George Y. Gonzalez is a partner in the Energy, Mergers and Acquisitions and International Practice Groups in the Houston office of Haynes and Boone, LLP. He counsels U.S. and Latin American businesses in general corporate law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate control matters, securities, privately held companies and international legal issues.
George advises seasoned corporate clients in both the U.S. and international contexts. Industries represented include energy, oil and gas, midstream, upstream, downstream, power, food and beverage, infrastructure, real estate, and technology, among others. He counsels public and private corporations and other businesses on their corporate, partnership or other limited liability structure; provides guidance on day-to-day operating and transactions strategies; and negotiates combination, service agreements, public private partnerships (P3), and other transactions.
George has written or presented material on a variety of topics including the intellectual property provisions of NAFTA, renewable energy in Mexico, private equity opportunities within the U.S. Hispanic market, and the manner in which an international corporation may list securities on a U.S. stock exchange through the use of American Depository Receipts.
George has negotiated on behalf of clients in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain and Venezuela, among other countries. Additionally, he has participated in panel discussions regarding business developments in Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Canada, Venezuela, Chile and the Andean regions. George studied for a year as a Rotary Graduate Scholar in 1991 at the Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile.
In 2010, George was named One of the Top 100 Influential Hispanics in the U.S. in Hispanic Business magazine's October issue.
Representative Matters
Energy
- Represented a Fortune 50 oil and gas multinational in several retail asset sale transactions throughout the U.S.
- Representation of a retail electricity provider in connection with acquisition of assets of a competing business.
- Representation of a retail electricity provider in connection with the sale of equity to a competing business.
- Represented a natural gas pipeline and trading company in connection with a significant equity investment by a private equity group.
- Representation of National Energy & Trade Holdings LLC in connection with its tax reorganization and new credit facility.
- Representation of a Fortune 500 U.S. energy company in an international joint venture in connection with the development, construction and operation of a 525-MW power plant in Mexico for the Comisión Federal de Electricidad.
- Representation of a significant refining company in connection with Latin American and other business operations.
- Representation of the purchasing agent subsidiary of a major South American integrated, international oil and gas company in connection with its purchasing contracts and restructuring.
- Representation of Kinder Morgan in connection with its cross-border natural gas pipeline and ownership of related assets.
- Representation of a Fortune 500 refining company in connection with the structuring of a cross-border pipeline and storage facility in Mexico for LPG.
- Representation of a major international drilling services company based in Houston in connection with a request for proposals from British Gas for drilling services in Bolivia.
- Representation of a major energy company based in Canada in connection with its enabling agreements and public request for bids for the provision of energy with and before the Mexican Comisión Federal de Electricidad.
- Representation of a major pipeline company based in Boston in connection with its formation of a Mexican subsidiary.
- Representation of a major energy company based in California in public requests for bids before the Mexican Comisión Federal de Electricidad for the construction of independent power plants in Rio Bravo and Tuxpan.
- Representation of Norex Group AS, a Norwegian seismic and oil and gas services company, in connection with the formation of an international data visualization company for the seismic industry with visualization theaters in Houston, London and Australia, and the acquisition of the stock of a Houston-based seismic company.
- Representation of AES Gener, the third largest electricity generator in Chile, in the purchase of a Bermuda company with rights to oil and gas concessions in Chile and Argentina.
- Representation of a major oil and gas energy company in the acquisition of a preferred stock position in a California company engaged in the regional natural gas transmission and distribution business.
Food and Beverage
- Representation of Grupo Modelo with respect to its marketing, distribution and promotion of consumer products in the U.S. and other corporate projects.
- Representation of the U.S. expansion of the Rincon Argentino restaurant chain.
- Representation of major international food company with the drafting and negotiation of marketing and distribution agreements in Mexico.
- Represented Maximus Coffee Group in connection with the acquisition of the assets of the Harrisburg coffee processing plant and warehouse complex from Kraft Foods Global.
- Representation of Progreso LLC, the special purpose entity formed by the family owners of the La Michoacana restaurants in connection with the roll up of specialty grocery stores.
- Represented Blencor in connection with commercial contracts, executive employment arrangements and immigration issues.
Finance
- Represented a large international bank in connection with several loan transactions throughout Texas.
- Representation of Barri Remittance Corporation in connection with an equity investment and restructuring.
- Represented SH 130 Concession Company, established by Cintra Infraestructuras, S.A. and Zachry/Hastings, in connection with the joint venture agreement with respect to a $1.36 billion funding package for construction and operation of SH 130 between Austin and Seguin.
Infrastructure and Manufacturing
- Representation of a manufacturing conglomerate based in the Northeast in connection with its maquiladora operation in Mexico and associated tax-incentivized arrangements.
- Representation of Azurix, a water services company, in connection with the acquisition and construction of water treatment plants in Toluca and León, Mexico.
- Representation of a Houston-based real estate and health care conglomerate in connection with a joint venture with a Mexican real estate company in the low-income housing industry in Mexico.
- Representation of Eaton Corporation in its acquisition of assets consisting of heavy duty truck parts including clutches from Corporativo DESC in Mexico.
- Representation of a Monterrey-based steel company in its acquisition of real estate and flat rolling assets in Texas.
Technology
- Representation of a major Internet reseller of consumer goods in connection with its formation and structuring of an entity and business structure for Mexico.
- Representation of a predecessor to the Hewlett-Packard Company in connection with contractual arrangements with distributors in Latin America.
- Representation of a television set-top box Internet services company in its joint venture arrangement with a Guatemalan entity and related licenses and venture capital documentation, including registration rights, issuance of warrants and corporate control governance agreement for the provision of Internet services in the Latin American market, beginning in Central America.
- Representation of a major oil and gas energy company in a joint participation agreement with an Internet company in Colombia in the television set-top box Internet services industry.
Healthcare
- Representation of a Woodlands-based gene therapy company in its merger into a Seattle-based genetics company.
- Representation of Apple Orthodontix in numerous merger and acquisition transactions in the dental health care industry.
Additional
- Representation of American Residential Services in numerous merger and acquisition transactions in the air conditioning industry.
- Representation of a national printing holding company based in Houston in its acquisition of the assets of four graphics printing companies in Florida, Tennessee and Texas, out of bankruptcy in the State of Delaware.
- Representation of Editorial Trillas S.A. de C.V., the third largest publishing house in Mexico, in its formation of a U.S. subsidiary and various distribution and independent contractor arrangements in the U.S.
- Representation of USA Waste in a stock contribution agreement forming a joint venture waste hauling and collection entity with Promotora Ambiental in Mexico.
- Representation of Sanifill in the acquisition of the stock of several waste collection companies in Puerto Rico.
- Representation of Sanifill and USA Waste/Waste Management in numerous merger and acquisition transactions involving consideration from $200,000 to $200 million, including stock and asset purchases, mergers and divestitures of waste collection, waste hauling and landfill companies.
Selected Publications and Speeches
- "Know Before You Go: Operations & Regulatory Risks in Foreign Markets," panelist, International Energy Services Symposium, Houston, Texas, April 25, 2013.
- "The Rule of Law in a Diverse World," panelist, presented by the State Bar of Texas: Texas Young Lawyers Association and International Law Section, November 8, 2012.
- "Invest in Spain," closing remarks, Business Conference, Houston, Texas, October 6, 2009.
- Moderator of the State of Veracruz, Mexico, conference featuring the Secretary of Tourism of the State of Veracruz on business opportunities in the State of Veracruz sponsored by the Greater Houston Partnership and the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, September 6, 2007.
- Speaker at the Interconnection Mexico event sponsored by the Greater Houston Partnership on the topic of practical legal considerations regarding doing business in Mexico, July 31, 2007.
- "Renewable Energy in Mexico: Opportunity for Mutual Benefit," Houston Business Journal, September 8-14, 2006.
- "Houston Potential for Hispanic/Latin American Business is Huge," Houston Business Journal, Vol. 37, No. 5, June 9-16, 2006.
- Moderator, "Private Equity Opportunities in Mexico and Within the U.S. Hispanic Market," Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Center for Private Equity Finance conference, McCombs School of Business, Austin, Texas, October, 15, 2004.
- Moderator, presentation by the ambassador of Peru, Greater Houston Partnership, October 8, 2004.
- Moderator, "Colombia's Energy Sector: Business and Investment Opportunities," Greater Houston Partnership featuring Colombia Minister of Energy, Minister of Defense and Ambassador, Washington, D.C., March 11, 2004.
- Moderator, "Texas and Canada: Partners in Trade - a $14 Billion Friendship," Greater Houston Partnership, World Trade Division, January, 14, 2004.
- Moderator, "Trading with the Andean Region," Greater Houston Partnership, World Trade Division, June 25, 2003.
- Panelist, "U.S. Chile FTA: Opportunities for Houston Business," Greater Houston Partnership, World Trade Division, June 16, 2003.
- "An Analysis of the Legal Implications of the Intellectual Property Provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement," Harvard International Law Journal, Vol. 34, No. 2, Spring 1993.
Professional Leadership
- Center for Houston's Future, Board Member
- Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Chairman Emeritus
- Greater Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Immediate Past Chairman of the Board
- GHP International Investment and Trade Advisory Committee, Vice Chair
- Christus Foundation, Advisory Council Member
- Houston Hispanic Bar Association, Advisory Director
- Houston Downtown District, Past Board Member
- Scenic Houston, Past Board Member
- Amigos de las Americas, Past International Board Member
- Houston Police Officers' Civil Service Commission, Past Commissioner
- HBA/Monterrey Lawyer Exchange Committee, Program/Brochure Committee Past Co-Chair
- Mexican Cultural Institute of Houston, Past Director
Memberships
- State Bar of Texas
- Houston Young Lawyers Association
- Houston Bar Association
- American Bar Association