Sánchez Devanny > Mexico City, Mexico > Firm Profile

Sánchez Devanny > The Legal 500 Rankings

Mexico > International trade and customs Tier 2

Sánchez Devanny is admired for its ‘excellent service’ in international trade and customs matters where it advises numerous multinationals on the full suite of cross-border operations in both an advisory and contentious capacity. Import/export matters and customs and administrative litigation are among the standout strengths for the practice group. The 10-strong team is co-led by Eduardo Sotelo-Cauduro, who has experience in complex litigation deriving from international trade and customs matters; and José Alberto Campos, an expert in transactions and cross border operations regarding Mexican free trade agreements, import duties and customs. Key support is provided by senior associates María Luisa Mendoza and Juan Carlos Jimenez in Mexico City and Querétaro, respectively. Former practice co-head Turenna Ramírez-Ortiz and associate Cinthia Hernández departed the firm in April 2023, since when the firm has hired former Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C.-partner Roberto Serralde (international trade and customs; and tax advisory, controversy, compliance and planning) as an additional departmental lead - effective as of September 2023.

Mexico > Labour and employment Tier 2

Sánchez Devanny’s labour and employment group has strong relationships with the in-house legal and human resources departments of major domestic and international clients, and acts on complex cases involving union negotiations, as well as ongoing day-to-day issues such as employment agreements, terminations, and fringe benefit planning. The practice has a robust litigation arm, and the firm also supports clients on immigration matters. Practice head Alfredo Kupfer-Dominguez has broad experience across the corporate and labour areas, and is instructed on core labour and employment law matters, as well as being the firm’s go-to lawyer for relevant support to M&A and other transactional matters. Senior associate support comes from the firm’s satellite offices: in Queretaro, Fermin Lecumberri-Cano and Sebastian Rosales-Ortega act for national and foreign clients, with Rosales-Ortega being in charge of individual and collective litigation in the Bajio region. Monterrey-based Francisco Garcia-Lerma left the firm in April 2023.

Mexico > Tax Tier 2

Drawing on the international know-how and insight into the Mexican tax regime derived from its members’ experience at global law and accounting firms and the Mexican tax administration, the tax department at Sánchez Devanny is adept in audits and litigation, as well as the provision of relevant support on cross-border transactions involving tax treaty interpretation, transfer pricing and foreign tax credit matters. Senior partner Ricardo León Santacruz focuses on Mexican inbound and outbound tax planning and transfer pricing. Santacruz is one of the group’s five practice heads, alongside Guillermo Villaseñor Tadeo, who in his time at the firm has spearheaded the contentious side of the practice; Querétaro office-head Abel Mejía, an expert in advising HNWIs, foreign multinationals and Mexican financial and corporate institutions; Mexico City office-head Mariana Eguiarte-Morett, who, alongside a broad transactional offering, has also developed a niche practice in consumption taxes; and Luis Antonio González, whose main focus is on Mexican MNE’s outbound work and foreign multinationals’ inbound matters, particularly those that refer to related party transactions and international taxation. Pedro Miranda in Querétaro is a further key figure, while at the senior associate level, Emilio Garcia and Jorge López are the names to note. Since publication, both García and López have been raised to the partnership – effective as of December 2023.

Mexico > Wealth management Tier 2

Sánchez Devanny is a strong choice for HNWIs and families looking for tax and legal planning advice on the transfer of domestic and international assets. International tax planning specialist Abel Mejía is the main contact at the Queretaro office and is well-versed in various kinds of advice to individuals, including pre-migration tax planning to other countries, international patrimonial structures incorporating corporate-family governance protocols, and inheritance transmission. He co-leads the team along with two Monterrey-based fellow co-heads: ‘first-class advisor’ Ricardo León, who has broad tax expertise and is a regular advisor to wealthy families on their tax affairs; and corporate law and project finance partner Ernesto Silvas. Jorge López is a tax practice associate with frequent involvement in wealth planning matters. Since publication, López has been raised to the partnership - effective as of December 2023.

Mexico > Compliance Tier 3

The practice group at Sánchez Devanny advises corporate clients on internal investigations and regulatory audits, undertakes compliance risk assessments, and offers counsel on local and international anti-money laundering regulations. Despite the departure of former Monterrey-based department lead Humberto Morales-Barron in April 2023, the practice continues to count on the capabilities of two practice heads based in Querétaro: Daniel Maldonado-Alcantara, who has extensive experience in complex automotive and retail sector compliance investigations, and José Alberto Campos Vargas, who regularly advises clients from the healthcare, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage sectors on import-export operations. Senior associates Oscar Quiroz and Alberto Lascurain also left the group in April 2023.

Mexico > Corporate and M&A Tier 3

Sánchez Devanny harnesses the bench strength of offices in Mexico City, Monterrey and Querétaro to advise local and international corporates involved in multi-jurisdictional transactions, across a range of industry sectors, including telecoms, manufacturing, medical devices, IT, chemicals, and food and beverages. The team’s broad service offering takes in M&A, investment and divestment operations, restructurings, the purchase and sale of entities and assets, due diligence and regulatory compliance, among other matters. Monterrey office-head Ernesto Silvas-Medina primarily advises clients on inbound and outbound acquisition transactions and equity joint ventures. Working out of the Mexico City and Querétaro offices, Diego Gómez-Haro (who served as the general counsel of The Blackstone Group in Mexico prior to joining the firm), brings extensive experience to assisting multinationals, private equity investors and sponsors on acquisitions and investments in the domestic market. Also in Mexico City, Jose Antonio Postigo-Uribe can draw on over 20 years’ experience of major transactional matters and negotiations with governmental entities; while Daniel Maldonado-Alcántara (corporate M&A, foreign investment and antitrust) and Yutaka Kimura (who has a labour and employment aspect to his corporate practice), are also noted. At associate level, senior Marisol González-Echevarría advises clients on sales, spin-offs and the liquidation of companies. However, former Monterrey-based partners Gerardo Prado-Hernandez, Francisco Andrés Gámez Garza  and Humberto Morales-Barron all left the firm in March 2023, and Cristina Sanchez-Vebber  left to establish her own practice in August the same year. Since publication, both González-Echevarria and fellow senior associate Debby Mckey (M&A, divestitures, corporate restructuring, joint ventures and financings, among other matters), have been promoted to the partnership - with effect from January 2024.

Mexico > Life sciences Tier 3

A recognised market presence, Sánchez Devanny routinely assists clients in the pharma, chemical, cosmetics, tobacco, and food and beverage industries on a range of life science matters including regulatory, compliance, approvals, marketing, labelling and litigation. The practice is co-directed by José Alberto Campos-Vargas, who handles regulatory matters, international trade and administrative litigation; and Juan Luis Serrano, who has experience in government procurement and crossover IP matters. In addition, the pair can call on the expertise of senior associate Maria Luisa Mendoza López who handles international trade and has a particular focus on the import and export requirements for regulated products which correspond to the life sciences industry. Recent mandates range from winning patent extensions and contentious labelling matters in the pharma sector, to import regulatory matters for with regard to chemicals and dietary supplement ingredients, and post-transacional regulatory advice.

Mexico > Real estate Tier 3

Praised as ‘client-oriented, offering practical solutions’, the team at Sánchez Devanny has significant expertise in real estate transactions, encompassing the acquisition and lease of industrial and retail properties, purchase and construction agreements, litigation, project finance and real estate matters for private equity funds. The practice is co-led by Rafael Villamar-Ramos (managing partner of the firm since July 2023), who is experienced in industrial, commercial and residential real estate acquisition and leasing transactions, and is lauded for his ‘excellent management skills’; and Diego Gómez-Haro, who majors on the structuring of investment vehicles, the leasing, acquisition and sale of real estate, the development and construction of projects, and related due diligence. Senior associate Alfredo Villarreal Hansmann, highlighted for being ‘always willing to go the extra mile’, specialises in lease agreements, acquisitions, and commercial, hospitality and residential projects.

Mexico > Energy and natural resources Tier 4

Sánchez Devanny’s energy practice is now solely led by Jose Antonio Postigo-Uribe, following the departure of Gerardo Prado Hernández in April 2023. The strength of the department is lies foremost in regulatory advice and assistance with power purchase agreements; the firm’s client base in this segment includes generators, suppliers, traders, and final users in the electricity sector, as well as companies in the generation, transmission and distribution areas. Postigo-Uribe is a corporate and M&A expert with two decades’ experience acting for energy sector clients and has deep familiarity with the country’s regulatory landscape for energy matters. Associate José Antonio Téllez is valued by clients for his ‘extensive experience in the energy sector’, while senior associate Max Ernesto Hernández-Ernult regularly acts for domestic and international clients in transactional and regulatory energy sector matters.

Mexico > Banking and finance Tier 5

Operating from branches in Mexico City, Querétaro and Monterrey, Sánchez Devanny’s banking and finance practice advises banks, borrowers and investors on cross-border loans, financing, commercial banking and credit facilities. Three partners head up the practice: Ernesto Silvas-Medina – in Monterrey – has a background in corporate and project finance; Diego Gómez-Haro Katznelson focuses on real estate financing and leads from Querétaro; and José Berrueta Ochoa, who joined the team in June 2022, brings expertise in finance and capital markets to the Mexico City office. Former Monterrey-based senior associate Jaime Israel Moreno-Treviño left the firm in April 2023.

Mexico > Capital markets