Ramón Andrade

Venezuela is undergoing its most significant transformation in a generation. The 2026 Hydrocarbons Law reform, a proposed new Mining Law, the sequential reopening of OFAC general licenses, and renewed interest from development finance institutions are creating unprecedented opportunities for international companies across oil & gas, mining, infrastructure, and electricity. For firms and investors navigating this reopening, the question is not whether Venezuela offers opportunity; it’s who can guide them through the complexities on the ground.

That's the work I do every day from Caracas.

I am a Partner at Ponte Andrade Casanova (PAC), where I lead the firm's energy, natural resources, infrastructure, and project finance practice. Over nearly three decades, I have advised international oil companies, oilfield service providers, mining companies, and financial institutions on their most complex Venezuelan operations, from structuring joint ventures with PDVSA and negotiating non-associated gas licenses on the Deltana Platform, to advising on the formation of Venezuela's largest gold mining mixed company, to structuring project finance and off-take agreements for major energy operators.

Before joining PAC, I spent over seventeen years as a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright (and its predecessor, Macleod Dixon), where I built a cross-border practice advising Fortune 500 energy and technology companies across Latin America. I then served as Director of the Special Assets & Restructuring Division at CAF – Development Bank of Latin America, where I managed a $300 million portfolio of distressed and strategic assets across the region. That combination: international law firm rigor, development finance discipline, and on-the-ground Venezuelan practice, is what I bring to every engagement.

I hold a law degree from UCAB (top 5% of class) and a specialization in Financial and Tax Law (Cum Laude, top 2%), along with the TRIUM Global Executive MBA from NYU Stern, London School of Economics, and HEC Paris. I am ranked by Chambers & Partners (Latin America and Global) and The Legal 500 (Latin America) across multiple practice areas.

My clients include international oil companies, oilfield service providers, mining operators, and financial institutions, as well as leading international law firms that rely on me as their trusted Venezuelan counsel for cross-border matters. Whether advising a client directly or working alongside an international firm as their on-the-ground partner, I bring the same depth of regulatory knowledge, deal experience, and institutional relationships to every engagement.

I am also the author of The Busy Attorney's Guide to Financial Statements, a bestselling guide to financial fluency for legal professionals — reflecting the same conviction that drives my practice: that the best legal counsel operates at the intersection of law and business.