Margarita Rios-Farjat

Margarita Ríos-Farjat has a long and distinguished career as a jurist and public servant in Mexico, having most recently served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Mexico. She has extensive knowledge and experience in constitutional law, particularly as it relates to the intricate landscape of Mexican legislation and regulatory frameworks, which allow her to provide advice in connection with a broad range of matters, including dispute resolution, administrative matters, government regulation, compliance, tax planning and disputes, financial regulation and complex commercial transactions and disputes. In addition, she has a significant background in civil rights and has provided particularlized guidance to a wide range of organizations, including nonprofit organizations, on matters of transparency, accountability and governance.

Throughout her career, Ms. Ríos-Farjat has garnered a large number of honors and recognitions within the private sector and subsequently in public service. The United Nations office in Mexico highlighted her work as a reference for the first commemoration of the International Day of Women Judges, and several universities in Mexico have named chairs in her honor.

During Ms. Ríos-Farjat's tenure as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Mexico, she distinguished herself by her unwavering independence and profound commitment to the advancement of human rights. Her judicial philosophy emphasized the protection of children, women, individuals with disabilities and victims of gross human rights abuses. Additionally, she supported environmental rights, consumer protection, tax responsibility and the rights of banking service users. At the Supreme Court, she also served as President of the First Chamber (civil, commercial, criminal and administrative matters) in 2021 and 2022.

As an Associate Justice, Ms. Ríos-Farjat also headed a small team responsible for developing the pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) tool known as "Sor Juana," designed to clarify decisions of the Mexican Court and transform the method to communicate in a colloquial manner these rulings to the public. This innovative AI solution was honored with two prestigious national awards from the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) and National Institute for Access to Information (INAI).

Prior to her appointment as a Constitutional Judge, Ms. Ríos-Farjat served as the head of Mexico's Tax Administration Service (SAT). During her tenure, she spearheaded comprehensive and frontal efforts to combat tax evasion and was a driving force behind initiatives to elevate tax education, enhance transparency and formalization, guarantee fair and equitable tax treatment, and eradicate unjustified tax forgiveness. Throughout these endeavors, she remained steadfast in upholding taxpayers' rights, whether they are individuals, small or large companies, which, in her estimation, constitutes a cornerstone of the nation's ability to generate prosperity.

Before her public service career, Ms. Ríos-Farjat practiced at a global law firm for several years and later led a boutique practice of her own, cultivating a breadth of knowledge and experience across civil, commercial, administrative and transnational litigation, including cross-border service of process and recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. Her career also encompassed sophisticated amparo proceedings, civil and commercial liability matters, product liability disputes, collections, complex litigation, bankruptcy and commercial insolvency proceedings as well as the intricate intersections between arbitration and litigation.

Furthermore, from private sector as well and before her public career, Ms. Ríos-Farjat played a pivotal role in establishing the Anti-Corruption Coalition in Nuevo León, which was instrumental in its adoption and implementation of the State Anti-Corruption System (SEA). Her significant contributions as a coalition member were formally recognized by the Federation of Professional Associations of the State.

Ms. Rios-Farjat graduated first in her law school class, and following her graduation, she completed a clerkship in Mexico's Fourth Judicial District Court. She has also taken a course on the Mexico Stock Exchange (2003), as well as received a diploma in Amparo procedures and constitutional law from the Mexico Supreme Court of Justice (1998). She holds a master's degree in tax law, as well as a doctorate in public policy. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the Supreme Court of Mexico and its decisions regarding telecommunications and their impact on the industry's public policy.

Ms. Ríos-Farjat complements her legal practice at Holland & Knight with academic roles, serving as a professor at the University of Monterrey (UDEM) and teaching in the doctoral program in Development and National Security at the Mexican Institute of Strategic Studies in National Security and Defense (IMEESDN).