Legal, tax and energy professionals from multiple countries convened to discuss international energy investments and tax implications at the 6th Annual University of Houston Law Center Denney L. Wright International Energy Tax Conference and 24th Annual Houston Business and Tax Law Journal Symposium.
“The world of international energy is obviously forever changing, and the tax issues are always important to making or breaking any of our investments,” said Denney Wright, Professor of Practice at the University of Houston Law Center and event host. “This conference is the perfect opportunity to exchange ideas to move forward with energy investments that make sense for everyone.”
The Houston Business and Tax Law Journal Editor-in-Chief Samuel Kuang and Executive Editor Nathan Weiss welcomed participants to the March conference, which featured a record 27 distinguished speakers.
Presentations focused on lessons learned from international energy investments. The first panel titled “Tax and Energy Investment Climate vis-à-vis Mexico’s Presidential Election” featured insights from Mario Barrera, Partner at Holland & Knight, and Eduardo Canales, Counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.
The conference then shifted to Brazil with a presentation led by Norman Nadorff, Special Counsel at Mayer Brown and Adjunct Professor at UHLC, and Leandro Duarte, Senior Associate at Tauil & Chequer Advogados In Association with Mayer Brown.
Andrew Wright, Partner at Buck Keenan LLP, moderated a panel titled "Lessons Learned in Energy Dispute Resolutions,” with Gary McGowan, McGowan Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, Alexander Obrecht, Partner at BakerHostetler, and Andrew Zeve, Partner at White & Case.
An overview of the Association of International Energy Negotiators, coupled with a focus on transition and model agreements, was presented by a panel comprising John Bridges, Executive Director at AIEN, Andrew Lambrecht, President of the UHLC AIEN Student Chapter, Eduardo Miranda, President of the HCU AIEN Student Chapter, Gabrielle Finger, Senior Commercial Advisor at Chevron New Energies (now Commercial Manager at Storegga) and Chantal Carriere, Associate at White & Case.
In the panel titled "US Inflation Reduction Act of 2022: Regulatory Updates and Future Directions," Julie Chapel, Director of Washington National Tax—Credits and Incentives at KPMG LLP, John R. Lehrer II, Partner at BakerHostetler, Barbara de Marigny, Partner at Baker Botts, Jenny Speck, Partner at Bracewell, Andrew Porter, Senior Tax Manager and Counsel at BP, and Sam Guthrie, Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, led discussions on the significant impact of this landmark legislation.
Bret Wells, Law Foundation Professor of Law at UHLC accompanied by Jeff Romero, Associate (now Partner) at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, provided key takeaways on recent court decisions during the panel on “US International Tax Developments Updates.”
Insights into “Lessons Learned from Sanctions Impacting the Energy Sector” were shared by Julian Cardenas Garcia, Research Assistant Professor and Director for the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law at UHLC, J. Patrick Landon, Associate at Streusand, Landon, Ozburn & Lemmon, LLP, and James Perry, Associate at BakerHostetler.
Closing the conference, Dan Jankovic, Partner at Blakes, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Luís Miranda, Of Counsel at Miranda Alliance gave a comprehensive overview of “Lessons Learned from Energy Investments across Africa and Across Canada.”
The event was sponsored by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Baker Botts, BakerHostetler, Blakes, Bracewell, Buck Keenan, Chevron, ExxonMobil, KPMG, Mayer Brown, Skadden, and White & Case.
Original source can be found here.