Director
Steven P. Otillar is Partner at Baker & McKenzie LLP in the Major Projects Practice Group in Houston. His practice centers
around the areas of energy, infrastructure development and real estate, with a
particular emphasis on international and cross-border work.
Mr. Otillar is a frequent
lecturer on a variety of energy and development projects. Recent presentations
include “The Development of Natural Gas in Mexico Pursuant to Multiple Service
Agreements,” “Acquisition and Divestiture of Distressed Assets,” “Physical
Trading of Gas and Power under ISDA Master Agreements” and “Financing Wind
Power Projects.” His article on
“Resource Nationalism” was published by the Texas Lawyer.
Mr. Otillar served as a
volunteer in Amigos de Las Americas in Bolivar, Ecuador in 1986 and in Manabi, Ecuador
in 1987. In the late 1990’s he began to
serve on the board of directors for the Houston Chapter of Amigos, and became
its legal advisor after several years.
Thereafter, in 2004 Mr. Otillar was elected to the bard of directors for
IO, where he continues to serve at this time.
Mr. Otillar is also a member of the executive council of the
International Section of the State Bar of Texas and is past chair of the
Houston Bar Association’s International Law Section. Mr. Otillar is also an
active member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, the
Gulf Coast Power Association and the Houston World Affairs Council.
Specific legal experience includes: serving as lead
counsel for an international energy company with respect to its development of
an offshore oil exploration and production project in Brazil; working as
borrower’s counsel for the largest wind power generator in the United States
with respect to the financing of several projects in Texas, North Dakota and
Oklahoma; representing the Unsecured Creditors’ Committee in the Enron
bankruptcy as the principal energy attorney overseeing the liquidation of
Enron’s commodity trading book, various wind power projects throughout the
world and multiple producing oil and gas assets; working with a team on the
development and financing of several gas pipelines in Mexico; negotiating EPC
contracts and turbine purchase orders for the development of gas fired power
plants in the United States, Mexico and Brazil; assisting with drafting
terminal capacity agreements, joint venture agreements and engineering
construction management agreements for LNG receiving terminals in Mexico;
serving as lead counsel for an aviation fuel supplier and fixed base operator in
the acquisition of numerous facilities throughout the United States and Europe;
leading due diligence teams with respect to several World Bank sponsored
infrastructure projects involving the Nigerian port and rail sectors and the
Belgrade International Airport; assisting an international energy company with
the liquidation of power generation projects in India and Peru, as well as a
significant inventory of natural gas fired turbines; representing an Australian
commercial fertilizer company with due diligence on international acquisitions
and with various licensing and trademark matters; representing the acquiring
entity in a substantial merger between two global intermodal companies; and
working as local counsel regarding the acquisition and financing of multiple
commercial centers, hotels and shopping malls.
Education
University
of Houston,
J.D., cum laude, Order of the Coif, 1995
Southwestern University,
B.A., cum laude, with honors, 1992
Admissions
United States
District Court of Texas
Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern Districts of Texas
