BLP announces the opening of a representative office in Venezuela in response to growing interest from regional and international clients and investors who are evaluating opportunities in the country. The move expands the firm’s regional platform and strengthens its ability to support them with local knowledge, international standards and cross-border execution.
In recent months, BLP has seen a sustained increase in companies’ interest in exploring investment opportunities in Venezuela, particularly in sectors such as energy and hydrocarbons, mining, infrastructure, telecommunications, insurance, banking and finance and mergers and acquisitions. That interest comes with considerable regulatory complexity and risk, which calls for sophisticated legal advice to structure transactions properly. The opening of this office is a direct response to that demand.
The firm, which has 36 partners and more than 200 lawyers, integrates its new Venezuelan capability with its presence in Central America and its representative offices in Spain and the United Arab Emirates, allowing clients to coordinate transactions across jurisdictions under a single standard of service.
Operations in Caracas are scheduled to begin in November 2026.
“Our decision to establish a representative office in Venezuela is driven by client demand. We are seeing growing interest from regional and international companies in exploring opportunities in the country, particularly in sectors such as energy, hydrocarbons, mining, infrastructure, telecommunications, insurance, banking and finance and mergers and acquisitions, among others. It is a market where the opportunity is significant, but so is the complexity, which is why we believe sophisticated legal advice will be key for those who decide to invest. This is a long-term commitment, backed by our regional platform,” said Eduardo Calderón, the BLP Partner in charge of the new office.
As part of the team, Luis Palacios, Director at BLP, will be based in Venezuela and will serve as one of the firm’s main points of contact in the country. Palacios is a Venezuelan attorney who graduated from the Universidad Metropolitana de Venezuela and also studied at the Universidad de Costa Rica. He holds a master’s degree in Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law from Lewis & Clark Colege in the United States and has experience advising multinational and regional companies on environmental, natural resources, energy and regulatory compliance matters. He is a founding member and treasurer of the Cámara de Empresarios Venezolano-Costarricense (Venezuelan-Costa Rican Business Chamber) and a member of the International Bar Association.
“Venezuela is undergoing significant regulatory and economic changes in strategic sectors, in an environment where legal certainty and regulatory compliance remain central concerns for any investor. Our role is to help clients understand that context, rigorously assess the risks and structure their investments on a sound footing,” said Palacios.
The Venezuela opening reflects the principle that has guided BLP’s expansion over the past decade: supporting its clients wherever they need it and strengthening its regional platform with a direct presence in the most strategically relevant markets.