Biography
Leopoldo is a lawyer licensed to practice in Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela, with over 35 years of experience advising clients on international business transactions, particularly in acquisitions, divestitures, and cross-border oil, gas, and energy projects.
He began his career as in-house counsel in the International Legal Department of Petróleos de
Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) and later became a partner at leading international law firms, including Baker McKenzie and Macleod Dixon (Caracas), Norton Rose Fulbright (Caracas, Bogotá, and Mexico City), and CMS (Bogotá), where he also worked in select projects with the Mexico City office.
He has led over 30 due diligence processes for the acquisition of companies and assets in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Panama, Brazil, and Uruguay, in transactions valued between USD 110 million and USD 1.2 billion. His sector expertise includes energy (generation, transmission, distribution, and commercialization), oil and gas (midstream and downstream infrastructure), renewable energy (distributed generation), transport infrastructure (toll roads, airports), and construction.
His practice covers country entry strategies, portfolio structuring and divestment of exploration and production and mineral rights, project development agreements, joint ventures, and oil and natural gas transportation and supply contracts.
He provides business-oriented legal solutions in areas such as commercial law, competition and consumer protection, dispute resolution, regulatory compliance, and data privacy.
Leopoldo has also supported oil and gas companies in equity financing of oil & gas property acquisitions through TSX-V listed vehicles.
He is a member of the Mexican Steering Committee of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN).
He has also served as compliance manager, developing and implementing compliance programs and training initiatives.
- Advised a Mexican oil and gas company in negotiations with the Mexican Energy Secretariat
- (SENER) and PEMEX for the sale of its interest in an Exploration and Exploitation License and Joint Operating Agreement, including drafting and negotiating related commercial, development, royalty, and O&M agreements.
- Assisted a privately owned international shipping agency in acquiring a Louisiana shipping agency, managing coordination with local counsel on regulatory, due diligence, and transactional matters under Louisiana law.
- Guided an energy major through Colombia’s country entry analysis and participation in its first offshore wind round administered by the National Hydrocarbons Commission.
- Advised a TSX-listed oil company on negotiating production sharing contracts with PEMEX and crude oil and natural gas supply agreements.
- Led multiple successful contract migrations from risk service agreements to Exploration and Exploitation Contracts, including the negotiation of the first Joint Operating Agreement in Mexico for both conventional and unconventional reservoirs.
- Advised Colombia’s national oil company in negotiating a long-term natural gas supply agreement with PDVSA Gas for transportation through the Colombia–Venezuela bi-national pipeline.
- Assisted a subsidiary of a major trading company in drafting and negotiating EPC and start-up contracts for fuel storage and distribution infrastructure in Colombia, including interconnection facilities with CENIT’s polyduct system.
- Served as general counsel for a Colombian biopharmaceutical startup, advising the board during manufacturing set-up in a free trade zone.
- Provided comprehensive legal, ethics, and compliance counsel to a Dutch multinational in the Colombian healthcare sector, including dispute management and resolution.
- Acted as Colombian general counsel for a Danish offshore drilling company, overseeing tax, legal, and labor compliance, dispute resolution, and licensing for offshore free trade zone operations in Colombia.
- Served as de facto general counsel for a wholesale fuel distributor, managing contracts, disputes, claims, and employee training programs.
- Advised an oil and gas major on the proposed acquisition of a Guatemalan fuel oil terminal, leading the drafting and negotiation of the asset purchase agreement under New York law.
- Managed due diligence and risk assessments for underwriting R&W insurance policies in highvalue acquisitions across six Latin American countries — Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Panama, and Uruguay — covering energy generation plants, oil and gas infrastructure, renewable energy assets, toll road and airport concessions, and forestry plantations.
- Leopoldo has delivered presentations and training on mergers and acquisitions, commercial law, and energy sector legal frameworks across Latin America and the Caribbean.
- He has also provided in-house training on AIEN’s model Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) and accounting procedures to several oil and gas companies.
- Who’s Who Legal (Lexology) – Energy/Oil & Gas (2023)
- The Legal 500 Latin America – Recommended Lawyer in Projects & Energy and Projects & Infrastructure (2019–2022)
- LACCA Approved – Energy sector, Latin America Corporate Counsel Association (2015–2022)
- IFLR1000 – Highly Regarded Lawyer in Banking, M&A, and Project Financing in Mexico (2019– 2021) and in Colombia (multiple years)
- IFLR – Leading Lawyer in Corporate, Energy, Public Law, and Compliance (2013, 2015, 2016)
- Chambers Global – Band 2 in Energy & Natural Resources (Colombia, 2016) and legal expert for Venezuela; Band 1 International Partner in Energy & Natural Resources (2014)
- Chambers Latin America – Venezuela, Energy & Natural Resources (2015)
- The International Who’s Who of Oil and Gas Lawyers – Who’s Who Legal (2014)
- Best Lawyers – Lawyer of the Year in Natural Resources – Venezuela (2013)
FisherBroyles is an international law firm practicing in a number of jurisdictions both in the United States and overseas through affiliated legal entities and branch offices of those entities. Legal services in Mexico are provided through Bravo Gutierrez & Münch, S.C., a member of FisherBroyles (the “Contracting Member”), with offices located in Mexico City, at Parque Lincoln, 5th Floor, Aristoteles 77, Polanco, Mexico City, Ciudad de Mexico 11560 and in Monterrey, at Blvd. Antonio L. Rodriguez 3000-5to piso Interior, 501 Torre Albia, Col. Santa Maria 64650 Monterrey, N.L.
The FisherBroyles Members engage in coordinated international legal practice and may share certain support services but are separate legal entities, each of which is solely responsible for its own work and is not responsible for the work of any other FisherBroyles Member. Each FisherBroyles Member is subject to the laws and regulations of the particular jurisdiction or jurisdictions in which it operates. Full details of the legal and regulatory status of each FisherBroyles Member are available on the FisherBroyles website.
The use of the name FisherBroyles is for description purposes only and does not imply that the Member Firms are in a partnership or are part of an LLP. The use of the word “partner” on any Member Firm’s website or in any other Member Firm materials refers to a partner or member of a FisherBroyles Member or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualifications. You agree that your relationship is with the Contracting Member and not with another FisherBroyles Member unless otherwise confirmed in writing to you. You also agree that your relationship is not with any individual who is a member, employee, or consultant (including anyone we call a partner) of the Contracting Firm Member, who will therefore assume, to the extent permitted by law, no personal liability to you. Absent the explicit agreement and consent of both entities involved, no FisherBroyles Member is responsible for the acts or omissions of, nor has any authority to obligate or otherwise bind, any other FisherBroyles Member.
Leopoldo Olavarria
Partner
Credentials
Admissions
- Mexico
Colombia
Venezuela
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, LLM, 1988
Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, LLB, 1987
Prior Law Firm Experience
Norton Rose Fulbright Mexico
Norton Rose Fulbright Colombia
Norton Rose Fulbright Venezuela
CMS Rodriguez Azuero
Baker McKenzie