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City focus: Monterrey

Santos-Elizondo, S.C.

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Established in 1965, distinguished Monterrey-based firm Santos-Elizondo, S.C. has grown into a highly-regarded legal outfit comprising over 50 lawyers. The team’s collective expertise takes in corporate and M&A, banking and finance, dispute resolution, real estate, energy, administrative law, antitrust and tax. Private equity funds, real estate developers and corporations in the energy, manufacturing and logistics segments all feature on the firm's roster. Recent mandates of note have included advising Urban Lab Topaz on securing a MXN$950m syndicated loan; and assisting heavy machinery distributor Grupo Madisa with the Mexican aspects of a note purchase agreement. The ‘pro-business’ team of ’highly-trained professionals’ is coordinated by managing partner Eduardo Botello Adame, who specialises in corporate law, M&A and financing transactions, real estate matters and commercial litigation. Additional key contacts include the ‘meticulous’, ’pro-business’ Guillermo Cantú Treviño, who majors on corporate law, M&A and estate planning; Mario Zambrano, whose broad practice takes in corporate and regulatory matters, real estate, project finance, foreign investment mandates and dispute resolution; and Jorge Alberto Arrambide, who handles corporate and commercial transactions, financings and bankruptcy proceedings. Ramiro Villarreal de la Garza (transactional, corporate and real estate law); Luis Santos Theriot (corporate law, tax planning, antitrust matters); Ricardo Martínez Leal (commercial litigation); Eduardo Manuel Garza Etienne (corporate law, restructuring, real estate); and the ‘serious, hard-working and very committed’ Gerardo Guajardo (corporate and commercial law, capital markets and real estate) are also noted. The firm was strengthened by the arrival of contentious and advisory tax specialist César Meraz from Chevez Ruiz Zamarripa in April 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The Santos Elizondo team has extensive knowledge of the sector in Mexico, particularly in Monterrey. They have a highly collaborative approach among their partners and associates and dedicate significant resources to serving their clients in a highly personalized manner.'

  • 'Their lawyers build exceptional relationships with their clients and help the client's internal teams generate the necessary information and navigate the legal challenges they face in a friendly and practical manner. Their lawyers' approach is very pro-business, always ensuring that the client's interests are protected.'

  • ‘Guillermo Cantú Treviño - a lawyer with whom I have worked on multiple transactions and in whom clients have exceptional trust. He is very pro-business and knows how to work very well with counterparties to achieve the best result for his clients. He is very meticulous and pays attention to important details.'

  • 'Gerardo Guajardo - a young lawyer with an impressive career and a bright future. He perfectly understands the legal foundations on which he bases his recommendations. He is serious, hard-working and very committed. Despite his youth, he speaks with great authority before clients and counterparties. He seeks to achieve practical results while protecting the client's interests.'

  • ‘The team of lawyers at Santos Elizondo are highly-trained professionals with excellent client service, follow-through, and a very professional approach. They are undoubtedly superior in quality to other firms. Their professional and service-oriented team is above the industry.'

  • ‘What truly distinguishes Santos Elizondo are the people who make up its team. Beyond its technical strength and track record as a firm, it is the human and professional profile of its lawyers that makes the difference. Their team demonstrates a rare combination of deep knowledge, practical judgment, and close client attention.'

Key clients

  • Gava Capital
  • Grupo Mexico
  • Quimi-Kao
  • Rheem
  • IC Energy
  • GTR Mexico
  • ADN Power
  • Charger Logistics
  • Brío Suministradora Energética
  • Grupo Empresarial Logistik (Grupo KMM)
  • Alternativas en Riesgo
  • Domo Capital

Work highlights

Acted as legal counsel for Ovniver and its shareholders in the sale of construction materials company Cemix.
Assisted EIC Insulation Company with a strategic acquisition in the electrical insulation industry.
Advised Blue like an Orange Sustainable Capital on a tailor-made financing with sustainable impact.

Practice head

Eduardo Botello Adame

Other key lawyers

Guillermo Cantú Treviño; Mario Zambrano; Jorge Alberto Arrambide; Ramiro Villarreal de la Garza; Luis Santos Theriot; Ricardo Martínez Leal; Eduardo Manuel Garza Etienne; Gerardo Guajardo; César Meraz