A former government official and deputy minister of foreign trade at the Ministry of the Economy in Mexico has joined White & Case's Mexico City office.
Francisco De Rosenzweig joins as a partner in the firm's global project finance practice, and has experience in the energy, infrastructure and transport sector.
De Rosenzweig who has spent over 20 years in the public sector, started researching energy law when he earned his doctorate in law. His past positions include general counsel for the Energy Regulatory Commission, chief of staff to the minister at the Ministry of Communications and Transport, general counsel for public expenditure at the Ministry of Finance and executive secretary at the Inter-Ministerial Commission for Public Expenditure, Financing and Privatisation. He has spent more than 10 years in the energy sector and was involved in the opening of Mexico's energy sector to private investment.
De Rosenzweig told IFLR1000 that he was impressed by White & Case and motivated to join the firm because of its "global approach." He also spoke about opportunities he expects to see in the energy sector.
"In the electricity industry there was only a sole provider. Now that we have a market and new regulation in place, I’m certain Mexico will be a more attractive market for foreign investment. If you consider that there’s a large demand for electricity and also transmission and distribution infrastructure, we believe there’s a major opportunity," he said. "Now that congress has passed the regulation, [corporations] will require advice to learn about how the Mexican legal framework works but also to talk about the transition to a market player.”
He is also interested in opportunity outside of Mexico. "I’m interested in increased opportunities in America and elsewhere. [While working in the public sector,] I was able to develop a strong network with different productive sectors in Mexico and other countries. This will allow me to learn about the needs and opportunities to help develop the practice.”