Firm Profile > Jones Day > Mexico City, Mexico

Banking and finance Tier 2

Jones Day's banking and finance practice in Mexico fields a ‘solid’ 14-strong team, with ‘a rapid response time and great disposition’. A regular advisor to financial groups, banks and mutual fund companies, as well as leasing, factoring and non-traditional banks, the group offers extensive experience and skills across a range of matters including: acquisition, leveraged and structured finance; real estate, project and asset finance; and distressed financing, along with derivatives and securitizations. Mexico City-office managing partner Manuel Romano heads the department. Partner Javier Martínez del Campo, who has a broad securities and finance practice with particular emphasis on advising Mexican borrowers and issuers; partner Alberto de la Parra, who has a focus on structuring infrastructure and energy generation projects in Mexico, particularly those related to the transport sector; of counsel Antonio Franck and senior associate Arturo de la Parra are all other noteworthy members of the practice.

Capital markets Tier 2

International firm Jones Day recently integrated its capital markets and banking, finance and securities practices; in the Mexico office this translates into a seven-strong local team which focuses on advising Mexican issuers and underwriters on debt and equity offerings; and the establishment of mutual funds, pension funds and brokerage firms. An example of the former saw the team act as lead counsel to Crédito Real (as issuer) and Creal Nomina (as guarantor) on a €350m senior notes offering (due 2027), and concurrent buy-back tender offer for outstanding senior notes, due 2023, becoming the first non-bank institution in Mexico to issue Euro-denominated debt. On the funds side, the team is advising Invercap on the incorporation and establishment of five pension funds. An established market figure, Silvia Malagón handles an impressive caseload and leads on funds-related transactions; while of counsels Antonio Franck and practice co-head Carlos Sámano are the key advisors on securities offerings. Further senior-level involvement in the sector comes from well-known infrastructure specialist Alberto de la Parra and of counsel Javier Martínez del Campo, who is active in securities and finance as part of a broader corporate and transactional practice. However, experienced associate Eduardo Mendoza left the firm in December 2019.

Competition and antitrust Tier 2

Clients regard Jones Day's Mexican competition and antitrust team as 'technically powerful' and a 'well-coordinated practice', while peers recognize it as a significant player in the sector. The department, which is well-known for handling high-profile antitrust investigations and merger control and for its support for cross-border and domestic transactions, is co-led by Gabriel Altamirano and Bertha Alicia Ordaz-Avilés; Altamirano is an expert on merger control and investigations, while Ordaz-Avilés has solid expertise across the regulated sectors – notably energy, infrastructure, aviation and telecoms. Formerly América Movil's in-house antitrust counsel, disputes practice partner Antonio González engages in competition-related litigation as necessary.

Compliance Tier 2

The eight-strong practice group at Jones Day handles anti-corruption and AML, fraud prevention, digital compliance (including cyber-security, privacy and data protection), compliance programs, conflicts of interest, third-party relations, business conduct with public officials, implementation, enforcement and investigations. Regarded as ‘highly professional', and 'with a broad sense of responsibility’, the team is led by AML expert Guillermo E Larrea, currently vice-president of the Compliance Managers Commission at the Mexico chapter of the ICC. Additional partner-level engagement comes from Bertha Alicia Ordaz-Avilés. Recent matters include assisting Lesaffre's Mexican affiliates with anti-corruption and personal data protection matters, and Atento regarding a review of draft legislation that seeks to amend current personal data protection regulations; as well as advising on internal investigations, personal data protection compliance, and fraud and mismanagement matters. Young associate Juan Carlos Hernández Q is dedicated to cyber-security and data compliance matters.

Corporate and M&A Tier 2

Partners Manuel Romano (cross border M&A, joint ventures and strategic alliances), and the ‘exceptional’ of counsel Mauricio Castilla (M&A, private equity, corporate governance), co-lead the corporate and M&A practice at Jones Day 's Mexico office, which is particularly specialised in transactional matters and notably active in the energy sector. The office works closely with the firm's wider international network, offering clients high-level expertise, especially when handling cross-border matters, skillsets showcased in the team's advice to UPL Corporation regarding its $4.2bn multijurisdictional acquisition of Arysta Lifescience. Other noteworthy practices include Javier Martínez del Campo (cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions, competition and corporate governance) and of counsel Antonio Franck (corporate M&A, banking, restructuring, and securities law). Romano and Franck paired-up to lead advice to Invex Infraestructura 4 regarding its $600m Tuxpan-Tula pipeline project.

Energy and natural resources Tier 2

Backed the firm's international reach, Jones Day's Mexico office has an ‘extraordinary’ multidisciplinary team, according to clients who praise its ‘great technical knowledge'. Nine-strong, it combines transactional know-how with excellent expertise in the full range of infrastructure development matters, as well as regulatory and environmental law, and offers solid expertise in the oil, gas, power (and renewables) segments. It is led by the highly-respected José Estandía who has over 25 years' experience in sector M&A and energy project finance; well-known infrastructure specialist Alberto de la Parra and of counsel Antonio Franck. Administrative law expert and head of the environmental practice, Mauricio Llamas is another key member of the department. Recent mandates include advising on the development, financing and construction of new port and storage-terminal facilities; energy project finance; PPA and EPC contracts; and energy-sector acquisitions, among others. Key associate support comes from Arturo de la Parra and Diego Noriega, who are both banking and finance focused; Salvador Gallo (who has expertise in downstream oil and gas projects), and Fernando Verdín, who focuses on energy, administrative law, and AML (as part of a broader public-sector regulations practice).

Environment Tier 2

Jones Day offers a first-class environmental practice in Mexico, renowned for its comprehensive experience in all areas of environmental and health and safety legislation, and with a particular focus on compliance, environmental damage liability, climate change, and energy projects. Lead partner Mauricio Llamas is an environment-focused administrative and regulatory law specialist; identified as ‘extraordinary, very knowledgeable and efficient’, he heads a ‘committed’ team that recently advised Newmont Goldcorp on local community consultancy matters related to a new mine development, and construction group Elementia in relation to remediation procedures and ongoing environmental litigation. Environment and health and safety focused associate Mauricio Villegas brings key associate support, and tax and administrative litigator Andrés Lieja  also acts on contentious environmental cases.

Projects and infrastructure Tier 2

Jones Day's Mexico office fields an 11-strong projects-and-infrastructure practice that impresses with its ‘level of knowledge and experience in the sector and ... level of commitment to the project’. The core group includes key practitioners Alberto de la Parra (project structuring, corporate and project finance, corporate counselling, restructuring, and M&A), and José Estandía (whose M&A and project finance practice focuses on power, renewable energy, natural gas, and oil terminals), who have some 50 years' experience between them; along with office managing partner Manuel Romano and of counsel Antonio Franck. Recent matters have seen the team active in downstream hydrocarbons matters, and in the aviation infrastructure and renewables segments; mandates in the latter include advising Jinko Solar on a $31m financing for the completion of its San Ignacio solar project; and Sinia Energy on the $45m financing of the San Matías wind project in Baja California. A solid second line includes experienced associates Arturo de la Parra (project finance), the dual-qualified (Mexico and New York) Salvador Gallo (downstream oil and gas), and Diego Noriega (energy and infrastructure finance; M&A).

Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 3

Jones Day has established itself as a solid competitor in the Mexican litigation arena, the eight-strong local team handling a broad range of domestic and cross-border civil and commercial disputes for its clients, who also benefit from the firm's impressive international network. The practice is co-led by Antonio González, who handles civil and commercial litigation and domestic and international arbitration (including contractual disputes, corporate and shareholders litigation, bankruptcy, and financial matters); and of counsel José Antonio Vázques Cobo, who in addition to general commercial and banking, financial and real estate litigation, undertakes contractual disputes, extra-contractual liability, shareholders and managers conflicts, the enforcement of guarantees and insurance claims. Recent mandates include conflicts between joint venture partners, damages and contentious insurance claims, collection matters and commercial litigation.  Key associate level support comes from civil and commercial disputes-focused María Elena Huerta (who has an emphasis on corporate and shareholder litigation), and Rodrigo Ramírez (contract disputes, shareholder challenges to corporate resolutions).

International trade and customs Tier 3

Backed by the firm's global network, Jones Day's Mexican international trade and customs practice advises domestic and international clients from across the manufacturing, maquila, retail, automotive, pharmaceuticals, mining and energy sectors, on the gamut of trade matters, with a special focus on maquiladora, regulatory, and FTA mandates, as well as litigation. The practice is led by of counsel Mauricio Llamas and counsel Javier A. Cortés, who has over 25 years' experience in custom duties and maquila-related work and their tax implications, along with consumer protection, litigation and life-science regulatory issues.

Real estate Tier 3

Jones Day's Mexican office fields a five-strong team of dedicated real estate lawyers who have solid experience in matters ranging from simple due diligence processes for the purchase or development of land, houses, buildings, plant, hotels and factories, to more complex operations where financing and tax expertise are needed. Their expertise also includes the analysis and development of different real estate investment vehicles under Mexican law. The practice, which is supported by the firm's global network, includes several environmental experts and is led by Mexico-office managing partner Manuel Romano, who has broad expertise advising developers, buyers, and financing parties on real estate development projects.

TMT Tier 3

Experienced telecoms of counsel Bertha Alicia Ordaz-Avilés handles new technologies, digital economy matters, telecoms (particularly satellite regulation), antitrust and competition (including compliance), M&A, and anti-corruption compliance. She leads the team at international firm Jones Day 's Mexico office, which primarily focuses on infrastructure and associated matters; recent mandates, for example, include e-commerce platforms, service and master service procurement, along with legal and regulatory reviews, contracting matters, data protection, economic competition, and consumer protection issues.

Tax Tier 4

Jones Day fields a small, but robust practice, that handles handles a broad range of tax issues, with strong skill sets in both contentious and transactional matters. Particularly renowned for its long-established experience in advising regulated industries -principally oil and gas, telecommunications and transportation- the department, which is backed by the firm's international network, is led by partner Rodrigo Gómez. An expert on all aspects of federal and international Mexican taxation, including the tax aspects of M&A transactions, restructurings, and financial instruments, Gómez also represents clients in tax disputes, including audits, appeals, and settlement processes.