Special Counsel Norman Nadorff is located in Houston working closely with the Rio office. His practice centers on energy law and transactions and ethics law compliance.
For 30 years, Norman served as in-house counsel for major oil companies with primary focus on Latin America, West Africa and Indonesia. He was Senior Counsel for BP in Angola from 2006 to 2015 as well as Legal Manager for BP Brazil and ARCO Indonesia, where he held two expatriate assignments in the 1990’s. In addition, Norman was worldwide Legal Manager for BP Solar in the early 2000's.
Norman has dealt with a wide range of commercial documents, including farmout, unitization, joint operating, study and bidding, EPC, drilling and drilling services, gas sales, shareholder, joint venture, and project finance agreements, as well as a wide variety of host government granting instruments. At ARCO, Norman wrote the Company’s policies on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, US Anti-boycott laws and US Export Regulations. He has participated in corruption, fraud, conflict of interest and hostage-taking investigations and helped resolved various commercial disputes.
Norman has been Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center since 2012 and has taught International Petroleum Agreements in several US and foreign law schools. In 2006, he played key roles in the creation of a pioneering international oil and gas master’s program at Angola’s national law school, which is now in its sixteenth year. Norman lectures frequently on petroleum law, anti-corruption laws, contract drafting and negotiations, and development of local talent. He is a Fulbright Specialist in oil and gas law in which capacity he accepted a lectureship at the St. Petersburg State University Faculty of Law prior to the breakout of hostilities.
Norman is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, proficient in French, and has experience negotiating in all three languages. He is currently a Director of the Brazil-Texas Chamber of Commerce and former Director of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators in which he is active in several capacities.
Alma Del Toro, Mexican American Lawyer with a M.A. with an International Business focus from DePaul University in Chicago. Alma is the Founder & President of Blue Bull Energy (BBE) and Cofounder and Copresident of Blue Wave International Supplier Development Platform (Blue Wave). Alma has + 25 years of experience in the energy sector including 17 years with BP in leadership positions globally such as Head of Finance of Global Technology, Guld of Mexico, and Senior Business Development Advisor.
BBE is a company dedicated to developing business and communities operating internationally. Blue Bull Energy has facilitated over 15 Joint Operating Agreement Commercial Optimization Training Sessions for the some of the largest National Oil Companies such as Pemex, Ecopetrol and Petronas. BBE’s portfolio also includes environmental conservation projects with Petronas protecting endangered sea turtles in Campeche, Mexico.
Michael Ventocilla, focuses his practice on global engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) transactions. He has significant experience advising owners, developers and contractors on the development and implementation of conventional and renewable energy projects and related energy services, including asset management, operation and maintenance and long term services.
In addition to his private practice experience, Michael has held multiple in-house counsel roles, including serving as Lead Sourcing Counsel for a global energy technology company, spearheading efforts to optimize their procurement processes and contract infrastructure after a large corporate divestment and working as Corporate Counsel for an international EPC company, supporting them in the planning and execution of onshore and offshore engineering and construction projects, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, petrochemical facilities and floating production units (FPUs).