Haynes Boone is expanding its cross‑border energy and infrastructure capabilities with the addition of Sudan I. Maccio, who joins the Houston office as a partner in the Energy, Power and Natural Resources Group. His arrival comes as clients evaluate opportunities in Venezuela amid recent shifts in U.S. sanctions policy and changes to the country’s hydrocarbons regime, fueling demand for counsel on regulatory compliance, transaction structuring and risk assessment.
“Sudan’s arrival marks an important and timely investment in strengthening our Houston office capabilities,” said Houston Office Managing Partner Ricardo Garcia-Moreno. “The city sits at the center of the global energy and trade ecosystem, and our clients rely on us for sophisticated cross-border counsel. Adding Sudan’s experience significantly enhances our ability to support energy clients navigating an increasingly international market, including opportunities in Venezuela’s energy and mining industries where clients are seeking our assistance.”
Earlier this year, the firm launched its Venezuela Energy and Infrastructure Taskforce to support clients navigating regulatory, transactional and geopolitical developments in the region. Maccio’s addition enhances Haynes Boone’s efforts to support multinational energy companies and infrastructure investors positioning themselves for early-mover advantages in Venezuela’s reopening market.
Maccio is a Venezuelan native dual‑licensed in Texas and Venezuela, bringing more than 30 years of experience in the energy industry. He has advised on complex domestic and international transactions involving oil and gas, refining and petrochemical assets. Maccio has held senior in‑house roles with leading international energy companies, including PDVSA, Baker Hughes, Eni, Ecopetrol and, most recently, PetroTal.
His addition comes at a pivotal moment in the global energy landscape as Venezuela undergoes what Maccio describes as “the most significant shift in the energy sector since 1976” – a fundamental reopening that is expected to drive substantial investor interest.
“With one of the largest underdeveloped oil and gas reserves in the world, Venezuela represents a transformative opportunity as it reopens to global investment,” Maccio said. “The firm’s energy practice – combined with its deep bench in Texas and internationally – provides the ideal platform to help investors capture the wave of activity that will define this new Venezuela spring.”
Having spent most of his career in‑house, Maccio brings a commercial, execution-focused perspective to the Business Transactions Department. His experience working alongside executive teams on transactions throughout Venezuela and Latin America has given him direct exposure to the region’s regulatory landscape, positioning him to help clients translate shifting legal and policy frameworks into executable transactions in complex, high-risk markets.
“Clients are actively evaluating opportunities in Venezuela but face a highly complex and opaque environment, with heightened compliance considerations,” said Larry Pascal, co-chair of the firm’s International Practice Group. “Sudan brings critical local insight combined with U.S. legal experience, enabling us to guide clients through both the legal and practical realities of entering this market. His arrival also speaks to the firm’s commitment to Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Haynes Boone’s Energy, Power and Natural Resources Group is recognized for deep industry experience across upstream, midstream, downstream and LNG markets, and it brings strategic legal and commercial insight grounded in decades of representing major international and domestic energy clients. The team’s multidisciplinary acumen positions clients to assess both risk and opportunity as Venezuela’s regulatory and investment environment evolves.
The Latin American and Caribbean Practice Group advises clients on complex energy, infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing real estate and technology matters, drawing on its Mexico City office and lawyers across the U.S. and London. The team includes native or fluent speakers of English, Spanish, Portuguese and French who are trained in civil and international law, complementing the common law expertise of attorneys in the firm’s U.S. and London offices.
