Eduardo Marquez Certucha

EDUARDO MARQUEZ CERTUCHA advises private equity firms and institutional and financial investors in a wide range of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and project development, with an emphasis on the conventional and renewable energy, mining, and transportation sectors. Eduardo is licensed to practice law in Mexico and Texas and has particular experience advising clients in complex cross-border transactions in Latin America.

Legal 500 Latin America 2025 recommended Eduardo for Projects and Energy and City Leaders – Houston. The American Bar Association (ABA) honored Eduardo by naming him to its 2023 “On the Rise — Top 40 Young Lawyers” list. The annual list honors young ABA lawyer members for a broad range of achievement, innovation, vision, leadership, and legal and community service. In 2022, Eduardo was named in the Houston Business Journal’s 2022 “40 Under 40” list. This annual supplement celebrates the “best and brightest” of the Houston business community under the age of 40. Eduardo was also named by the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston as a “2022 Global Leader of Influence.” Also in 2022, Eduardo was listed by Latino Leaders magazine as one of their “Latino Lawyers to Keep on the Watch.” Finally, Eduardo was named as a “Rising Star” for 2022–2023 by Super Lawyers.

Eduardo is a leader in pro bono service and in 2021, Eduardo was shortlisted for the International Bar Association’s “Pro Bono Award” for his role in Sidley’s Emerging Enterprises Pro Bono Program.

Eduardo is also an active participant in the legal community in Houston and Texas, and in 2020, 2021, and 2022, he received the “President’s Award of Merit” from the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) for his dedication to promoting TYLA and serving its members and community. He was also named to the “2015 Leaders Monitor” and to the “2014 Club Leaders of the Future” by Latino Leaders. Eduardo serves on the Board of Editors of the Energy Law Advisor, which is the oldest electronic publication of the Institute of Energy Law. Eduardo has published academic and specialized legal articles in the U.S., South America, Europe, and Africa as well as in some of the most prestigious universities in Mexico and Colombia.

Eduardo’s professional experience includes working in international organizations, such as the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) and the Organization of American States.

Eduardo is a native Spanish speaker, fluently speaks French, and is proficient in Portuguese.

Eduardo’s representative experience includes the following:

Power and Alternative Energy

• Xignux, a Monterrey, Mexico-based leader in the energy and food industries, in the US$5.28 billion sale of its stake in Prolec GE to GE Vernova.
• Denham Capital in the sale of Rio Energy, a leading developer, owner, and operator of onshore wind and solar projects in Brazil, to Equinor.
• Enbridge Inc. in an infrastructure development agreement with Divert Inc. to develop projects turning wasted food into renewable natural gas (RNG) across the U.S. for up to more than US$1 billion of capital investments underpinned by long-term, take-or-pay contracts.
• TC Energy Corporation in an investment in an RNG production facility near the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, TN.
• An energy infrastructure company in a joint venture to develop in an RNG project that converts manure-derived, anaerobic digester gas and landfill gas into RNG.
• A private equity fund in the proposed investment in a company that develops battery storage projects in Latin America.
• An Australian funds manager on the sale of its economic interest in a portfolio of U.S. power generation facilities.
• An owner and operator of clean energy power plants, in its 51% interest sale to a Canadian fund for a total commitment of US$656 million.
• A private company in negotiating an EPC for the development of a solar project in Texas.
• A private equity-backed portfolio company in negotiating the EPC and O&M agreements for the development of 12 solar plants in Chile.
• A private equity-backed portfolio company in the sale of four solar plants in Chile.
• One of the largest power generation companies in Asia with a reorganization of the company’s renewable energy business in the United States.
• A Mexican company in negotiating cross-border power purchase agreements.
• A Japanese company in the purchase of equity in a wind project in Argentina.
• A thermal energy management company in the construction agreement for a cold storage system in California.
• A private equity fund in the proposed acquisition of a developer of an energy as a service developer of infrastructure assets.
• A private energy company in a strategic investment in an energy-service company that provides electric power solutions.
• A manager of renewable energy portfolios in its sale of 31 projects in the southeastern United States.
• A manager of renewable energy portfolios in its sale of a renewable energy project in Wyoming.
• A financial institution in connection with providing long-term asset secured wind hedges to support the financing and development of various wind power projects.
• A manager of renewable energy portfolios in the sale of a solar project in South Carolina.
• A manager of renewable energy portfolios in the sale of a wind project in Colorado.
• A private equity fund in a potential investment in a waste-to-energy company in Detroit.

Oil and Gas

• A private equity fund in its investment in the Pelican Pipeline, a new 1.75 Bcf/d line linking Haynesville development to the Gillis hub in southwestern Louisiana.
• Morgan Stanley Energy Partners and Durango Midstream LLC in the sale of Durango Permian LLC to Kinetik for US$765 million.
• A private equity fund as co-investor in a controlling interest in a leading natural gas operating pipeline with a transaction value of more than US$1 billion.
• A private equity fund in multiple investments in new upstream-focused portfolio companies.
• An energy-focused investment firm in an overriding royalty interest transaction with an oil and gas exploration company.
• A liquids pipeline company in a potential investment in a development pipeline in Mexico.
• A private equity fund in its sale of an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in Colombia for a total value of US$137 million.
• A private equity fund in its acquisition of an equity stake in a developer of oil and gas properties.
• An oil major in its sale of oil and gas assets to an international buyer for a total value of approximately US$700 million.
• Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Estate Assets (MIRA) in its joint venture with California Resources Corporation, in which MIRA committed to funding US$160 million (and up to US$300 million) for the development of oil and gas properties in California.
• Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in the sale of upstream and midstream assets in East Texas to Castleton Commodities International LLC for more than US$1 billion.
• A PE-backed portfolio company in the purchase of oil and gas assets in Central Anadarko for approximately US$132 million from a company in an ongoing Chapter 11 proceeding in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
• An energy-focused private equity firm in its equity commitments and investments with different management teams to pursue investment opportunities in the oil, gas and minerals space.
• A private oil and gas company in an acreage trade of oil and gas leases located in West Virginia.
• A public oil and gas company in its US$102 million divestiture of oil and gas assets located in Louisiana and Texas.
• A public oil and gas company in its US$99 million divestiture of upstream oil and gas assets located in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
• A public oil and gas company in its US$51 million divestiture of midstream oil and gas assets.
• A PE-backed portfolio company in the purchase of 50% of the oil and gas interest in the Barnett Shale for an undisclosed amount.
• A private oil and gas company in its US$25 million purchase of oil and gas assets in Oklahoma.
• A U.S. private equity fund in a US$200 million joint venture in Mexico in an offshore drilling company.
• The World Bank in a legal and fiscal project regarding enhancement of an African country’s oil and gas regulations.

LNG

• An infrastructure fund in the redemption of convertible equity in a major liquid natural gas (LNG) export facility
• An infrastructure fund in a debt investment in a major LNG export facility.
• A PE fund in a proposed investment in an LNG export project in Texas.
• The sponsors in the LNG purchase and sale agreement for an LNG liquefaction project in South Texas.
• A private equity fund in a follow-on investment an LNG export project in Louisiana.
• A private equity fund in a potential convertible debt transaction with an LNG company. 

Terminal Assets

• Texon, L.P., a Houston, Texas-based midstream service provider of butane blending and energy marketing, in its sale to Savage, a global provider of supply chain infrastructure and solutions.
• A private company in its sale of a liquids and logistics terminal in British Columbia, Canada.
• A private company in its sale of a liquids and logistics terminal in Alberta, Canada.
• A private company in its sale of a logistics and liquids-blending terminal located in Oklahoma for a total value of approximately US$90 million.
• A private energy company in a joint venture agreement with a Canadian company for the construction of a liquids terminal in British Columbia, Canada.
• A private equity fund in a potential investment in terminal assets in South Texas and Louisiana.
• A private company in a potential investment in oil and gas terminals and storage facilities in Mexico.

Transportation

• United Airlines in the financial reorganization of its strategic partner Azul S.A., the largest airline in Brazil.
• AlphaStruxure, a joint venture between Schneider Electric and Carlyle Group, in its contract to operate integrated microgrid infrastructure at the New Terminal One (NTO) at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York.
• Canadian National Railway in its proposed combination with Kansas City Southern.
• United Airlines in its transaction with Mesa Airlines (Mesa) involving equity and governance related arrangements.
• United Airlines in connection with its equity investment in Avianca Group International Limited.
• United Airlines in connection with its financing agreement with Avianca Holdings S.A., alongside Kingsland Holdings Limited, for US$250 million in convertible loans.
• United Airlines in connection with its US$456 million loan agreement to an affiliate of Synergy Group Corp. and Avianca Holdings S.A.
• United Airlines in international alliance agreements.
• United Airlines in the formation of the Eco-Skies Alliance.
• A developer, owner, and operator of submarine communications cables in establishing operations in South America.
• A satellite company in a satellite infrastructure contract.
• A satellite company in a satellite connectivity services agreement.
• A Chinese airline in establishing and operating a freighter service to Mexico.
• A major US airline in corporate governance matters in Mexico.
• A large freight railroad company in corporate governance matters in Mexico.

Mining

• Orion Resource Partners in its US$2.3 billion joint venture with Capstone Copper Corp., with respect to the Santo Domingo copper–iron ore mining project in the Atacama region of Chile.
• Orion Resource Partners, a leading global investment firm specializing in the metals and materials critical to sustainable economic growth and energy transition, on its US$80M preferred equity investment in New Wave G.P., a global Brazilian technology holding company dedicated to developing innovative and sustainable solutions for the mining and metallurgical industries.
• Allkem Limited (ASX: AKE) in its all-stock merger of equals with Livent Corporation (NYSE: LTHM), a transaction valued at approximately US$10.6 billion.
• A PE firm in its acquisition of a minority stake in a mining project in the Dominican Republic.
• A PE firm in a follow-on investment in a mining project in the Dominican Republic.
• A private company based in South America in its consideration of a proposed acquisition of a Zync mine in South America.
• A private equity fund in its purchase of a mining project in Chile.
• An institutional mining investor in mining agency arrangements.

Other Corporate and M&A

• A Big four accounting firm in corporate governance matters in Latin America. 
• An e-commerce U.S. public company in the sale of 20% interest in MercadoLibre, Inc. for an estimated US$1.2 billion offering price.
• NuVera Medical, Inc., a medical technology company, in connection with its acquisition by Ethicon, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
• A private equity fund in the potential acquisition of a medical imaging company.
• A manufacturer of pipe and tubing in its corporate reorganization.
• The world’s largest real estate private equity fund in its acquisition of the Mexican real estate assets of a U.S. conglomerate in a deal worth US$3.3 billion (Latin Lawyer’s 2015 Corporate Finance “Deal of the Year”).
• A bank in its US$80 million loan to a diversified metal component manufacturer to refinance existing debt and acquire a company in Mexico.
• A U.S. oil and gas company in connection with Mexico’s Energy Round 1 bidding process.
• A Panamanian oil and gas consultancy with offices in Ecuador in an arbitration regarding the transfer of offshore platforms.
• U.S. and international companies in establishing operations in Mexico and in connection with their day-to-day corporate governance and operating transactions in Mexico.
• The Organization of American States General Secretariat with regard to private contracts and multilateral agreements.
• Served as a short-term consultant for the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (Financial & Private Sector Development Unit).

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

• Texas Young Lawyers Association (board member 2018–2022)
• Global Shapers Community (World Economic Forum)
• Institute of Energy Law, Center for American and International Law (advisory board member)
• Houston Young Lawyers Association Leadership Academy Class for 2016–2017
• Oil & Gas Law, Contracts and Negotiations joint program of the Association of International Energy Negotiators, Institute of Energy Law and Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation (2017)
• Social Venture Partners
• Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos Jóvenes – Houston, Executive Committee
• Founder and former president of Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos Jóvenes DFW
• International Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Houston Bar Association
• Houston Young Lawyers Association

Eduardo has represented the following pro bono clients and taken part in other pro bono matters:

• A pro bono client with operations in Africa in the proposed structuring of a commercial contract to register and share carbon credits.
• A pro bono client in the structuring of a not-for-profit fund to develop the shea industry in West Africa.
• A pro bono client in the EPC for the construction and development of mini-grids in Lesotho. 
• A pro bono client in Kenya in renegotiating its existing debt with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.
• A pro bono client in Kenya in its sale of equity to international investors.
• A pro bono client in Nicaragua in the sale of equity to international investors. 
• A pro bono client based in Rwanda in its second round of seed financing by an international fund.
• Pro bono clients in obtaining and maintaining recognition by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service of exempt status under section 501(c)(3) including nonprofits in Houston and New York and nonprofits with international activities.
• In 2014, Eduardo founded the “Young Leaders of Tomorrow” mentorship program for “at-risk” Hispanic students at Adamson High School.
• Eduardo served as the South and Central America coordinator for Sidley’s Emerging Enterprises Pro Bono Program.