Eugenio Hernández-Bretón
Biography
Dr. Eugenio Hernández-Bretón has been an attorney in the firm since 1981 and became partner in 1993. Eugenio is an elected member of the Venezuelan Academy of Political and Social Sciences, the Instituto Hispano Luso Americano de Derecho Internacional and the International Academy of Comparative Law. He has been recognized as a leading lawyer in energy and natural resources, international and domestic arbitration, and litigation by top legal directories including Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. He is a tenured law professor at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, Universidad Monteávila and Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. He holds a PhD from the University of Heidelberg and has authored of four books and more than three hundred articles.
Practice Focus
Eugenio is the head of the Energy, Mining and Infrastructure practice group in Venezuela and the Dispute Resolution practice group as well. Eugenio has extensive experience advising companies from the energy sector in arbitration procedures, contracts with the State and regulatory matters for oil, gas and mining international companies doing business in Venezuela.
Representative Legal Matters
- Advises international firms in mining and oil & gas projects in Venezuela.
- Eugenio has assisted in the negotiation of complex EPC contracts, and has acted as counsel and arbitrator in local and foreign proceedings.
- Eugenio has appeared before arbitration panels and foreign courts as expert witness on issues of international law, private international law and Venezuelan law.
- Advised several oil and gas foreign companies in their Venezuelan projects, including project financing.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Caracas Bar Association (1981)
- Member and former President of the Venezuelan Academy of Political and Social Sciences
- President of the Advisory Council of the Asociación Americana de Derecho Internacional Privado
- Instituto Hispano Luso Americano de Derecho Internacional
- International Academy of Comparative Law
Admissions
- Venezuela (1981)
Education
- University of Heidelberg (Dr. iur. utr., summa cum laude) (1991)
- Faculte Int'l de Droit Comparé (Diploma) (1990)
- University of Tuebingen (LL.M., magna cum laude) (1988)
- Columbia University (LL.M.) (1983)
- Andrés Bello Catholic University (J.D., summa cum laude) (1981)
Languages
- English
- German
- Italian
- Spanish