways and telecoms. The team’s six partners head up the department on an equal partnership basis: name partner Enrique Gonzalez Calvillo specialises in cross-border transactions involving energy and power generation, as well as M&A, joint ventures and project finance; Jorge Cervantes Trejo majors on M&A, project finance, private equity, energy and infrastructure. Rodrigo Rojas Robleda advises on project finance, lending and power generation projects, while Oscar Moreno Silva regularly represents clients on the regulatory and contractual components required for project development. Hernando Becerra de Cima advises developers and banks on infrastructure financing transactions; and Diana Pineda Esteban handles private and public tenders, oil-and-gas and infrastructure projects, and completes the senior team. Of counsel Antonio de Lisi is noted for his participation in financings, energy and infrastructure development transactions, joint ventures and M&A. Julia González, promoted to of counsel in January 2022, is active on the development of infrastructure projects, dispute resolution and risk prevention matters. Since publication, Pineda Esteban has left the firm – effective as of April 2024.