GC Summit: Mexico 2025

The Legal 500 Mexico Forum gathered leading legal professionals, business executives, and policymakers for a day of timely discussion and forward-looking debate on the evolving regulatory landscape in Mexico and the broader region. Against the backdrop of sweeping legal reforms, international pressures, and growing investor scrutiny, the forum served as a critical space to examine the opportunities and challenges reshaping business and law in the country.

The day began with thoughtful opening remarks, setting the tone for a programme that was as rich in insight as it was in strategic relevance.

The opening panel, held with the support of Greenberg Traurig, explored the future of competition regulation in Mexico in light of the recent dismantling of autonomous regulatory bodies such as COFECE. Panelists examined the shifting legal architecture and assessed how these changes could impact both domestic market dynamics and Mexico’s standing in the international economic order.

This was followed by a high-stakes session hosted in collaboration with Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, focusing on judicial reform and dispute resolution. Legal leaders and general counsel shared practical perspectives on the implications of the reform for corporate strategy and legal certainty. The growing prominence of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration was highlighted as a critical priority for in-house teams seeking to mitigate risk in an increasingly complex environment.

The energy sector came into sharp focus during the panel supported by Sainz Abogados, which examined the impact of the 2025 energy reforms. With state entities taking on expanded roles, the legal and commercial frameworks underpinning investment in power generation and hydrocarbons have entered a phase of heightened uncertainty. Discussions centred on how policy shifts, capital access, and sustainability commitments are shaping investor sentiment in Mexico’s energy future.

Later, attention returned to ADR in the context of tax and administrative disputes, during a session delivered in collaboration with Cuatrecasas. With judicial reform accelerating, the panel explored how administrative ADR mechanisms—such as arbitration and conciliation—are offering efficient, lower-risk alternatives to traditional litigation. These tools, the panel noted, are particularly appealing to clients seeking both speed and predictability in outcomes.

In partnership with LHO, the next panel tackled the intersection of criminal compliance, sustainability, and social justice in an increasingly globalised regulatory environment. Experts discussed how Mexican businesses are aligning internal governance with extraterritorial legal frameworks and growing stakeholder demands. The conversation underscored the need for resilience, ethical foresight, and transparency as businesses navigate a compliance landscape influenced by both domestic law and international norms.

Labour reform took centre stage in a session delivered with the involvement of Ferran Martínez Abogados. As Mexico considers reducing the standard workweek from 48 to 40 hours, the panel assessed the legislative, social, and economic implications of this significant shift. Drawing on international examples and domestic realities, speakers offered a balanced view of the reform’s feasibility and the adjustments required by employers and legislators alike.

Closing the main programme were two fireside chats with a regional lens. The first, supported by Canales®, highlighted Monterrey’s emergence as a hub of innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment. With its dynamic business climate and growing international influence, Monterrey is increasingly seen as a model for regional development. The second session, held in association with Pellerano & Herrera, turned attention to the Dominican Republic. Panelists examined its legal and economic transformation, underscoring the country’s growing appeal to foreign investors across sectors such as infrastructure, energy, and finance.

The day concluded with closing remarks and a vibrant networking reception, where guests continued conversations over drinks and a refined selection of canapés—an elegant end to a day marked by collaboration, insight, and strategic foresight.