CMS Woodhouse Lorente Ludlow’s energy and climate change department advises across the renewables, hydrocarbons and power sectors, acting for developers, power producers and electricity suppliers on a range of transactional and regulatory mandates. Energy and infrastructure specialist Derek Woodhouse is well regarded for his extensive experience in the design, financing and development of sector-related projects. He jointly leads the practice with Luis Fernández Lagunas, who handles electricity regulatory matters, renewable and conventional energy M&A, and project finance and development. Bringing together expertise in corporate finance, capital markets and regulatory issues, Raúl Zepeda focuses on energy transactions, while Giancarlo Schievenini is a key name for oil and gas work, most notably regulatory matters and transactions in the upstream and midstream segments. At senior associate level, Manuel Ferrara handles constitutional and administrative proceedings, while Evert Sánchez is active in regulatory compliance, EPC and O&M contracts and corporate deals.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Highly proactive, with extensive experience and practical expertise.
- Derek Woodhouse is an expert in energy law, highly articulate and efficient. He understands, analyzes, proposes, and even protects his clients, as his knowledge in this area is so vast that few clients are as familiar with the relevant laws as he is.
- No other firm specializes in energy; speed of service and response are crucial, and this firm excels at it. Availability and quick response are fundamental for any organization.
- The firm's main strength lies in its combination of technical expertise with practicality and a business-oriented approach. The team quickly grasps the business context and delivers clear, achievable, and timely solutions.
- It is a highly specialized, business-oriented firm that not only maintains technical rigor but also fully understands clients' priorities. The team not only handles the legal aspects but also identifies risks and proposes viable alternatives, aligning legal solutions with business and financial objectives.
Key clients
- MOTA-ENGIL MEXICO
- GRUPO CARSO
- FÉNIX ENERGÍA
- MONARCH ENERGY
- SANBORNS
- SHELL
- GE
- GOLDROYALTY
- PEPSICO
- VESTA
- BP
- BANOBRAS
Work highlights
Acted as lead counsel to Mota‑Engil México on a portfolio of four flagship energy projects with Mexico’s state counterparty ecosystem, spanning both power expansion and strategic industrial capacity: (i) the country’s first 900 MW pumped-storage hydropower project in Necaxa with CFE; (ii) a 937 MW combined-cycle plant in Tula under a turnkey structure for CFE; (iii) an integrated ammonia and urea plant in Escolín under a long-term BOT/tolling model with PEMEX (including project finance); and (iv) a separate ammonia project in Cosoleacaque also with PEMEX.
Advised Grupo Carso on the structuring and negotiation of a major midstream infrastructure project to develop, construct and operate a ~416 km natural gas pipeline that will extend the Samalayuca–Sásabe system to Mexicali, supporting fuel supply for combined-cycle generation in Baja California. .
Advised Vesta on the structuring and negotiation of electricity resale and capacity arrangements within Vesta’s industrial parks, including agreements with high-profile tenants (including data center users) and the alignment of supply structures with qualified suppliers.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Derek Woodhouse; Luis Fernández Lagunas
Other key lawyers
Raul Zepeda; Giancarlo Schievenini; Manuel Ferrara; Evert Sánchez; Gonzalo Margay