Hogan Lovells > Monterrey, Mexico > Firm Profile

Hogan Lovells > The Legal 500 Rankings

Mexico > City focus - Monterrey Tier 1

The Monterrey team at Hogan Lovells is well-regarded for its handling of banking and finance, corporate and M&A, litigation, real estate, project finance and tax work. On the banking and finance front – one of its core strengths – the group is regularly called upon by lenders and borrowers alike, as well as assisting Mexican states and municipalities with sub-sovereign financing mandates. Domestic and international companies working in the heavy industry, healthcare, food and beverage, and financial services' sectors also look to the group for assistance with corporate matters and M&A transactions. Recent mandates of note have also seen the practice group active on real estate transactions, such as the acquisition of an industrial facility in Matamoros, Tamaulipas; and the negotiation of a lease agreement for an industrial park in Escobedo, Nuevo León. Key contacts include René Arce Lozano, who is lauded by one client as ‘generating great added value with his ideas’ and is well-versed in structured financing operations, securitizations, project finance and PPPs. Guillermo González Frankenberger's broad practice takes in M&A, real estate, corporate governance and finance matters; he has notable knowledge of the maquiladora and automotive sectors. Jaime Espinosa de los Monteros advises clients on state and federal tax matters, M&A and project finance, as well as representing them in constitutional and administrative litigation. Alejandro García González focuses on commercial, civil and administrative litigation, as well as arbitration. Counsel Ana Catalina Decanini is noted for her handling of financing, real estate, and commercial transactions; while tax-focused associate David Esquivel garners client praise for his ‘extraordinary tax and administrative understanding’. Mario Jorge Yáñez left the firm in October 2023.

Mexico > Competition and antitrust Tier 1

Standing out for its 'technical level and its knowledge of competition law', Hogan Lovells has a robust offering in antitrust and competition law, regularly assisting with merger control for major international M&A, as well as with investigations carried out by Cofece. On the merger control side, the department has assisted clients from a variety of sectors in recent major transactions, including the energy market, representing BNP Paribas in an auto-finance acquisition, and acting for Assa Abloy on its $4.3bn acquisition of Spectrum Brands Home. As regards investigations, the team’s recent slate of work has included matters relating to cartels as well as abuse of dominant position. At the helm of the practice, Omar Guerrero draws client recognition as 'an expert in economic competition issues' and -as a dispute resolution specialist- focuses primarily on the contentious side of competition law. Fellow parctice co-head Ricardo Pons is quite simply one of the market’s best-recognised figures for merger control. Younger partner Alan Ramirez Casazza is a name for the future in investigations of both cartel and abuse of dominance, as well as for antitrust litigation; while at senior associate level, Martín Michaus-Fernández has a similar contentious focus and can also draw on experience working in the US.

Mexico > Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 1

Hogan Lovells' Mexican team provides one of the broadest arbitration offerings in the jurisdiction, excelling both in international arbitration and across an array of domestic arbitral matters - most notably commercial, energy and construction cases. Handling a health caseload of US-Mexico cross border mandates the firm’s Mexico City and Monterrey offices work closely with their counterparts across the US (most notably New York and Miami); while more broadly the firm’s global presence (particularly its offices in Madrid, Paris and London) bolsters its multi-jurisdictional capability. The automotive and energy sectors both stand out as particular areas of expertise, yielding a varied slate of matters. Dispute resolution specialist Omar Guerrero is a renowned figure in complex arbitration mandates, either as party counsel or as sole arbitrator; he also has strong litigious and competition capabilities. Guerrero co-leads the arbitration department with Luis Enrique Graham, a similarly celebrated senior figure for arbitral matters in Mexico. Monterrey-based partner Alejandro García González, whose broad dispute resolution practice includes expertise in national and international commercial arbitration, is an additional experienced name. Further strength-in-depth is evident beneath partner level, with key figures including: counsel Juan Arturo Dueñas, who has considerable experience in energy sector arbitration; senior associate Orlando Cabrera, who advises governments and corporate investors on dispute resolution and political risk management; and fellow senior associate Eduardo Lobatón, who divides his time between the Miami and Mexico City offices and handles a varied international arbitration caseload.

Mexico > Life sciences Tier 1

Hogan Lovells fields a life sciences department of considerable experience and reputation in the area, commended for its 'complete knowledge of the industry' and the counsel of choice for a plethora of major multinationals operating or investing in the Mexican market. Its impressively broad coverage -both domestically and abroad- includes work in pharmaceuticals and biotech, genetic engineering, medical devices, digital health, cannabis, cosmetics, food technology and general regulatory compliance. Recent work has included sensitive regulatory audits, major incident response in the chemicals industry, and litigation in the food industry. 'Leaders in the industry' Ernesto Algaba Reyes and Cecilia Stahlhut Espinosa co-lead the practice. Algaba Reyes draws on two decades of experience in the area and focuses his practice on health law and regulatory compliance for the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries. Raised to the partnership in January 2024, Stahlhut Espinosa has extensive experience in drug regulatory law, as well as in structuring regulatory strategy in a range of other industries.

Mexico > Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 2

Hogan Lovells fields one of the broadest litigation departments in Mexico, skilled across a large swathe of industry sectors, as well as being adept at handling all types of work, including class actions, constitutional litigation, and shareholder disputes. The group’s slate of work continues to feature some of the most notable cases in the insurance space, a healthy share of the mandates emerging from Mexico's troubled energy sector, and varied cases representing tech companies. Co-leader of the practice Omar Guerrero (a 'very good trial lawyer'; 'intelligent, cautious, bold when necessary, sensitive and extremely sensible') is one of Mexico’s standout commercial litigators; he also has a notable competition and antitrust aspect to his practice. Alongside him at the helm of the practice is Luis Enrique Graham, a renowned name for dispute resolution in Mexico, and an experienced litigator before the Supreme Court. Both are based at the Mexico City office, while in Monterrey the senior partner contact is Alejandro García González, who is regarded as a strong choice of counsel for commercial, financial and administrative litigation. Jorge Valdés King's contentious experience takes in contractual disputes, torts, shareholder controversies, moral damage claims, real estate issues and the full range of collection matters. Younger partner Luis Ernesto Peón, in turn, has a broad practice that includes civil, commercial, administrative and constitutional litigation, along with insolvency proceedings. At counsel level, Juan Arturo Dueñas is well versed in representing major domestic and foreign companies in commercial litigation.

Mexico > Energy and natural resources Tier 2

Praised for its 'attention to detail and knowledge of regulations in Mexico', the energy practice at Hogan Lovells is one of the strongest choices for regulatory matters, licensing and permits throughout the sector. In oil and gas, the team continues to represent major project owners and investors on upstream, midstream and downstream activities; Equinor and Qatar Petroleum International being among those to instruct the team recently. A number of international energy companies also look to the team for advice on conventional and renewable power projects, with practice co-heads Carlos Ramos Miranda, Juan Francisco Torres Landa and Miguel Ángel Mateo Simón all leading counsel regarding high-end power projects. On the regulatory side the broad practice extends to mining, wherein senior associate Perla Díaz Taracena is the name to note. Further key contacts at senior associate level include transactional lawyer Mauricio Fuchs Tarlovsky; and the dual-qualified (Mexico / Venezuela) Víctor Barrientos, who has extensive experience in the oil, gas and petrochemicals arenas.

Mexico > Environment Tier 2

The expertise of the practice group at Hogan Lovells encompasses environmental compliance, polluted sites and waste management, water supply and wastewater discharges, as well as environmental impact considerations for infrastructure projects throughout Mexico. Routinely acting on behalf of construction, mining, automotive, and energy-sector clients, the team is also equipped to conduct environmental audits and handle environmental litigation before local and federal courts. Practice lead Mauricio Llamas joined the firm from Jones Day in April 2023, bringing with him senior associate Mauricio Villegas, along with two further associates. Llamas' practice is centred on administrative and regulatory matters with regards to environmental and health and safety law, and has particular focus on waste management and recycling, contaminated site liability, site abandonment procedures and air emissions mandates. Villegas is noted for his knowledge of industrial and natural resources exploitation, the development of compliance strategies and remediation procedures.

Mexico > Intellectual property Tier 2

Acting on an impressive breadth of intellectual property matters, Hogan Lovells' Mexico offices support clients on the protection, registration and preservation of all types of IP rights. From trade marks, names, dress and slogans, through patents and industrial designs, to plant breeders’ rights and copyright protection, the firm is a reliable choice for multinationals operating in Mexico that requiring a wide range of services in the practice area. Department head Bernardo Herrerías is a long-recognised expert in the market and the counsel of choice for numerous heavyweight companies. He is supported by counsel Edgar Mata, and senior associates José Casillas and Valentina Schmid, al of whom maintain broad IP practices.

Mexico > Labour and employment Tier 2

The labour and employment offering at Hogan Lovells 'has resources and knowledge to resolve a wide variety of problems' and serves as a key pillar of the firms support to businesses across North America. Its broad workload on the advisory side includes ESG compliance, hiring strategies, employee transfer, terminations and benefit plans; while in union negotiations and contentious work the practice is well versed in collective bargaining and litigation. Three lawyers co-lead the practice: senior counsel Luis Ruiz Gutiérrez, who can draw on a wealth of labour disputes experience; Hugo Hernández-Ojeda, also a senior figure and who focuses on labour and employment, pensions, investigations and social security law; and younger partner Mary Carmen Fuertes, whose practice centres on the labour aspects of corporate deals, investigations, compliance, employee moves and restructuring. Counsel Luis Adrián Rosas Ortega stands out in labour litigation; while senior associates Oswaldo Chávez Uribe and Regina Torrero reflect the team’s strength in depth.

Mexico > Banking and finance Tier 3

Hogan Lovells' team offers broad banking and finance expertise, regularly advising financial institutions, fintechs, alternative lenders and rating agencies on transactions and regulatory matters. The group counts international giants Banco Santander, China Development Bank, and Credit Agricole among its clients, as well as domestic lenders Banorte and Banca Afirme. Team members have also recently represented several sponsors regarding infrastructure ESG projects and financings in the states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Four partners share leadership of the practice: René Arce Lozano of the Monterrey office is knowledgeable with regards to structured financing operations, monetization, project finance and PPPs. In Mexico City, Federico de Noriega Olea focuses on representing lenders and borrowers in asset-backed deals and structured financing, and also provides regulatory advice to financial institutions. Carlos Ramos Miranda and Miguel Ángel Mateo Simón complete the leadership group. Aldonza Sakar and Ana Catalina Decanini are the key counsel-level contacts and are based in Mexico City and Monterrey, respectively. Sakar focuses on finance, banking, securities and corporate law; while Decanini handles financing, real estate, and commercial transactions.

Mexico > Bankruptcy and restructuring Tier 3

The lawyers at Hogan Lovells' bankruptcy group have experience representing both lenders and borrowers in restructuring transactions, as well as representing creditors and debtors alike in voluntary, involuntary and pre-packaged reorganisation proceedings. The team has recently been involved in the restructurings of companies in the financial services, chemicals, tech and insurance sectors. Five partners share leadership of the practice: Federico de Noriega Olea, Omar Guerrero Rodríguez, Jorge Francisco Valdés King, Luis Ernesto Peón Barriga, and René Arce Lozano. De Noriega Olea specialises in corporate and financial transactions, while Guerrero Rodríguez is known for his arbitration and litigation practice. Valdés King and Peón Barriga focus on dispute resolution, restructuring and employment mandates, while Arce Lozano takes care of financing and project finance operations. All partners are based in Mexico City, with the exception of Arce Lozano, who works from the Monterrey office. Counsel Juan Arturo Dueñas is well-versed in both restructuring and non-contentious insolvency matters.

Mexico > Compliance and data privacy Tier 3

Hogan Lovells' compliance offering takes in a range of advisory mandates, including compliance reviews to ensure alignment with Mexican national anti-corruption system guidelines, providing training sessions, conducting internal investigations following allegations of corruption or bribery, and taking care of data privacy measures. Clients frequently work in the energy, food, financial services, healthcare and aviation segments. Four partners share leadership of the department: Juan Francisco Torres Landa, Carlos Ramos, Luis Enrique Graham and Federico de Noriega Olea. Torres Landa focuses on compliance, white-collar crime, and investigations, as well as projects and matters of foreign investment; Miranda has a strong practice in corporate and M&A, due diligence review, contracts negotiation, and securing regulatory permits. Graham deals with disputes and anti-corruption mandates, and de Noriega Olea is concerned with corporate transactions and data privacy issues. Since publication the firm has hired young partner Guillermo E Larrea, formerly the practice head at Jones Day's Mexico office - effective as of January 2025.

Mexico > Corporate and M&A Tier 3

The group at Hogan Lovells handles the full spectrum of corporate transactions and has additional expertise in foreign investment matters, due diligence review, contracts negotiation, restructurings and corporate reorganisations. The practice’s diverse client roster includes household names in the food, banking, aerospace and retail segments. A group of six partners share leadership; key names in Mexico City include Juan Francisco Torres Landa, who routinely assists corporate clients with their arrivals to the Mexican market; Federico De Noriega, who focuses on finance, M&A and data privacy mandates; and Carlos Ramos Miranda, who splits his time between Mexico City and Houston and whose broad practice takes in due diligence for M&A transactions, the securing of regulatory permits and internal investigations. At the Monterrey office, Guillermo González Frankenberger specialises in M&A, real estate, and corporate governance; Gina Decanini majors on corporate, financing, real estate and commercial matters. Counsel Andrea López De La Campa and senior associate Karla Rabasa are the key non-partner contacts for corporate and M&A work at the Mexico City office. Mario Jorge Yañez left the firm in October 2023.

Mexico > Insurance Tier 3

A long-standing presence in the sector, Hogan Lovells' Mexico City office fields an insurance practice that has notable expertise in the formation and acquisition of insurance, surety and brokerage companies. Indeed, securing authorisations to acquire and/or form insurance and bonding companies is a particular strength. The team is led by Carlos Ramos Miranda, whose broad practice includes regular assistance to insurance and reinsurance companies and brokers, regulatory issues, transactions and litigation in the sector. Omar Guerrero focuses on the representation of insurance companies in commercial litigation and insolvency proceedings, as does Monterrey-based partner Alejandro García González. Younger partner Luis Ernesto Peón is a further insurance disputes expert of note, while associate Andrea Tinoco supports across corporate and regulatory matters for insurance companies.

Mexico > Real estate Tier 3

Noted for its ‘great experience and presence in the market’, the practice at Hogan Lovells regularly supports international real estate developers and companies in the automotive, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing segments with a range of real estate mandates. Core areas of expertise include real estate due diligence, the sale, leasing, and acquisition of real estate, the operation and management of real estate developments, construction and litigation. Three partners share leadership of the department: Juan Francisco Torres Landa specialises in corporate law, M&A, real estate, and project finance and is based at the Mexico City office, as is Ángel Domínguez De Pedro, who majors on corporate law, M&A, competition law and real estate. Up in Monterrey, Guillermo González Frankenberger completes the leadership trio and is lauded as a ‘very experienced lawyer with great capacity for analysis and practicality’; his practice takes in M&A, real estate and corporate governance matters. Counsel Fernando Medina Luna is noted for his contributions on corporate, real estate, and urban development mandates. Senior associate Ana Lucía Gutiérrez Fernández handles a range of real estate transactions.

Mexico > Tax Tier 3

The tax law offering at Hogan Lovells' Mexican offices is characterised by standout strength and experience in tax controversy, but has -more recently- developed its non-contentious capabilities, providing a rounded service to its multinational client base. Income tax and double taxation conventions, VAT on the export of services by Mexican residents to foreign residents, and indirect taxation are all areas of particular strength. Department head Arturo Tiburcio is a veteran fiscal specialist and focuses on tax consultation, income tax audits, VAT, and international tax issues. For transactional tax matters, Monterrey-based Jaime Espinosa is the key contact. Further expertise is provided by senior associates María Teresa Garza and David Esquivel, who both handle a mix of tax and tax audit advisory matters, along with contentious tax and associated administrative litigation. Former counsel Francisco Palmero left the firm in September 2024.

Mexico > TMT Tier 3

Following the June 2024 departure of former practice head Federico Hernandez to establish his own boutique, the TMT practice at Hogan Lovells‘ Mexico office is directed by senior associate Ana Rumualdo, a specialist in emerging technologies, data protection, privacy and further data management issues who has over 20 years’ experience. Internally structured as a digital technologies practice to reflect the contemporary landscape of telecoms, tech and media, the practice sits within the firm’s global regulatory group; it also draws on the office’s wider capabilities to assist TMT clients with their broader requirements, particularly transactional and labour-related matters.

Mexico > International trade and customs Tier 4

The combination of Hogan Lovells' international network and its established presence in Mexico make it a fixture of the country’s international trade landscape, assisting with compliance, trade remedies, and customs law. In the latter discipline, Arturo Tiburcio is the lead contact to note, a litigator with broad tax and trade expertise. Senior partner Juan Francisco Torres Landa oversees antidumping, subsidies and other trade remedies, with Mauricio Llamas the name to note for foreign trade compliance. Senior associate Mario Lara and associate Antonio Cervantes assist the practice heads across the full range of matters. Jorge Yáñez left the firm in September 2023.