Reed Smith's Houston Office Takes Latin America Energy Partner From Haynes and Boone

Nicolas Borda, who had been a partner in Haynes and Boone's Mexico City office, returns to Houston, where he had practiced before.

January 09, 2020 at 05:59 PM

3 minute read

By Brenda Sapino Jeffreys
Senior reporter

The original version of this story was published on Texas Lawyer

Reed Smith boosted its Latin America and energy practices in Texas by hiring former Haynes and Boone partner Nicolas Borda, a cross-border energy transactions lawyer who had been based in Mexico City.

Borda joined Reed Smith on Jan. 1 as a partner in Houston in the global energy and natural resources group. He also joined the firm's Latin America business team.

The energy lawyer has long-standing ties to Texas, having spent some time in Houston for client matters while at Haynes and Boone, and earlier in his career when he practiced at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and Greenberg Traurig. After earning a law degree in Mexico, he got an LL.M. from the University of Texas School of Law.

Reed Smith's Latin America practice was a big lure for Borda, along with the firm's global footprint. In particular, Borda said, he looks forward to working with lawyers in the firm's London office who do maritime and international arbitration work, and in San Francisco, where it has lawyers focused on renewable energy matters.

Borda does regulatory work, M&A, infrastructure project development, government procurement, public policy, anti-corruption, compliance and international trade and dispute resolution, related to oil and gas, power and renewable energy. He also advises on the North American Free Trade Agreement and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. He declined to identify his clients, but said they include companies based in Mexico and elsewhere.

Prajakt Samant, the London-based chairman of Reed Smith's energy and natural resources industry group, said in a press release that Borda fits into the firm's strategy of adding depth to its energy expertise in Latin America.

In addition to Borda, Reed Smith also hired energy associate A.J. Wissinger, who had worked at LyondellBasell in Houston.

Asked about Borda's departure, a spokesman at Haynes and Boone wrote in an email, "We appreciate Nicolas' service to our clients and wish him well at his new firm."

According to its website, Haynes and Boone has 19 lawyers in Mexico City.

Reed Smith Boosts Latin America Practice and Expands in Houston, Philadelphia