Hogan Lovells’ Mexican capabilities -across offices in Mexico City and Monterrey- are particularly well known for international arbitration (as well as domestic arbitral matters). The international arbitration group works closely with the wider firm’s global offices (particularly the Miami-based group), allowing the firm to offer comprehensive multi-jurisdictional support on cases. Omar Guerrero is deeply experienced in all types of dispute resolution and maintains an an active arbitral practice encompassing both sole arbitrator roles and acting as lead party counsel. Guerrero co-leads the practice group with Luis Enrique Graham, another long established figure who is a  regular as party counsel in arbitrations or as arbitrator in national and international disputes. The department displays admirable strength-in-depth: Monterrey-based Alejandro García González’s practice includes representation of clients in proceedings under a variety of rules, including ICC, LCIA, ICDR, CAM and CANACO; Jorge Valdés King has focused on dispute resolution through his career and undertakes arbitration, litigation and bankruptcy; and Luis Ernesto Peón is a key contact when it comes to arbitration in the finance arena. Counsel Juan Arturo Dueñas regularly supports on cases relating to contract disputes, cross-border arbitrations, torts, damages and collection - notably in the energy, automotive, insurance, pharmaceutical and constructions sectors. Senior associate Rogelio Gama is also noted.

Acting for a client base predominantly made up of foreign companies, Von Wobeser y Sierra, SC‘s practice in arbitration has an international focus and a standout selection of Japan-based clients. Alongside the dedicated international arbitration department that has established a leading position in the market, the firm also has arbitration expertise extending to other practice areas, fielding a large pool of associates and senior associates with arbitration training employed on a multi-practice basis. Another strength of the department is in disputes against government entities, in cases with commercial and administrative law components. The name of Claus von Wobeser carries a lot of weight in the Mexican arbitration market, his 40 years of experience proving invaluable to long-term and new clients alike. He co-leads the department with Adrián Magallanes, whose broad practice covers all forms of dispute resolution and a focus on energy and natural resources. Montserrat Manzano is another contact with complementary experience in the energy space, and Raymundo Soberanis is a specialist in public contracting procedures. Pablo Fautsch‘s arbitration practice includes a key role in the firm’s construction and infrastructure group, and Jessika Rocha is another young partner with a burgeoning international arbitration practice, especially in energy. Rodrigo Macín and Rodrigo Barradas are the most prominent associates in the department. Since publication, Barradas has been promoted to counsel - effective as of December 2023.

As part of a broad dispute resolution practice that plays an integral role in the firm’s assistance with cross-border transactions and projects, Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, S.C. fields an arbitration team of practitioners with plentiful experience handling a full array of arbitration types under the diverse arbitration rules of domestic and international institutions. The Mexican government’s stricter rulings and regulations for foreign companies operating and investing in Mexico has generated a host of matters for the team, whose clients include major international players in the corporate, financial, and energy and natural resources' sectors, among others. Practice head Elsa Ortega has experience acting as party counsel, arbitrator and chair of arbitral tribunals in numerous domestic and international cases, and is well-versed in matters ranging from M&A and shareholder disputes to construction agreement claims. Ortega and Sofía Gómez Ruano - a former Secretary General and Council of the Arbitration Center of Mexico (CAM), who has a strong reputation for the administration of arbitration proceedings - arrived from their own boutique in June 2022, substantially bolstering the practice. The group can also call on profoundly experienced of counsel Bernardo Sepúlveda, a senior figure who is also regularly sought out to presides over arbitral tribunals and arbitral award annulment proceedings; while additional strength-in-depth is provided by experienced counsels Luis Jardón and Héctor Anaya Mondragón. Former counsel Carlos Martínez Betanzos left the firm in June 2022. Since publication, Anaya Mondragón has moved to Gritwood Dispute Resolution S.C. - effective as of February 2024.

DLA Piper Mexico is a critical cog in the firm’s global dispute resolution offering. The offices arbitral practice is coordinated by Kate Brown de Vejar, who is ‘at the top of her game’ and acts of co-chair of the global international arbitration practice, as well as deputy managing partner of the Mexico office.  While remaining active internationally, Brown de Vejar and her team have enhanced the practice’s visibility in the domestic Mexican market in recent years and have become particularly well-established in the energy space, including electricity generation and renewables. Co-head of the firm’s Latin America dispute resolution practice Gabriela Álvarez-Ávila ‘brings a truly international wealth of knowledge’ and focuses on international arbitration particularly in relation to investment law. Additional figures of note include Antonio Cárdenas, who specialises in obtaining amparos suspending government measures ending resolution of the merits of arbitration; and younger partner Daniel González Estrada who has extensive experience in obtaining provisional measures and the enforcement of arbitral awards before Mexican courts. At associate level, Fernando Osawa E provides dedicated support. Senior figure Gerardo Lozano Alarcón departed the firm in 2022 to establish a practice as a solo arbitrator.

Since launching its arbitration practice in 2015, Galicia Abogados S.C. has become an ever more prominent name in the market for a broad range of arbitration types, with the prowess and expertise of its practitioners backed by the multi-practice breadth and heft of the wider firm's full-service offering. As it has grown, the department has forged a particularly strong reputation for arbitrations against Mexican state-owned entities and matters in the infrastructure, construction, and energy sectors involving multimillion-dollar government contracts. Co-head of the practice Cecilia Azar is one of the foremost figures in the arbitration sphere in Mexico; she has vast experience across arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, especially in cases relating to energy, infrastructure and construction, along with commercial mediations. She co-leads the department with Rodrigo Zamora, a seasoned counsel and arbitrator in multi-jurisdictional cases. Senior associate José Antonio Casas maintains a dedicated contentious practice and acts on both litigious and arbitral matters. Former fellow senior Arantza Vargas is currently a visiting professional at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York; and associate Ana Sofía Sapiña left the firm in July 2023 to undertake her LLM at Harvard.

Arguably best known as a litigation boutique, the arbitral capability of Malpica, Iturbe, Buj y Paredes, S.C. is sometimes overlooked, but the firm handles a significant caseload of sizeable and strategically significant arbitrations – institutional or ad hoc – including investment arbitrations subject to international treaties. The firm saw exponential growth of its commercial arbitration practice during 2022, and is currently involved in two ongoing investment arbitrations against Mexico, with a further two cases -one NAFTA, one Brazil-Mexico BIT- in prospect. The team also hanldes all the different judicial proceedings related to arbitration, including those related to interim measures, claim referrals, and annulment and enforcement proceedings.  Recent matters have seen commercial and ICC arbitrations expert Rolando Zarate and senior partner Carlos Malpica acting for Exterran Energy de Mexico and Exterran Energy Solutions in a $600m case against Iberoamerciana de Hidrocarburos for payments related to agreements for the conditioning a gas plant in Tamaulipas; the pair are described as ‘highly prepared lawyers, capable of proposing creative strategies and thinking "outside the box" in complex cases’. Zarate is also acting with energy disputes specialist Horacio Paredes in seeking the annulment -on behalf of Mayakan- of a MXN$110m award granted to the CFE for payment of natural gas transportation services (the case rests on the interpretation of the arbitral agreement and its relation to Mexican public policy in the energy sector); the ‘very capable’ Juan José Iturbe in a MXN$250m ICC arbitration initiated by DAS against Tesla Energy to obtain payment of several amounts related to a stock purchase agreement; and Rodrigo Buj, in commercial arbitration initiated by FV Mexsolar against the CFE regarding the termination of an energy sale and coverage agreement. Buj's standing in arbitral matters was highlighted in 2022 with his appointment by White & Case LLP  (NY Office) as Mexican Law expert in an investment arbitration against Mexico.

Specialist commercial and investment arbitration firm Wöss & Partners maintains offices not only in Mexico but also Washington DC and Lima, and also has a rep presence in Vienna. Perhaps best known as a go-to destination for damages claims stemming from construction, infrastructure and energy projects, the firm's arbitral practice is co-led by renowned international arbitration practitioner Herfried Wöss, a key name in the market; and Adriana San Roman is a leading figure as counsel and damages expert in large infrastructure and energy arbitrations. Both are frequently sought out not only as counsel but also to act as president, panel member or sole arbitrator, or as damages experts or expert witnesses. The firm maintains bench depth through an of counsel network including Christian Carbajal Valenzuela (in Lima), Paolo Cammarota (in New York, where he is also a founding partner of Cabrera Cammarota PLLC), Devin Bray (in Amsterdam), and Ivan Labastida, who is part of the Mexico City based team. Moreover, since early 2022, the firm has operated a collaboration agreement with Curitiba-based firm Braz, Coelho, Campos, Veras, Lessa e Bueno Advogados so as to mutually facilitate their international arbitration capabilities; aforementioned of counsel Carbajal, who formerly divided his time between Washington DC and Mexico, now divides his time between Sao Paolo y Curitiba as part of this association.

An ‘extremely talented’ team at Bufete Asali is appreciated for its ‘high quality and sophisticated’ service in arbitrations, where it draws on the international experience of its practitioners. Clients come from a spread of countries and sectors, engaging the practice in arbitrations relating to NAFTA, construction contracts and, purchase agreements, among other areas, along with significant ancillary matter such as award annulments. Leadership of the practice is shared between Luis Asali, whose experience spans a broad range of industries, including construction, energy, finance and entertainment; and Jorge Asali, who has expertise in investment arbitrations and is valued by clients for his ‘network of professional contacts’. Senior associate Santiago Escobar ‘has a knack for asking the right questions’ and concentrates on the construction. technology, energy, and food industries.

Bolstering its international arbitration offering across Latin America, Cuatrecasas’ burgeoning practice in Mexico is led by René Irra, whose ‘leadership in the market is unquestioned’. Irra has been particularly active in the construction, infrastructure and energy fields in recent years, and is well-versed in acting as party counsel, arbitrator and as an expert on Mexican law in proceedings outside Mexico. Moreover, the practice bench was further strengthened with the promotion of experienced senior associate Miguel Ángel Ortiz to the partnership in April 2023. The department collaborates closely with the firm’s offices throughout Latin America (and the Iberian peninsula) on relevant cross-border cases, with clients -particularly those across the energy and projects segments- look to the firm as a one-stop-shop for transactional matters and any subsequent disputes. Key support is provided by intermediate associate Iván Esquivel.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in the market, the former Fonseca, Rodríguez & Perchemlian is now known as Fonseca, Rodríguez, Perchemlian & Martínez Abogados following the arrival of Carlos Martínez Betanzos -as a partner- from Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, S.C. in October 2022. The specialist boutique fields a four-partner, 10 strong arbitration team with the recent caseload including mandates in the construction, health/hygiene and aquaculture sectors. A former head of the disputes’ practices at both Baker McKenzie Abogados, S.C. and Holland & Knight, Salvador Fonseca has over 25 years’ contentious experience and is one of the representatives of ICC Mexico before the global Arbitration Commission of the ICC for 2022-24; he is also on the steering committee of the Mexican chapter of the ICDR. His fellow partners all have over 20 years’ experience: the aforementioned Martínez was previously counsel and head of arbitration at his former firm having previously spent some two-and-a-half years as an international arbitration consultant in New York; Sergio Rodríguez Labastida, a former CIArb representative for Mexico, is a specialist in international commercial arbitration – both institutional and ad hoc; and Antonio Perchemlian, who has a primarily in-house background, maintains a practice dedicated largely to civil, commercial and constitutional litigation. Key support is provided by senior associate Hugo J Morales. Since publication, Martínez Betanzos has left the firm – effective as of February 2024

The Mexico office of White & Case S.C. plays a key role in the firm’s North America presence in the field of arbitration. Practice head Rafael Llano Oddone and his team are key advisors for the firm’s international client base, particularly as regards navigating the landscape of regulatory reform under the López Obrador administration. This has involved a considerable volume of energy sector work, as well as challenging the Mexican government on contract terminations within the framework of NAFTA and successor USMCA agreement. Francisco de Rosenzweig is the name to note for clients requiring energy regulatory law counsel, and counsel Marièle Coulet-Diaz bolsters the firm’s commercial and investment arbitration offering in the region. The practice was further strengthened in August 2023 with the hire of Carlos Véjar; while perhaps best known as an international trade specialist, Véjar also has extensive investment arbitration and private commercial arbitration experience. Since publication, Coulet-Diaz has been raised to the partnership - effective as of January 2024.

The ‘truly international’ arbitration practice at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle S.C. has established a strong niche in acting for states in investor-state proceedings. Built upon its global platform, the Mexico office plays a role in multi-jurisdictional teams (generally led from New York or Washington DC), and acting both in cases requiring Mexican law expertise and international cases. The firm is also growing its commercial arbitration offering in terms of variety of cases handled, the team being familiar with proceedings before the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission (IACAC), the LCIA and the Centro de Arbitraje de México, UNCITRAL, ICC and the AAA. Eloy Barbará de Parres is a well-known counsel to states and state-owned entities, particularly in the energy and oil and gas sectors. He leads the department, while Antonio Prida is the main contact for mediations. ‘Extremely talented lawyer’ Ricardo Mier y Teran is active in international arbitrations in the energy, construction, and banking industries; and Javier Jiménez Guttiérez’s diverse sector coverage has included renewables, packaging manufacture and data. Counsel Irene Cuéllar Araiza is also a key practice figure.

Holland & Knight’s arbitration practice is particularly sought after for commercial and investment disputes with public international law or multi-jurisdictional components. Per one client, ‘its main strength is the international structure that feeds important issues to the Mexico City office’; and indeed, the team in Mexico works closely with others around the world, especially the Washington DC group. Some of its most recent Mexico-led arbitrations have come in the telecoms, technology and energy sectors; in the latter area, the team has handled several arbitration proceedings relating to infrastructure and power purchase agreements. Following the August 2023 departure of former practice head Carlos Vejar, Luis Rubio is the key name (particularly for NAFTA-related matters), while senior counsel Juan Pablo Moyano specialises in commercial arbitration and cross-border disputes. At associate level, Antonio Barrera joined from Mañón Quintana Abogados in October 2022 and bolsters the energy side of the practice, with Laura Yvonne Zielinski (who was appointed senior counsel in September 2023) and Josafat Paredes being the other younger practitioners of note.

The ‘timeliness and precision’ of the lawyers in Pérez Correa González’s arbitration practice are hallmarks of its ‘outstanding performance’, according to clients. The practice has a particularly strong track record in both domestic and international cases related to the energy and natural resources sector. Recent work has included acting for manufacturing companies in contractual disputes, as well as tax arbitrations and arbitral award annulments. Fernando Pérez Correa, an experienced figure in some of the market’s more innovative matters, co-leads the team with José Covarrubias, who impresses clients with ‘his professionalism and his legal acumen’.

The dispute resolution practice at Ritch, Mueller y Nicolau, S.C. brings to bear ‘exceptional ability to work in multidisciplinary teams’ on arbitral matters, especially in the energy sector. ICC arbitrations and those under other rules in the energy space have all been part of the practice’s recent caseload. These are led by department head Adriana Padilla, who acts in commercial and investment arbitrations, both as counsel and arbitrator. Senior associate Sara Hardy (compliance, investigations, arbitration), provides key support to Padilla.

Since the firm was established in 2018, Del Castillo y Castro Abogados’ arbitration specialists have advised on local and international arbitrations that include civil, commercial, construction and insurance representations. The department regularly acts for clients on matters before the ICC, the National Chamber of Commerce (CANACO), the Arbitration Centre of Mexico (ACM), and public institutions that administer arbitration proceedings. Fernando del Castillo has broad arbitration experience but is especially prominent in proceedings related to bankruptcies and restructuring. He is based in Mexico City and co-leads the practice with Monterrey-based partner Camilo Vázquez López, who oversees the broader dispute resolution offering at that office.

Specialist boutique firm García Barragán Abogados is recommended for its ‘exceptional experience in international arbitration’ and in commercial arbitral matters; in addition, it is also well-versed in the preparation and negotiation of arbitration clauses, and representation in arbitral-award nullity actions. According to his clients, ‘the extraordinary legal services provided by Daniel García-Barragán make this firm stand out’ and he takes the lead on all arbitration matters handled by the firm.

Garza Tello-Clyde & Co Mexico is gaining traction in the arbitration market, with particular focus on the shipping sector, insurance arbitrations, and energy infrastructure disputes. As part of the wider firm's international network, the team has access to counsel around the world for effective cross-border advice; while locally, practice head Vicente Bañuelos Rizo has a broad dispute resolution practice. From its group of non-partner lawyers, Agustín Ortega Téllez is singled out by one client as ‘undoubtedly an expert in commercial arbitration’.