About

Law school attended: Universidad Panamericana (Law Degree), University of Texas School of Law (LLM) Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: M&A, Corporate Finance, Government Investigations, Private Equity, White Collar Litigation Admissions: Mexico, New York, Texas

What have been three of your career highlights in Mexico to date? I represented a Mexican private equity firm in a joint venture with an international finance institution to invest in distressed assets (consumer loans and mortgages) in the Caribbean, including with respect to the equity participation and financing thereof. I represented a Mexican private equity firm in its acquisition of a $30m distressed loan from a diversified commercial finance company. I assisted the Mexican government in connection with a Chapter 11 reorganization of Mexico’s satellite company Satélites Mexicanos (SATMEX). What differentiates your practice from that of other private practice lawyers? I assist my clients with their legal needs in a region, Latin America, as opposed to narrowing my practice down to one area of the law. While I am by training an M&A/Corporate lawyer, the nature of our firm and the needs of our clients have made my practice a very unique practice in that it has allowed me to work side-by-side with the best law specialists and firms in the United States and Latin American markets. Why has Mexico been a particularly strong focus for you? I guess the simple answer to this question is that I was born and raised in Mexico City. All of my family lives in Mexico and I continue to have very strong personal and business ties to the country. That said, Mexico is a powerhouse in its own right in the Latin American market – it is one of the largest economies in the region (second only to Brazil). It is a country privileged by its geographic location and it is full of talent, natural resources and opportunities. What are your predictions for change in the US-Mexico relationship? That’s an interesting and complicated question to answer. If I knew, I would be a billionaire by now. The reality is that the outcome of the recent US Presidential election, while incredibly significant, is not determinative. Much remains to be seen as to the policies that are actually implemented by the administration of President Trump. On the other hand, Mexico is dealing with its own political demons, and the results of the 2018 elections will be, no doubt, fundamental in shaping the US-Mexico relationship in the decades to come. Are there any aspects of the Mexican legal market that you would like to see change? I like where the anti-corruption reforms are going and hope they are implemented as they are intended to be. Corruption has been and continues to be a cancer to Mexico’s economic and social development. While things are starting to move in the right direction, at least in terms of social awareness, there is much room for improvement within the political class and government. Is there a key economic factor or trend you regard as likely to impact the Mexican legal sector over the next 18 months? The depression of oil and gas prices for the past few years has resulted in underperforming results for the much-touted energy reforms in the country. However, not all has been bad and, provided prices bounce back to a stable and acceptable level (which most people agree will happen within the following 18 months), this sector has tremendous potential and would provide a huge boost to the Mexican economy. Are there any sectors you regard as likely growth areas for the Mexican market over the next five years? Yes. Beer, pharma, tech and the automotive industries are definitely industries to keep an eye on. That said, changes to NAFTA could significantly alter projected growth for these industries.