CMS Woodhouse Lorente Ludlow SC

Partners: Enrique Lorente Ludlow, Derek Woodhouse, Raúl Zepeda, César Lechuga, Luis Fernández, Mauricio Gómez Guerrero, Marcia Santomé, Giancarlo Schievenini, Fernando Nava, Gabriela G. Merla

Number of other attorneys: 44

CONTACTS

Energy: Derek Woodhouse, Luis Fernández

Projects/Infrastructure: Enrique Lorente, Derek Woodhouse, Raúl Zepeda, Marcia Santomé, Fernando Nava

Banking & Finance: Raúl Zepeda, Fernando Nava, César Lechuga

Real Estate: César Lechuga, Enrique Lorente

Life Sciences: Mauricio Gómez Guerrero

Tax: Raúl Zepeda

Public Law: Marcia Santomé, Derek Woodhouse, Manuel Ferrara

Corporate M&A: Raúl Zepeda, Giancarlo Schievenini, César Lechuga, Luis Fernández

Environmental Law & Climate Change: Derek Woodhouse, Gabriela G. Merla

Technology, Media & Communications / Data Protection: César Lechuga

Competition: Raúl Zepeda and Gabriel González

Firm Overview

CMS Woodhouse Lorente Ludlow (CMS Mexico) is part of CMS, ranked as a Top 10 Global Law Firm, CMS is a Future Facing full-service law firm with more than 91 offices in more than 50 countries and 7,200 + lawyers worldwide that combines deep local market understanding with a global overview. CMS has a strong presence in Latin America, with offices in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. We are one of the few law firms present in all Pacific Alliance countries.

CMS Mexico has a team of specialists with extensive experience in energy, projects/infrastructure, banking and finance, real estate, project finance, life sciences, tax, corporate law, technology, media and communications, competition and environment. The firm is primarily known for its participation in large-scale and innovative projects, whether advising government agencies on the design and implementation of new legal and regulatory frameworks; advising sponsors and other developers on the promotion, participation, and development of pathfinder projects, or advising lenders and other investors on the financing and long-term compliance of projects.

Main Areas of Practice

Energy:

CMS Mexico offers proven experience and leadership across the electricity, renewables, and hydrocarbons sectors. We guide clients through complex transactions, permitting, and regulatory strategies to navigate the evolving landscape of the Mexican energy sector. Our unique track record includes advising Mexico’s Energy Ministry on the implementation of the Wholesale Electricity Market, including the Electricity Market Bases and Business Practice Manuals; the restructuring of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE); and supporting the private sector, including investors, funds, and developers, in the structuring of mixed investments.

Projects/Infrastructure:

CMS Mexico specializes in all aspects to a leading infrastructure practice — including structuring, public procurement procedures, financing, project development, and, where necessary, refinancing. The group has been widely recognized among the top law firms in projects practices with expertise spanning the full project life cycle, in Mexico and internationally. Our practice stands out for its deep understanding of the evolving landscape shaped by (i) the current government’s vision, (ii) ongoing reforms to the constitutional, legal, and regulatory framework, and (iii) the growing need to act as true business partners to our clients. These aspects require a unique sensitivity to identify and mitigate legal, technical, and financial risks at every stage of a project, with the ultimate goal of ensuring project feasibility and long-term success.

Our team is highly experienced in advising on all types of public infrastructure contracts — including public-private partnerships (PPPs), concessions, public works, and mixed investment schemes. This includes the structuring, development, and financing of complex projects across sectors. CMS Mexico is a recognized point of reference for clients seeking innovative legal and financial approaches to infrastructure developments. We have advised on major national projects such as the Tren Maya, the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (including industrial parks and ports), Escolín Fertilizer Plant as well as Aztlán Urban Park. Our clients include sponsors, developers, financial institutions, and government agencies.

Real Estate:

CMS Mexico has experts with over 30 years of experience collaborating with developers, institutional investors, and lenders on the development of industrial, residential, hospitality, office, and mixed-use real estate projects, including real estate financing and commercial real estate financing. In recent years, the team has participated in some of the largest real estate projects in Mexico, including innovative and pioneer projects, many of which have involved highly complex contracts.

Banking & Finance:

CMS Mexico advises lenders and borrowers on obtaining all kinds of loans necessary to implement projects, especially infrastructure projects. CMS Mexico has been engaged by federal and local governments, private developers, national and international banks, and other financial institutions for the financing and execution of projects.

Environmental Law:

CMS Mexico is a trusted firm with solid experience providing comprehensive environmental legal advice. We support our clients in developing strategies for complex environmental issues, including zoning, air emissions, waste management, green investments, climate change, SDG compliance, permitting obligations, rulemaking, and administrative procedures across a wide range of sectors such as energy, industrial, infrastructure, real estate, transport, and water. Our commitment is to help our clients to achieve their environmental goals while complying with their obligations under both Mexican and international legal frameworks.

Corporate/ M&A:

CMS Mexico combines in-depth local knowledge with seamless access to global capabilities, making us a trusted legal partner for both domestic and cross-border transactions. We have broad experience advising national and multinational clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring, day-to-day corporate governance, and the negotiation and implementation of strategic business relationships—including distribution, licensing, franchising, agency, joint venture agreements, as well as SPAC initial business combinations, spin-offs, stock and asset sales, tender offers, and representation of financial advisors in unsolicited (“hostile”) transactions.

Leveraging CMS’s global platform, we are uniquely positioned to support clients in their expansion strategies and inbound investments into Mexico. Our team has a strong track record in high-value transactions across key industries such as automotive, energy, infrastructure, real estate, manufacturing, finance, healthcare, and fintech.

Our consistent participation in complex and high-profile deals—along with our growing recognition in top-tier legal directories—reflects the strength, sophistication, and commercial focus of our M&A offering. We are committed to delivering innovative and practical legal solutions that create real value for our clients’ business objectives.

Life Sciences & Healthcare:

CMS Mexico has experience advising clients through the entire production process of regulated products, manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, distribution, imports and exports, retail, and advertisements. The firm regularly advises companies involved in research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceuticals, biotech products, agricultural goods, chemicals, medical devices, as well as various types of food and beverages, with new businesses and products, drafting regulatory strategies, performing regulatory compliance audits, advising on good manufacturing practices and certifications, premarket approval of products and services, health licenses, cross-border classification of products, and advice on approval of labeling and marketing of regulated products and services. The firm also has a deep understanding of Mexico’s health system and regulator, COFEPRIS.

Technology, Media & Communications:

CMS Mexico advises a variety of clients on all aspects of their businesses operating in the ever-changing digital world. It provides innovative solutions in data protection and privacy, cybersecurity, financial technology, media regulation, intellectual property, and e-commerce, including in the context of consumer protection. The team represents companies ranging from global tech organizations to ambitious start-ups, unilaterally focused on helping clients grow in a compliant manner.

Antitrust:

We are an experienced, tenacious and full-service Competition team that delivers strategic counsel on M&A, litigation, cartel, abuse of dominance, barriers to competition and essential input/facilities investigations, claims, Leniency Program, cross-ownership opinions, public bids, compliance programs and counselling. Our ranked lawyers include a former federal deputy chief prosecutor from Cofece. We excel in leading complex matters at the intersection of Competition and Banking and Finance, Litigation, Corporate, Infrastructure, Projects, Real Estate, Tax, Technology, Life Sciences and Energy Law.

Languages:

Spanish, English.

Clients:

Mexican Federal Government (Tourism Ministry, Energy Ministry, Public Security Ministry, Communications and Transport Ministry, Treasury Ministry), local governments (Aguascalientes, Campeche, Chiapas, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico City, Quintana Roo, Oaxaca, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Zacatecas), multilateral agencies (World Bank, IADB, USAID, FIDESUR), financial institutions (Aareal Bank, Banco del Bajío, Scotiabank, BANOBRAS, Dexia, Deka Investment, Interacciones, Multiva, Nafin), construction companies (Grupo Tradeco, Grupo INDI, Grupo Hermes, Idinsa, Aldesa, CEMEX, ICA) and other developers (ADO, Ainda, ALSTOM, Arendal, Ascendi de México, ACS Industrial USA, B2E, CDPQ, CKD IM, Cinépolis, Clenergy, Cobra Instalaciones México, Cox Energy, Duro Felguera, Edesca, EDF, Element Power, EMC/Techint, Enel, Energía Infra, Engie E&P International, Enlight, Eosol, Fastgas, Fisterra, Grupo O’Donell de México, Grupo Simsa, Hartree Partners, Iberdrola I&C, Intergen, In- Trust-Solar, Invertierra, La Cosmopolitana, Macquarie, Más Energía (Mexican subsidiary of Bondia Energia Ltda), Mexican Association for Wind Power, Mexico Power Group, Mota-Engil, ORCA, Pemex, PepsiCo, Renovare, Sacyr, Savills, Sempra Energy (Ienova), Solar Century, Solar Fuel, Spanish Power, Sumex, T-Solar, WaterCapital, WRB Enterprises, Zuma Energía).