Team size: 7 in-house lawyers + coordination with more than 15 external law firms across Mexico

Career Biography

Roberto Bravo Ramírez is the Legal, Administrative, and Tax Manager at Grupo Coppel, one of Mexico’s largest retail and financial conglomerates, with over 120,000 employees and a national presence. From this position, he leads the legal strategy in administrative, tax, constitutional, and regulatory matters, overseeing an internal team and coordinating with more than fifteen external law firms. His responsibilities include managing administrative procedures across the country, protecting the operations of over 1,500 stores and distribution centers, and ensuring that the legal department remains a strategic business ally.

His career began in 2012, working in various prestigious law firms in Mexico City. He later joined the Federal Court of Administrative Justice, where he gained experience in the internal dynamics of the judicial function. Subsequently, he joined Deloitte, where he specialised in tax law and collaborated with national and multinational companies on high-complexity litigation, audits, and compliance strategies. This stage allowed him to consolidate a strong technical profile and a comprehensive vision of the relationship between tax law and business operations.

In 2021, he joined Grupo Coppel, where he has held positions of increasing responsibility up to his current role. Since then, he has promoted the modernisation of legal management through the integration of digital platforms and risk analysis models, strengthening the company’s ability to respond to inspections, audits, and litigation.

He holds a Law degree from the Universidad del Valle de México and a Master’s degree in Tax Law from Universidad Panamericana.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?
In recent years, we have faced highly complex scenarios: national regulatory changes, international trade measures such as import tariffs and anti-dumping duties, as well as domestic political adjustments that increase pressure in fiscal, administrative, and environmental matters. In this context, my strategy focuses on three key pillars: prevention, rapid response, and alignment with business objectives.

To be more concrete, I have implemented a management model that successfully handled approximately 164 inspections from the Ministry of Labor (STPS), 221 verifications from various administrative authorities, and 778 litigations, all within that year. We achieved favorable outcomes in more than 80% of the cases, which translated into reduced sanctions and ensured the continuity of operations for more than 1,500 stores.

This approach guarantees that the legal-administrative area is not merely reactive, but a strategic partner for the business.

What are the major cases or transactions you have been involved in recently?

In my recent practice, I have had the opportunity to participate in numerous administrative and environmental proceedings involving stores and distribution centers, with an average of ten closure attempts per month.

I have also taken part in the company’s defense in tax litigation, as well as in the filing of constitutional challenges (amparos) against federal and state reforms, including amendments to the Infonavit law, local environmental taxes, and municipal regulations.

Additionally, I have supported matters related to foreign trade disputes and intellectual property.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

Diversity and inclusion are not abstract goals for our team; they are daily practices that directly impact our results. We have implemented three specific initiatives. Firstly, equal access to opportunities: we ensure that case assignments and projects are distributed fairly, giving every lawyer — regardless of gender, seniority, or background — the chance to participate in high-visibility matters, with full transparency for the whole team.
Secondly, inclusive recruitment: in recent hiring processes, we broadened our candidate pool by considering profiles from diverse academic and regional backgrounds.
Thirdly, work–life balance and flexibility: recognising the different personal contexts of our team members, we adopted flexible arrangements for remote work, prioritising quality of life, safety, and family time. These measures have improved retention and overall satisfaction.

Which legal tech organisations or products are helping you in your role?

The digitalisation of legal management has been a key differentiator. We integrated the Legal Administrative System (SAJ in spanish), which enables us to monitor in real time more than 3,000 active administrative proceedings nationwide. This platform has allowed us to reduce reporting times by 30% and improve the traceability of each case.

We also incorporated data analysis and reporting tools to generate statistics and predictive models, which has enabled us to allocate tasks more efficiently and anticipate risk areas.