On July 16, Fernando Cano-Lasa, a lawyer formerly at Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), joined the Houston office of law firm Squire Patton Boggs, the firm said in a press release.

Cano-Lasa spent 12 years with Pemex and Pemex Procurement International, in “a variety of roles in their legal departments,” Squire said. He “primarily advises U.S. and international corporations in energy and corporate law,” the firm said, noting that this includes the energy reform in Mexico.

“We have been focused on growing our energy transactional capabilities in Houston and across the firm. Our domestic and international clients will benefit greatly from his counsel on key energy issues and transactions affecting the Mexican and Latin American oil and gas industries,” said Steven Harris, a managing partner at the Houston office.

“Fernando’s arrival comes at an exciting time for us in Texas. Following the Squire Patton Boggs combination which took effect last month, we now have an integrated team of roughly 50 lawyers spanning Dallas and Houston which provides a broader offering to clients and great opportunities that we are already realizing,” Harris added.

Washington, D.C.-based law firm Patton Boggs merged with Cleveland-based law firm Squire Sanders.