Garza Magdaleno, S.C.

Antitrust and International Trade

Senior Associate

Itzel Ríos has extensive experience in Economic Competition & Antitrust, and International Trade & Customs Law, in both private and public practice.

In private practice, over the past two years, Itzel has leveraged her institutional background to build strong technical expertise in handling complex Economic Competition & Antitrust matters.

In the Economic Competition & Antitrust area, Itzel is actively involved in investigations related to collusion and abuse of dominance practices, the design and implementation of competition compliance programs, and the preparation and management of immunity and leniency applications.

In the International Trade & Customs Law area, she advises clients on matters arising from customs audits conducted by tax authorities, as well as on compliance with customs and international trade obligations for both domestic and multinational companies. Her work has been recognized by Legal 500 as a recognized lawyer, reflecting her contribution to the development and strength of the practice.

In public practice, Itzel was part of the Merger Control Directorate of the former Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE) for eight years, where she played an active role in the analysis and resolution of proceedings related to requests for opinions and merger notifications across a wide range of industries, including real estate, pharmaceuticals, mining, digital markets, insurance and surety, and automotive, among others.

She also served as a member of the legal team of the Mexican Tax Administration Service (SAT), where she was responsible for the analysis and processing of administrative appeals in tax and customs matters, as well as for representing the Federal Treasury in administrative litigation proceedings before the Federal Court of Administrative Justice (TFJA).

Itzel is an active member of AbogadasMx, where she works to foster an inclusive professional environment in which lawyers can thrive and access the tools necessary for their professional development and growth.

Spanish and English.

Since 2026, Itzel has served as Secretariat of the Mexican Antitrust Chapter of the World Compliance Association.

Itzel holds a Law degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a Postgraduate Specialization in Tax Law from the same institution, both awarded with honors. She has further complemented her academic background with a Diploma in Economics from the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM), a Diploma in International Trade from the Mexican Institute of Foreign Trade Executives (IMECE), and various specialized courses in competition law, legal argumentation, and personal data classification