Professional notice
The Mexican firm’s disputes team is advising international energy and construction clients
| People in Who’s Who Legal | 2 |
|---|---|
| People in Future Leaders | 1 |
| Pending cases as counsel | 20 |
| Value of pending counsel work | US$375 million |
| Treaty cases as counsel | 0 |
| Third-party funded cases | 0 |
| Current arbitrator appointments | 5 (4 as chair or sole) |
| Lawyers sitting as arbitrator | 2 |
Having built a reputation in the Mexican market for its transactional, energy and project finance work, Galicia Abogados launched a disputes practice in 2017 with the hire of Rodrigo Zamora – the first chairman of the commercial arbitration committee of the Mexican Bar Association.
Partner Cecilia Azar Manzur joined the firm a year later from DLA Piper, bringing experience of disputes in the M&A, energy and infrastructure sectors. She is president of the Mexican Institute of Mediation and is one of Mexico’s designees to the ICSID panel of conciliators, as well as a member of the ICC Court.
Zamora and Azar Manzur now co-head Galicia’s international arbitration practice, working with a team of five senior associates.
Who uses it?
Clients are primarily construction and energy companies, a prominent example being Spain’s OHLA Group. Spanish banks Santander and BBVA are examples of clients in the financial services sector.
Track record
Galicia secured a win for a Japanese company in an ICC arbitration against a Mexican state-owned company over the maintenance of a power plant in the eastern coast of Mexico, after a tribunal found the company had validly extended two maintenance periods.
The firm believes the award sets a precedent for all other maintenance periods required for the power plant, which has been operational for more than 20 years.
Recent events
Azar Manzur leads a team representing a power generation company in a cross-border ICC arbitration over a US$340 million contract to build a combined cycle power plant in the northeast of Mexico.
The firm represents an international consortium in an LCIA arbitration against a Mexican state-owned entity, which accused the consortium of defaulting on a US$470 million EPC contract. Galicia obtained interim measures to prevent the state entity from collecting a guarantee. A hearing took place on the merits in early 2022 and an award is awaited.
It also picked up an instruction as co-counsel for a Mexican manufacturer of automotive components in an ICDR arbitration relating to an alleged design defect in certain cars manufactured by a European automobile company.
Senior associate Paola Aldrete Rivas left the firm in July 2022 to launch a solo practice.
Client comment
An anonymous client using the firm for two Mexico City-seated ICC arbitrations says that Zamora and his team “performed really well both from a technical and organizational point of view”. He says Zamora is an “outstanding lawyer”.
The Firm
Galicia is a Mexican leading law firm with +29 years of experience.
Frontrunner in the legal Mexican and LatAm markets while prioritizing the development of a truly collaborative people-oriented culture. Renowned law firm for its specialized knowledge in financial, energy & infrastructure, private equity, regulated industries, real estate & hospitality and life sciences.
Only Mexican leading firm able to provide a unique legal service offer that includes strong transactional and regulatory expertise coupled with strategic capabilities in litigation and ESG. Sustainability is at the top of the firm’s agenda when it comes to advising clients. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is part of Galicia’s core values. The firm's DEI-driven culture has positioned +45% of women in partner, counsel, executive and management positions over the last 5 years.
Sustainable and Socially Responsible Business
Sustainability is at the top of the firm’s agenda when it comes to advising clients. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) is part of Galicia’s core values. The firm's DEI-driven culture has positioned +45% of women in partner, counsel, executive and management positions over the last 5 years.
Galicia´s Environmental and Sustainability Model is one-of-its-kind in the Mexican legal market being an ever-evolving program to achieve institutional goals. It is focus on Talent, Community, Integrity and Environment.
Recognized as Pro Bono Leading Light by the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice.
Galicia is signatory of the UN Global Compact, the UN Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the Green Pledge and other international organizations that promote sustainable and climate change initiatives. In March 2021, the firm formalized its ESG practice and became the first Mexican leading firm with an integral offer in ESG advice with Band 1/Tier 1 experts.
Recognitions
Ranked as top leading firm in Mexico by renowned international publication such as IFLR1000, ITR/World Tax, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Latin Lawyer, The Legal 500 Green Guide, GCR100, GAR100, Women in Business Law Americas, LatinFinance and Leaders League, among others.
Practice Areas
- Arbitration
- Administrative Litigation
- Banking & Finance
- Capital Markets
- Competition
- Compliance & Investigations
- Corporate M&A
- Customs & International Trade
- Civil & Commercial Litigation
- Energy (Oil & Gas, Renewables, Power and Alternative Energy)
- Environment
- Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)
- Fintech
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Infrastructure
- Intellectual Property & Data Privacy
- Insurance
- Labor (Consulting and Litigation)
- Life Sciences
- Mining
- Project Finance
- Real Estate
- Tax (Non-Contentious, Controversy and Litigation)
- TMT (Technology, Media & Telecommunications) & E-Commerce
- Wealth Management