Luis F. Martinez

Abogados Martinez Serna S.C. (AMS) is a Boutique law firm in Mexico that specializes in International Trade and Customs matters.  Our lawyers have ample experience in international business transactions. 

Services we provide in Customs and International Trade matters include designing import and export strategies, international contracts, export promotion programs, compliance with non-tariff restrictions, import permits, as well as:

Advance rulings on foreign trade treaties for goods and services;

Negotiations to eliminate and/or reduce duties on imported goods;

Preventive and corrective customs audits;

Duty deferral, duty reduction and duty drawback programs (IMMEX or Maquiladora, PROSEC, Rule Eight, etc.);

Origin analysis and certificate of origin management;

Tariff classification;

Customs valuation;

Compliance with non-tariff regulations, including notices, permits, and authorization to import and export goods;

Advice in compliance with Mexican Official Standards (“NOMS”);

Legal negotiations to modify, create or eliminate NOMS;

Bonded warehouse (Deposito Fiscal);

Free Trade Zones (Recinto Fiscalizado Estrategico);

Listing in the Importer Registry (Padrón de Importadores);

Legal defense against rulings issued by custom authorities;

Some of the Corporate services we provides include:

Foreign Investment structuring;

Opening of subsidiaries and branch offices of foreign corporations;

Incorporation of legal entities;

Joint ventures and shareholder agreements;

Commercial contracts (Service Manufacturing Agreements, Transportation, Brokerage, International Sale and Distribution of Goods and Services, Lease Agreements, Bailment Agreements, Maquiladora Agreements, etc.);

Approvals, authorizations, licenses and permits from Local, State and Federal governments;

Corporate record maintenance.

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Luis F. Martinez has over 20 years of experience advising clients on the application of trade and customs laws, application of international trade agreements of the World Trade Organization, NAFTA, USMCA, the European Union, Colombia, Chile, Israel and others. His practice covers trade and customs compliance, IMMEX regulations, import and export controls, compliance with non-tariff restrictions, international commercial transactions and foreign investment.

Luis received his Law Degree from the Faculty of Law at Tec de Monterrey in 1997 and his LL.M. in International Trade Law from the University of Arizona in 1999.

Before going into private practice, Luis worked as a legal researcher on international trade, investment and customs matters at the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade in Tucson Arizona and at Centro Jurídico para el Comercio Internacional at the Tec de Monterrey.

Luis has taught at public and private universities in northern Mexico. Courses include regulation of international trade, comparative trade law, NAFTA and customs law at both undergraduate and graduate levels.  He has published several papers and articles on international trade, NAFTA, investment and Maquila compliance in various legal and business journals in the U.S., Mexico and Canada and has participated as speaker at national and international conferences on similar topics matters.

• Former President of the U.S.-Mexico Bar Association and current Board Member.
• Board Member of the American Chamber of Commerce (Monterrey Chapter) and Vice President of the Trade and Logistic Committee.
• Member of the Mexican Bar Association.
• Member IMECE (Foreign Trade Executive Institute).

Awards

• Winner of the Yiacatecutli, Aztec god of Trade, American Chamber of Commerce 2016.
• Scholarship from Tec de Monterrey to study an LLM in International Trade Law at the University of Arizona.

Conferences Include:

• Asociación de Maquiladoras de Nuevo León (now INDEX)

“Legal Basis and Attributions of Tax Authorities in Filed Audits”

October 2004, Monterrey, N.L.

• Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Públicos de Nuevo León

Antidumping Duties in the Mexican Legal System”

March 14 del 2008, Monterrey, N.L.

• The North Texas District Export Council

Non–U.S. Trade Controls: The Unfamiliar and Overlooked Compliance Challenge

July 14 2008, Dallas Texas

• United States-Mexico Bar Association

“Recent Changes to Mexican Customs Legislation”

November 5-7 2008, San Diego California

• World Trade Center Saint Louis, Missouri

“Overview of Foreign Trade Operations in Mexico”

September 25, 2009, Saint Louis, Missouri

• American Conference Institute

Advance Forum on Global Customs Compliance

“Increasing Duty Saving Opportunities in Mexico”

June 28, 29, 2010, Washington D.C.

• United States-Mexico Bar Association

“NAFTA Audits”

November 2011, Mexico City

• CANACERO

“Free Trade and Mexican Industrial and Duty Policy”

October 19 2011, Mexico City

• American Bar Association

“Transfer Pricing, more Than Income Tax”

April 2011, Miami, Florida

• International Bar Association

Trade Compliance in the North American Market

Mayo 5 2011, Miami USA

• American Bar Association

“How Many Ways Can North American Importers Get Certificates of Origin Wrong? Stories From the Attorneys With Battle Scars”

April 2012, New York

• United States-Mexico Bar Association

“Customs and Trade Due Diligence in M&A”

September 2014, Mexico City

Published Articles Include

“Private Parties in the NAFTA Dispute Settlement Mechanisms; The Mexican Experience”

Tulane Law Review

Volume 77:1 2003

“Knock knock. -Who’s there? -It’s the NAFTA auditors. -The NAFTA what?”

ABA Section of International Law

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

Volume VI, No. 1

“Is your Money Going South?”

ABA Section of International Law

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

Volume II, No. 2

“Mexican Counsel? But Why? Title and Sale Are In the United States Anyway; Think Again”

ABA Section of International Law

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

Volume III, No. 2

“Last Step of Filed Audit, Prepare for Defense”

IDC

Asesor Jurídico Y Fiscal

Año XXIII 4ta Epoca 15 de Septiembre 2009

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