About

Germán Fernández Lahore joined the legal team of Argentine state-owned oil company YPF (Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales) in 2002 and moved into senior management as corporate vice president of legal services in December 2015. Fernández’s time in the legal department has coincided with a number of significant changes to the national oil industry, including a 2012 renationalisation order which saw the government of Argentina take a 51.01% controlling stake in YPF. Although the company is now aligned with national interests, it still operates as a major commercial venture partner with a number of international oil and gas companies. Nominators pointed to Fernández’s recent work to protect YPF’s interests and competitive position during negotiations with a major international oil company as evidence of his skilled handling of potentially difficult situations. YPF acts as operator for the Vaca Muerta region of Argentina, where substantial reserves of shale gas are held. Exploiting these resources for the benefit of YPF, and the country as a whole, will see Fernández dealing with a number of unique legal questions in the coming years. Fernández has previously worked as an associate at Argentine firm Estudio Beccar Varela and as a foreign associate at the Dallas, Texas offices of Haynes and Boone. He is a member of the academic council of the energy, hydrocarbon and mining law journal “Revista Argentina de Derecho de la Energía, Hidrocarburos y Minería”.