Roberto Rios Artigas

Practice Areas

Energy and Natural Resources

Renewables

Leveraged Finance and Debt Finance

Asset-based Lending

Projects and Project Finance

Career

Roberto Ríos is a project development and finance lawyer with 15-plus years of experience helping developers and financial institutions in the energy and infrastructure sectors, while maintaining a broad finance practice.

Roberto has experience advising the three key players in an energy and infrastructure project; government, sponsors, including developers, and financing providers. This experience provides clients with a 360-degree perspective of a project. Roberto has participated in the development and financing of a wide range of projects, including toll roads, water, energy and rail projects, among others.

Roberto has advised both federal and state governmental entities and agencies in the legal design and instrumentation of infrastructure projects. Roberto has also represented lenders and sponsors in connection with public biddings related to government procurement and public works, concession titles, permits, engineering, procurement and construction contracts, operation and maintenance contracts and investments in infrastructure projects. In addition, he has extensive experience in local and cross-border financings, securities, mergers and acquisitions as well as in private equity transactions.

Professional Memberships

Barra Mexicana Colegio de Abogados, A.C.

Publications

Mexican Energy Regulatory Commission imposes sanction of more than US$450 million; Mexico’s Supreme Court issues precedent disfavorable to permit holders, June 28, 2022.

Mexican Congress rejects electricity constitutional reform and approves bill to regulate lithium, April 20, 2022.

Mexican Supreme Court dismisses Unconstitutionality Action against Electricity Industry Law reform, April 8, 2022.

Work Highlights

US$125 million Reserve-based Lending for Fieldwood Energy E&P Mexico. Roberto represented Natixis, a leading France-based global corporate and investment bank as lead arranger and global coordinator, and a syndicate of international lenders to Fieldwood Energy E&P Mexico, a subsidiary of Fieldwood Energy, on a circa US$125 million development reserve-based lending facility (RBL) for the development of Fieldwood Mexico's interest in the Contract Area 4 offshore Mexico. The transaction was unique in that it involved a sponsor that was in the midst of a Chapter 11 case.

Mexico-Toluca high-speed rail. Represented Rizzani de Eccher, the leading Italian-based construction company, and its Mexican subsidiary, Rizzani de Eccher México, S. de R.L. de C.V., in connection with a Public Works Agreement entered into with the Government of Mexico, regarding the construction of a segment of the Mexico-Toluca high-speed rail project. The Mexico-Toluca high-speed rail project is one of the most important projects in recent years and one of the few rail projects in Mexico.

XInfra Fibra E’s acquisition of Concesionaria Bicentenario. Advised XInfra Fibra E, from a projects’ perspective, in its acquisition of 90 percent of the capital stock of Concesionaria Bicentenario and 50 percent of Operadora Libramiento de Celaya. Concesionaria Bicenterario holds a concession title for the rehabilitation, operation, preservation and maintenance of a beltway on the outskirts of the city of Celaya, in the State of Guanajuato, México. The transaction required the negotiation and amendment of the long-term project financing documents with Banco del Bajío, the amendment to the project documents, including the Operation and Maintenance Agreement and the Conservation Agreement, as well as the negotiation and authorization of the transaction by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Connectivity and Mobility of the State of Guanajuato.

Restructuring of Ferrocarriles Suburbanos. Roberto advised Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos (Banobras) as lender and Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos, as Trustee in the Public Trust Number 1936 "Fondo Nacional de Infraestructura" (National Infrastructure Fund - FONADIN), as guarantor, in connection with the restructuring of the project by Ferrocarriles Suburbanos for the provision of the Public Passenger Rail Transport Service in the modality of regular suburban transportation on the Cuautitlán-Buenavista line. The restructuring involved Banobras' acquisition of the participation in the existing syndicated loan by seven European banks; Banco Santander, BBVA, Caixabank, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, Instituto de Crédito Oficial and Kutxabank.

Languages Spoken

Spanish

English

Education