Bio

Francisco Mendez is a partner in Mayer Brown's Mexico City and Houston offices. He is a member of the Global Oil & Gas group and focuses on advising global oil and gas and Mexican-based companies in connection with project development, merger and acquisition and business transactions in Mexico and Latin America. He has extensive experience in dealing with the formation of joint venture agreements, production-sharing contracts and the bid processes and related regulatory issues involving host government E&P contracts. Francisco works with clients on the structuring, documentation, and negotiation of oil and gas/energy transactions that range from host government arrangements, farm-in/farm-out, joint operating agreements, and mergers and acquisitions to the review and negotiation of master services agreements on both operator and oil field services provider sides, and a variety of the most typical agreements in the industry. Previously, he spent close to 20 years at ExxonMobil Corporation as in-house counsel for Latin America, where he had advised the company on the opening of the oil and gas industry in Mexico to the private sector. As a part of this work for ExxonMobil, Francisco provided legal analysis of the changes to the Mexican Constitution, including the Enabling Legislation and regulations. Francisco was also involved in the formation of the Mexican Hydrocarbons Association, the first such industry association in Mexico.