Nadine Amr, Partner, Baker Botts
Nadine Amr is a partner with the Global Projects practice, based in the firm's London office. She advises clients on mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures and project development across the energy sector globally.
Nadine has been ranked as "Up and Coming" in Chambers Global (2024-2025), and is described in Chambers UK (2026) as "a complete professional" who is "very strong in all areas."
Nadine is active in the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN) and was one of the drafters of the AIEN's 2023 Model International Joint Operating Agreement, which updates and supplements one of the most widely used model form JOAs in the international upstream oil and gas industry.
Pablo Blanco, General Counsel, Repsol
Pablo Blanco was appointed secretary to the Board of Directors of Repsol, S.A. following the Board's resolution on April 26, 2023.
Mr. Blanco is the general counsel and a member of the Executive Committee at Repsol. He coordinates Repsol's legal counseling, corporate governance, and defense services, while defining policies, regulations, and processes for action to ensure that the company's undertakings are within the established legal frameworks. He also leads the Compliance Function and acts as chairman of the Ethics and Compliance Committee.
He joined Repsol as director of Regulation and Competition in 2005 and has headed the Legal Division of Exploration and Production (E&P) since 2008.
In 1999, he became a Spanish state attorney and was appointed director of Legal Services of the National Energy Commission in 2001.
Mr. Blanco holds a degree in law and business administration from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas and is a solicitor of England and Wales (United Kingdom).
David Blumental, Head of Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure - Asia, Simmons & Simmons
David is a highly skilled practitioner specializing in cross-border mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, joint ventures, private equity investments, project development, and finance. With over 20 years of experience in China and the Asia-Pacific region, along with virtual native fluency in Mandarin, he adeptly bridges cultural and language gaps between Chinese and international parties.
In the energy, natural resources, and infrastructure sector, David excels as a seasoned advisor, guiding Asia-based and international clients through diverse cross-border transactions. His expertise includes upstream oil and gas, LNG project development, long-term offtake agreements, FPSO/FSO charters and operating agreements, and other energy transactions and M&A deals.
Joining Simmons in 2023, David has received well-deserved recognition for his exceptional skills, earning a prestigious Band 1 ranking by Chambers as a top practitioner in the energy and natural resources field.
Natalia Bodalo Lozano, Head of Legal – Refining and Energy Parks, MOEVE
Natalia Bódalo is Head of Legal of Energy Parks and Exploration and Production at Moeve, a position from which she plays a key role in supporting the company’s strategic transformation and long‑term sustainability ambitions.
With more than 30 years of experience in the legal sector, both in private practice and in‑house roles, she joined Moeve over two decades ago and has since built a distinguished career advising the company on complex, high‑impact matters across multiple jurisdictions, consolidating her reputation as a trusted strategic advisor to the business.
In her current role, Natalia provides comprehensive legal support to Moeve’s Energy Parks and Exploration and Production (E&P) businesses, operating in technically demanding, highly regulated and international environments. She has been a central figure in the implementation of Moeve’s 2030 strategy, Positive Motion, particularly through her leadership in the divestment of a significant portion of the company’s oil and gas assets. These transactions have been instrumental in accelerating Moeve’s transition towards a more sustainable energy model, aligned with its decarbonization objectives and broader ESG commitments.
Throughout her tenure, Natalia has led and advised on landmark projects of major strategic importance, including the development of the Medgaz pipeline linking Algeria and Spain, large‑scale E&P acquisition processes, and the management of complex onshore and offshore operations across Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Her work spans the full life cycle of upstream assets, from exploration and development through production, divestment and decommissioning, as well as the current operation and future expansion of Energy Parks assets.
In addition, Natalia is responsible for the governance and legal oversight of multiple joint ventures involving both national and international partners. She provides ongoing strategic advice on contracting, operations and maintenance, major engineering and construction projects, and international arbitration proceedings. Her ability to combine deep technical expertise with a pragmatic business mindset has been instrumental in navigating complex negotiations and protecting the company’s interests in challenging environments.
A committed and inclusive leader, Natalia heads a diverse, multicultural legal team with strong international exposure. She places particular emphasis on talent development, resilience and adaptability, actively supporting her team through periods of transformation and change. Several members of her team have progressed into key roles within Moeve, contributing directly to the execution of the company’s strategic roadmap.
Widely recognised for her integrity, leadership and contribution to the legal community, Natalia participates actively in international forums and professional associations within the energy sector. Her experience, strategic insight, and value-driven leadership make her a key pillar of Moeve’s legal function and a role model within the organization.
Hywel Davies, Partner, Slaughter and May
Hywel is head of one of the firm’s corporate groups and co-head of the Infrastructure, Energy & Natural Resources practice. He has advised on a wide range of corporate and commercial transactions, with particular experience in public and private M&A, joint ventures and equity financings.
Andy Derman, Partner, Holland & Knight
Andy Derman is an energy attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office, where he concentrates his practice on oil and gas investment projects and cross-border transactions. Mr. Derman is the leader of the firm's International Energy practice. He is Board Certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Mr. Derman provides strategic commercial and business advice, as well as legal and commercial support, related to acquisitions, divestments, trades and mergers; large infrastructure projects, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), gas to liquids (GTL), geothermal, midstream, water purification and refineries; nationalization/expropriation; anti-corruption/Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and sanctions; unitizations; onshore and offshore boundary disputes; exploration, development and production operations; production sharing contracts; negotiations; and dispute resolution, including litigation, arbitration and expert testimony.
Mr. Derman has assisted clients in more than 80 countries on six continents and offers clients a comprehensive understanding of oil and gas activities through experience with a broad spectrum of countries and companies. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, he served as in-house counsel and later an executive for a large international oil and gas company for nearly 20 years. In addition to traditional legal representation, Mr. Derman also counsels clients on business development and commercial matters, including the identification and capture of oil and gas opportunities.
Mr. Derman is a frequent teacher and lecturer at conferences, seminars and universities on oil and gas-related topics. For more than 30 years, he has taught the full scope of oil and gas contracts, including host government contracts (production sharing, concession, license and service agreements) and industry contracts (joint operating agreements, accounting procedures, confidentiality agreements, study and bidding agreements, lifting agreements, farm-in and participation agreements, unitization agreements, infrastructure contracts, LNG contracts, etc.).