Ballard Partners is opening an office in Caracas, deepening a push into Venezuela that began earlier this year with the launch of a Western Hemisphere Affairs Practice and dedicated Venezuela Working Group.
The firm named Scott Wagner Managing Partner of the new office. Wagner will continue serving as a Partner in Ballard Partners’ Washington operation, working between the two capitals as the firm seeks to connect clients with commercial opportunities emerging in Venezuela.
“Opening an office in Caracas is the natural next step in our firm’s Western Hemisphere strategy and a reflection of the extraordinary moment now unfolding in Venezuela,” firm founder and President Brian Ballard said.
“As Venezuela focuses on growing its economy and its renewed engagement with the United States, our clients need advisors on the ground who understand both the Venezuelan market and the corridors of power in Washington. There is no one better positioned to lead that effort than Scott, and no firm better prepared to guide clients through this frontier.”
The expansion follows Ballard Partners’ January launch of its Western Hemisphere Affairs Practice, which covers policy and commercial matters involving Latin America, Mexico, Canada and Greenland.
The firm created its Venezuela Working Group at the same time to advise clients on sanctions policy, diplomacy, regulatory matters and cross-border commercial activity tied to U.S.-Venezuela relations.
Ballard Partners said the Caracas office will extend that work by pairing the firm’s Washington connections with advisers operating inside Venezuela. The firm expects the country’s energy, infrastructure and critical-minerals sectors to draw renewed U.S. and international investment during its political transition and economic reconstruction.
Wagner brings decades of experience in cross-border transactions across Latin America. He has advised on tens of billions of dollars in public and private infrastructure projects involving ports, airports, water management, environmental restoration and energy pipelines.
As an attorney, Wagner also has assisted multinational organizations with matters involving Panama, Cuba, Colombia and Venezuela. He was among the Florida-based advisers included in the Western Hemisphere practice and Venezuela Working Group announced earlier this year.
“Venezuela stands at the threshold of one of the most significant economic openings in the hemisphere in a generation,” Wagner said. “I am honored to lead Ballard Partners’ presence in Caracas.”
“By having a presence in both Washington and Venezuela, I’ll guide our clients on this transition from both sides, bringing them the insights and judgment they need to move with confidence in a market that is being rebuilt in real time.”
The wider Western Hemisphere team includes former officials from the White House National Security Council, State Department, Congress and Capitol Hill leadership offices.
Its roster includes Micah Ketchel, a former senior adviser at the National Security Council and State Department; Tracie Pough, a former longtime Chief of Staff to U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Tucker Knott, a former Chief of Staff to U.S. Sen. Ted Budd; and Thomas Boodry, who held senior legislative positions at the White House and on Capitol Hill.
Former state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz, who has helped lead Ballard Partners’ expansion into Latin American markets, also is part of the practice.
The Caracas opening continues the firm’s broader global expansion strategy, adding another international office to a network that includes locations in Tel Aviv, Istanbul and Riyadh.
The announcement also lands as Ballard Partners continues a remarkable run atop the federal lobbying industry. The Florida-founded firm reported $33.2 million in Q2 lobbying revenue, nearly $11.5 million more than its nearest competitor, and has now held the No. 1 spot on K Street for a full year.
