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Task Force on Mexican Judicial Decisions in Arbitration

The Americas Initiative launched the Task Force on Mexican Judicial Decisions in Arbitration at the 2024 ITA Workshop in June 2024, with the following core objectives:

  • Identify, compile and translate significant judicial decisions in Mexico related to arbitration.
  • Enhance accessibility and understanding of these decisions for the international arbitration community.
  • Promote Mexico as an arbitration-friendly jurisdiction by highlighting the favorable stance of the Mexican Judiciary towards arbitration.

The Task Force aims to publish a compendium of these decisions, organized thematically and including summaries and translations. This publication will serve as a valuable resource for the international arbitration community, helping them make informed decisions when considering Mexico as a seat for arbitration and offering insights into how Mexican courts have addressed specific issues related to arbitration.

Task Force Leadership and Members

The Task Force is co-chaired by Cecilia Flores Rueda and Sofía Gómez Ruano, with Julio Rivera Ríos coordinating and supervising the overall work.

  • Cecilia Flores Rueda founder of FloresRueda Abogados (2015), acts as an arbitrator and counsel in complex national and international disputes. She represents clients in civil, commercial, administrative, constitutional (amparo), labor, and family matters. She earned her law degree and postgraduate studies in International Commercial Law from Universidad Panamericana and an LLM in International Law from ITESM. She is Counsel of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration and a member of the USMCA Advisory Committee. Recognized by Chambers Latin America, Leaders League, and Who’s Who Legal, she has received multiple awards for her arbitration expertise.
  • Sofía Gómez Ruano (FCIArb) is a Partner at Creel, García-Cuellar, Aiza y Enriquez in Mexico City. With over 25 years of experience, she specializes in dispute resolution, representing clients and serving as an arbitrator under LCIA, ICC, ICDR, Arbitration Center of Mexico, and Mexico City’s National Chamber of Commerce rules. She handles disputes across various sectors, including M&A, construction, hospitality, financial services, and information and communications technology. Sofía is listed on the ICSID panel of conciliators and is a member of the USMCA Advisory Committee on Private Commercial Disputes.
  • Julio Rivera Ríos is a senior associate in Debevoise & Plimpton’s International Dispute Resolution Group. He has extensive experience representing clients in complex commercial and investor-state disputes across various industries, including energy, mining, finance, construction, shareholder relationships, and joint ventures. Julio has served as counsel in arbitrations under major arbitral rules such as ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, and LCIA, across multiple jurisdictions. He holds an LL.M. from Harvard Law School and graduated summa cum laude from the Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City. Julio is admitted to practice in both Mexico and New York.

The members of the Task Force are:

  • Adriana Lozano is a foreign associate at Chaffetz Lindsey. She represents clients in international arbitration proceedings against both private and state-owned entities, particularly across the construction, infrastructure and energy industries. She holds an LL.M. from Harvard Law School and graduated summa cum laude from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey.
  • Sara Contreras is an associate in the Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Team at Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez in Mexico City, where she participates in commercial and Investor-State arbitrations representing clients across various sectors, as well as litigation proceedings and matters related to Public International Law. Ms. Contreras obtained her Law Degree from the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE) in 2021. In 2024, Sara attended the Winter Courses on International Law in the Hague Academy of International Law. Sara has been involved since university in various international law moot court competitions as a participant, judge and Coach.
  • Juan Pablo Rodríguez is an associate of Asali, a civil and commercial dispute resolution law firm based in Mexico City. Mr. Rodríguez focuses his practice on arbitration and litigation proceedings arising from the banking, real estate, technology and energy industries, and has represented clients before local and federal courts, as well as ICC, LCIA, HKIAC, CAM and CANACO arbitrations. He graduated summa cum laude from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, where he is currently a professor. He participates in the editorial board of a publishing house specialized in academic legal texts, and has authored and co-authored books and articles.
  • Libna Macías is an associate at Von Wobeser y Sierra. She has participated in complex international arbitrations and litigation for contracts and investments related to conventional and renewable energy and large infrastructure projects in Latin America. She also has experience in annulment and enforcement proceedings. She graduated summa cum laude from the Escuela Libre de Derecho in Mexico City, and as an economist from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
  • Teresa Espino is a student at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and a legal intern at FloresRueda Abogados in Mexico City, where she participates in international arbitration proceedings. Previously, she has gained experience in corporate law and international contractual transactions. She has served as a judge and participant in international competitions held in Vienna, Hong Kong, and Washington.