Partner | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Humberto Padilla Gonzalez
Partner | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Partner | Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Law school attended: Universidad Panamericana (Law Degree), University of Texas School of Law (LLM) Languages spoken: English and Spanish Principal practice areas: M&A, Corporate Finance, Government Investigations, Private Equity, White...
16
Cross-border M&A, General corporate
Mexico, New York, Texas
English, Spanish
In the past 12 months Humberto Padilla Gonzalez advised energy company BHP in connection with the legal evaluation of their midstream and marketing strategy at the US-Mexico border in connection with the Trion deepwater development project in the Gulf of Mexico. Another notable highlight saw him advise Arca Continental in connection with the start-up and implementation of ArcaCont’s venture capital program, particularly as it relates to Central and South America and US strategic investments.
I am a US and Mexican trained and licensed attorney with significant roots in both jurisdictions, this allows me to create deep personal relationships and true partnerships with my clients and our counterparts, while emphasizing at the same time excellence in our teams’ work product. In my opinion client service is, on this day and age, one of the few differentials that move the needle for existing and prospective clients.
While the presence of global law firms continues to expand in Mexico, a highly developed and sophisticated legal market, I continue to believe that by having the ability to partner with the right teams locally (without consideration of what roof they may be under), we deliver a much stronger offer and service to our clients than by limiting our firm’s ability to “cherry pick” the best and brightest local practitioners in those areas where our client’s need our help at any given point.
This is a pressing question for all looking to do business in Mexico. As anticipated a few years ago, the arrival of Andres Manuel López Obrador (commonly referred to as AMLO) to the presidency on December 1 2018 has created some challenges, particularly in connection with retaining and building trust in foreign investment. That said, it is likely that we will continue to see signs of confidence in strategic areas and opportunistic activity in the M&A market. In addition, the nature and the extent of any benefits and other effects that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) may have in Mexico remains to be seen, particularly in connection with those resulting from tighter rules of origin in the textile, automotive and apparel sectors, which would arguably outweigh the benefits received from trade facilitation measures included in that free trade agreement. While it is unclear how long it will take to see those effects and benefits, it is not unreasonable to think that they may come in the short to mid-term after all members ratify the USMCA, which could well happen within the next 12 months.
I believe that advancement in technology will play a huge factor in the offering of cross-border legal services in the coming years. While the full extent, nature, and manner of implementation of that technology remains an open question, we are witnessing a growing demand for the use of efficient technology in the rendering of cross-border (and domestic) legal services to allow for even more seamless interaction amongst law firms and clients.
There really is no one answer fits all to this question as each client’s needs and priorities are unique to its business, and quite honestly their personalities too. That said (and leaving aside excellence in work product, which is a given), there are some consistent priorities, including responsiveness, true understanding of cross-border activities (cultural, legal, and business wise), and the ability to provide a comprehensive solution to the client’s needs (including with respect to legal fees arrangements).
