Event Report

Our GC Summit Mexico 2026 brought together leading in-house counsel for a wide-ranging programme examining some of the most significant issues shaping Mexico’s legal and business landscape. Across the day, discussions moved from artificial intelligence and regulatory compliance to infrastructure, investment, disputes, anti-corruption, geopolitical uncertainty and M&A. Alongside the formal programme, lunch and coffee breaks provided space for attendees and speakers to connect, continue conversations arising from the sessions and exchange perspectives with peers from across the market.

Sponsored by vLex part of Clio, the opening panel set the tone for the day by exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping compliance and regulatory management across highly regulated sectors in Mexico. The discussion focused on using AI to monitor regulatory developments in real time, automate compliance processes, identify risks before they escalate and improve responses to audits and government inquiries. Panellists also considered the importance of maintaining human oversight in high-stakes regulatory decisions, highlighting the need to balance technological efficiency with professional judgement and accountability.

From the changing role of technology in managing regulatory risk, the conversation broadened to the regulatory and investment environment underpinning Mexico’s physical and economic development.

Sponsored by Cuatrecasas, the second panel examined the legal, financial and regulatory environment surrounding major infrastructure and energy projects in Mexico. The discussion addressed investment opportunities alongside challenges involving financing, procurement, risk allocation, sustainability and cross-border investment. Panellists also considered the growing importance of public-private partnerships, ESG and digital transformation in developing resilient, future-focused infrastructure.

As businesses pursue major projects and investments within this evolving framework, attention then turned to the disputes that can emerge from increasingly complex commercial, regulatory and cross-border relationships.

The third panel of the day, sponsored by Creel, focused on the changing landscape for litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution in Mexico and internationally. Speakers discussed the increasing complexity of cross-border disputes and how companies are adapting their strategies in response to regulatory pressures, enforcement issues, ESG considerations, technological developments and geopolitical change.

With the morning sessions drawing to a close, attendees moved into the lunch break, offering a welcome opportunity to continue conversations beyond the panel room. Delegates, speakers and representatives from across Mexico’s legal and business communities had time to connect, exchange perspectives on the morning’s discussions and build new relationships in a more informal setting.

Moving into the afternoon, the programme shifted from managing legal and regulatory challenges to the broader question of Mexico’s position as an investment destination and its ability to compete for capital in a changing global market.

Sainz Abogados’s panel considered Mexico’s competitiveness as a destination for private investment and the realities facing investors in the current environment. The discussion compared Mexico’s position with other emerging markets and explored the legal and commercial factors influencing investment decisions, including whether current conditions are sufficiently aligned to support sustained private investment.

Alongside identifying opportunities for growth, the event then addressed the compliance responsibilities accompanying investment and business expansion, particularly as organisations navigate an increasingly complex enforcement environment.

Sponsored by Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, this fireside chat examined Mexico’s evolving anti-corruption and compliance landscape, and the practical challenges organisations face in navigating regulation, enforcement and business relationships. The discussion emphasised moving beyond compliance as a purely legal requirement by embedding ethical decision-making and accountability into corporate culture. Particular attention was also given to the implications of foreign laws in Mexico, including recent US developments concerning the designation of criminal organisations as foreign terrorist organisations.

With regulatory complexity placing greater demands on in-house teams, attention returned to technology and the question of how AI could fundamentally change not only individual legal tasks, but the structure and operation of the legal department itself.

Hosted by Harvey, the sixth panel explored the transition from conversational AI towards agentic systems capable of handling increasingly complex legal workflows. Panellists considered how legal departments may need to redesign their operating models, how automation is changing the roles of junior lawyers and paralegals, and the skills legal professionals will need in an increasingly AI-enabled environment. The discussion also considered what an AI-native legal department could look like over the next five years and the practical differences between general-purpose LLMs and specialised legal AI platforms.

Following an afternoon spanning investment, compliance and the future of the legal function, the coffee break offered another natural opportunity for attendees to reconnect and discuss the ideas raised throughout the day before returning for the final sessions.

The programme then widened the lens once more, moving beyond individual legal functions to consider the geopolitical and economic forces influencing the decisions of global companies operating and investing in Mexico.

Supported by Basham, the seventh panel examined how geopolitical tensions, changing trade policies and Mexico’s evolving labour framework are influencing investment and business decisions. The discussion covered trade tensions and tariffs, the outlook for the USMCA, supply-chain reconfiguration, labour and union relations, workforce stability and key tax, trade, employment and dispute-related risks. Panellists shared practical perspectives on how general counsel and senior executives can anticipate these challenges while remaining competitive in the Mexican market.

Against this backdrop of both opportunity and uncertainty, the final substantive discussion of the day turned to how these wider market forces are translating into transactions, investment decisions and strategic growth.

In association with Holland & Knight, the final panel examined the evolving M&A landscape in Mexico and the factors shaping current deal activity. The discussion covered cross-border investment, regulatory developments, due diligence, transaction structuring, negotiations and post-acquisition integration. Panellists emphasised the importance of aligning legal, commercial and strategic considerations throughout the deal lifecycle while managing the effects of geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory change and heightened investor scrutiny.

Following closing remarks, the formal programme gave way to an evening drinks and canapés reception. The reception provided a relaxed conclusion to a packed day of discussion, giving speakers and attendees further time to connect and continue conversations sparked by the panels. The event closed having brought together perspectives from across private practice, in-house legal teams, investment and business, reflecting both the opportunities available in Mexico and the increasingly complex legal, technological and geopolitical environment in which organisations are operating.