Overview

Adrián Ortiz de Elguea is a business attorney in Holland & Knight's Mexico City office, where he focuses his practice on energy, infrastructure, environment, regulatory and government affairs matters. He assists clients in the management, development and operation of domestic and cross-border renewable energy projects, as well as the acquisition and sale of renewable energy portfolios. Additionally, Mr. Ortiz de Elguea has extensive knowledge of the Mexican regulatory framework, including the procurement, administration and compliance of permits among various governmental authorities. His experience also includes oil and gas matters in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors.

In addition to his regulatory practice, Mr. Ortiz de Elguea has significant experience in representing national and international clients in environmental matters, particularly in the duly compliance of  environmental obligations for various permits obtained at all government levels.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Ortiz de Elguea worked at leading law firms that had a particular focus in energy matters, both in hydrocarbons and electricity.

He is pursuing a master's degree in renewable energies and energy efficiency at the Universidad de Nebrija in Spain.

Representative Experience

  • Representation of a subsidiary of a major multinational construction company on legal, technical and regulatory matters in connection with the development of renewable energy projects in Mexico, with the objective of generating approximately 1,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity
  • Representation of international companies in the development, financing and operation of power plants with different regulatory matters before authorities such as National Center for Energy Control (CENACE), Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), Secretariat of Energy (SENER) and Federal Electricity Commission (CFE)
  • Representation of a Spanish multinational conglomerate dedicated to the development and management of infrastructure and renewable energies, in connection with the legal and regulatory advice for the development of a wind farm located in the municipality of San Carlos, Tamaulipas, which provides 198 MW of clean energy
  • Representation of a French multinational utility company, operating in the fields of energy transition, electricity generation and distribution, natural gas, nuclear energy, renewable energies and oil, in connection with the legal and regulatory advice for the development, operation and maintenance of a photovoltaic solar farm and a wind farm located in Baja California Sur
  • Representation of several qualified users in the negotiation and execution of electricity supply contracts

  • Representation of a Canadian company with a presence in Mexico, focused on power generation that is engaged in developing, constructing, owning and operating clean and green global energy infrastructure assets in Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and other global jurisdictions, in connection with the preparation of an environmental audit report for compliance with the terms and conditions of the Environmental Impact Authorization granted by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), which requires grass planting, creeping vegetation and reforestation activities in the region
  • Representation of an international company in a judicial proceeding before the federal court regarding the denial of a compliance extension requested for the environmental impact authorization in the site preparation and surface construction stages of the project and obtained a favorable judgment
  • Representation of a leading energy storage company in the environmental restructuring of all of the company's business units, specifically with respect to regulatory aspects, research and development of projects for obtaining and managing all federal, state and local permits, licenses and authorizations before the competent authorities
  • Representation of an international company, with the renewal of its portfolio, specifically for obtaining environmental permits (wastewater discharge permit, environmental impact authorization and its modification), for compliance with federal, local and municipal environmental legal requirements for project remediation, waste and emissions
  • Representation of national and international companies, on different environmental inspection visits to the facilities of a transshipment terminal, with the purpose of verifying whether the companies complied with the requirements for the authorized exemption on the environmental impact for the commercialization of hydrocarbons and petroleum products
  • Represented an important Spanish group to provide environmental advice on relocation of flora and fauna (protected by various regulations) in the region and avoiding deforestation
  • Representation of an international company with legal, contractual and environmental advice in connection with a judicial process against a Mexican agency for the notifications of several resolutions imposing sanctions on exploration platforms located in the Gulf of Mexico

  • Representation of an important gas station group, for the management, follow-up and obtaining of retail permits before the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) throughout the country
  • Representation of a subsidiary of an important multinational company engaged in construction with legal, regulatory, governmental and political representation, in connection with several communications and strategies for the request of the commercial operation date, and the extension of the testing period with National Center for Energy Control (CENACE), CRE, Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), and the state of Zacatecas
  • Representation of a Swiss-German company with legal, financial and technical advice to achieve an alliance with a strategic partner for the proper development of the business, especially in accordance with the federal government for the financing of the project

Credentials

Education
  • Escuela Libre de Derecho, Certificate in Energy Law
  • Universidad Anáhuac Mexico, Campus Norte, J.D.
  • Georgetown University, International Law Institute, Certificate in U.S. Law
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Mexico
Memberships
  • Certified Lobbyist, Mexican Congress, Senate and Chamber of Deputies
Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in Mexico, Ones to Watch, 2024
Spoken Languages
  • English
  • Spanish

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News