Carlos Ochoa

Overview

Carlos A. Ochoa Valenzuela is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Mexico City office. He focuses his practice on energy, infrastructure, real estate, corporate services, project finance, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), arbitration and litigation. Mr. Ochoa has more than 18 years of experience working in the energy and infrastructure sector. He has extensive experience in the areas of electricity, oil and gas.

Mr. Ochoa's practice includes a focus on local and cross-border energy, infrastructure and real estate transactions. In addition, he participated in the implementation of the 2013 Mexican Energy Reforms.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Ochoa served as the legal chief for international investment and legal affairs at the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) from 2011 to 2013. Mr. Ochoa also worked as the director of the Hydrocarbons Regulatory Department at the Ministry of Energy from 2010 to 2011. He served as the legal chief for commercial and real estate affairs at Luz y Fuerza del Centro (LyFC) from 2007 to 2009, and was the senior attorney appointed to the Legal Processes Area of the General Attorney's Office of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) from 2002 to 2007.

Representative Experience

Represented a wide range of international entities at public bid contests and agreements related to infrastructure, electricity, oil and gas
Executed independent power producer (IPP) (conventional and renewable energy) new generation projects and agreements
Represented oil, gas and electricity entities in a wide range of disputes and negotiations regarding infrastructure, public contracts and energy matters
Participated in the negotiation for the implementation of Manzanillo LNG port project
Advised a state-owned entity for the signing of a credit facility agreement in the amount of US$ 391 million
Advised on public bid processes regarding four natural gas pipelines in the northern part of Mexico
Participated in the negotiation of new terms and conditions for a long-term services agreement (20 years) regarding natural gas supply for Northwestern Mexican territory
Participated in the review and authorization of contracts for the acquisition of assets necessary for the development of an electric infrastructure in Central Mexico

Counseling Advance Clean Energy in all legal matters involving the development, financing and sale of a 80-megawatt (MW) solar power project in the Mexican state of Sonora
Representing Elite Energy in the financing and development of a 360-MW combined-cycle power plant in Mexico
Advising a company in the financing and development of Mexico's second utility-scale solar park with private offtakers
Counseling in the financing and legal matters related to a 1-gigawatt (GW) wind farm to be developed in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas

Represented Buenavista Renewables, a Texas-based renewable energy developer, in a cross-border $30 million refinancing of a solar park project located in Chihuahua, Mexico
Advised Oak Creek Energy Systems, Inc., a California-based wind projects developer, in the development, project finance and sale of the first two construction-ready stages of its Tres Mesas Wind Project to funds managed by Goldman Sachs and Corporativo GBM
Represented a bilateral agency and a Mexican bank in the US $100 million project financing of a wind project in northern Mexico
Represented a bilateral agency in a biomass project financing

Represented an industrial conglomerate in the sale of its polymer business in Mexico and Latin America for an amount of US$ 450 million
Represented diverse Mexican and foreign companies in general corporate matters

Credentials

Education

Universidad Panamericana, LL.M., Business Law
Universidad Anáhuac, LL.M., Public Law
Universidad Anáhuac, J.D.

Bar Admissions/Licenses

Mexico

Memberships

Asociación Nacional de Abogados de Empresa (ANADE)
Mexican Academy for Energy Law
International Bar Association

Honors & Awards

The Best Lawyers in Mexico, Administrative Law, Energy Law, Project Finance and Development Practice, 2021-2025
LACCA Approved, Energy, Latin Lawyer, 2025
Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, 2024
Leaders League, Mexico: Projects & Infrastructure, 2023, 2024
IFLR1000, The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms, Notable Practitioner, Project Development, Project Finance, 2019, 2023, 2024
Latin American Corporate Counsel Association (LACCA) Approved Attorney, Energy, Mexico, 2017-2020, 2024
The Legal 500 Latin America, Next Generation Partner, Energy and Natural Resources, 2020
Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2020
Chambers & Partners Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, Latin America, 2019
Los 300: Líderes Más Influyentes de México, Líderes Mexicanos, 2018
The Legal 500 Latin America, Energy and Natural Resources, Mexico, 2015-2019; Projects and Infrastructure, 2018, 2019
Holland & Knight Public and Charitable Service All-Star, 2014