Luis Rubio Barnetche

Overview

Luis Rubio is an attorney and the executive partner in Holland & Knight's Mexico City office. Mr. Rubio's practice focuses primarily on representing domestic and international corporations in complex corporate matters, as well as commercial, private and international arbitration matters. He also has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, international contracts and international business transactions.

In addition, Mr. Rubio has extensive experience representing foreign public companies with a presence in Mexico and Mexican subsidiaries in the structuring, implementation and rollout of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) policies and procedures. He also advises major industrial, mobile telephone and satellite operators in Mexico.

As a member of Mexico's North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) foreign negotiation team, Mr. Rubio pioneered the practice of dispute resolution in Mexico under Chapter XIX of NAFTA.

Some of the matters described below may have occurred before Mr. Rubio joined Holland & Knight as a partner.

Representative Experience

Represented Eutelsat S.A. in an investment arbitration dispute under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Additional Facility
Represented Eutelsat Americas in the acquisition of AlternaTV, a Miami-based content distribution platform that provides Latin American cable television channels and internet services in the United States
Represented a major fixed satellite services provider in corporate, regulatory and antitrust matters in Mexico, as well as in its corporate and financial restructuring and the negotiation of a satellite construction agreement for the acquisition of satellites by Eutelsat – a transaction valued at approximately US$1 billion
Represented a global leader in e-commerce and cloud computing in connection with new business initiatives involving data privacy, technology, telecommunications and consumer protection
Represented the second-largest mobile operator in an International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) commercial arbitration dispute with a mobile virtual network operator
Represented Telefónica México in connection with an unprecedented long-term wholesale agreement with another telecommunications company in Mexico, under which Telefónica México would use that company's radio access network
Represented Telefónica S.A. in the sale of its data centers located in Mexico and other Latin American countries in a transaction valued at 550 million euros
Represented the second-largest mobile operator in the first spectrum swap and lease in Mexico involving 10 megahertz (MHz) in the AWS-1 band (1.7/2.1 gigahertz (GHz)) and 10 MHz in the PCS band (1.9 GHz) licensed to a U.S.-owned mobile operator in Mexico
Represented one of the largest independent public telecommunications infrastructure providers in the amicable resolution of a potential claim arising from the acquisition of a nationwide fiber-optic network and related assets
Represented Telefónica and another telecommunications company in Mexico in the first transaction authorized by Mexico's Federal Telecommunications Institute following the creation of the secondary spectrum market under the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law in 2014
Advised and represented one of Mexico's leading telecommunications companies in the acquisition of other Mexican telecommunications companies, including advice regarding the corresponding authorizations before the Federal Economic Competition Commission and compliance with various regulatory matters
Represented the second-largest mobile operator in Mexico in investigations concerning leading mobile telephone services in Mexico, including content exclusivity, public tenders and fiber-optic networks before the Federal Electricity Commission
Represented a Spanish mobile services provider in the US$1.97 billion acquisition of a Mexican provider and participated in the US$1.36 billion acquisition of four cellular companies in northern Mexico
Represented Mexico's Ministry of Communications and Transportation in a legal and regulatory analysis for the development of free public broadband internet access throughout Mexico

Advised in the incorporation and operation of one of the largest low-cost airlines in Mexico
Advised in the acquisition and operation of one of the largest air cargo companies operating in Mexico
Advised one for the world's largest transportation and courier companies in its Mexican operations

Represented Chrysler Corporation in the structuring for the sale of its entire electrical wire division (EWD)
Served as legal counsel to the joint venture between Daimler and Automotores Mexicanos for the assembly manufacturing facility of trucks and buses in Mexico
Represented Toyota Motor Sales in Mexico in the design and negotiation with governmental authorities for the establishment of their distribution operations in Mexico

Represented a U.S.-based mining group in the execution of exploration agreements with acquisition options with one of the major Mexican mining groups
Represented one of the leading corn and wheat producers in Mexico in an antitrust case for alleged monopolistic practices
Represented General Electric (GE) in Mexico in several Mexican acquisitions and other corporate transactions
Acted as a legal advisor for Corporación Mexicana de Inversiones de Capital (Fondo de Fondos) on corporate matters and development of corporate projects
Advised a domestic and international corporation in the implementation of policies and procedures for compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)

Ongoing representation of a private equity firm in the acquisition of strategic assets for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircrafts
Advised a master food and beverage franchisor in Mexico in a strategic deal and master franchise alliance with the largest non-U.S. pizza delivery company in the world
Represented a leading distributor of specialty chemicals and food ingredients in the acquisition of the premier specialty chemicals and food ingredient distributor in Mexico
Advised the acquirer company in the bid process for the 330 million euro acquisition as part of the global acquisition of equity interests
Advised a company leader in the pharmaceutical industry in the acquisition of a Mexican entity, a distributor of raw materials for the pharma, food, pet and dietary supplements industries

Advised a leading manufacturing company of pressure and temperature instrumentation gauges in the process of running its new plant in Querétaro, Mexico; assisted in incorporating a new company, negotiating its lease agreement for the new plant and obtaining a Maquiladora, Manufacturing and Export Services Industry (IMMEX) authorization and value added tax (VAT) certification for the imports of machinery, equipment and inputs as part of the manufacture process
Represented Hard Rock Café International (STP) Inc. in the ends of disputes after more than eight years litigating two International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration proceedings and 15 years of judicial proceedings in Mexico and in the United States
Participated in several North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Chapter XIX alternative dispute cases, including steel, footwear and high-fructose and agricultural products
Participated in the first alternative dispute resolution case brought under Associação Latino-Americana de Integração (ALADI) for computers exported to Peru
Advised in the incorporation of the first title insurance company in Mexico and provided legal regulatory advice for 10 years
Advised for the operation, restructuring and purchase of duty-free stores on a nationwide basis
Advised a Mexican government-owned bank for infrastructure and public services in the elaboration of bidding guidelines and negotiating infrastructure contracts with public and private bodies, entities and companies
Served as lead counsel of a consortium for the construction and operation of a nitrogen supply plant for oil extraction in Mexico
Advised on the largest outsourcing project with the Mexican Ministry of Finance for the construction, operation and maintenance of data processing facilities for federal taxes in Mexico
Represented one for the world's largest e-commerce retailers in their Mexican operations

Credentials

Education

New York University School of Law, LL.M.
Universidad Panamericana, J.D.
Harvard Business School, Owner/President Management (OPM) Program

Bar Admissions/Licenses

Mexico

Memberships

International Bar Association
U.S.-Mexico Bar Association
Mexican Bar Association

Honors & Awards

The Legal 500 Latin America, Leading Lawyer, International Trade and Customs, Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT), 2018-2027; M&A, 2018, 2019; International Arbitration, 2019
Chambers Latin America – Latin America's Leading Lawyers for Business guide, Mexico: Corporate/M&A, Telecom, Media & Technology (TMT), 2018-2027
Chambers Global – The World's Leading Lawyers for Business guide, Mexico: Corporate/M&A, 2017-2025; Mexico: Corporate/M&A (Highly Regarded), 2026
The Best Lawyers in Mexico, Communications Law, Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2019-2026
LACCA Approved, Anti-Corruption Investigations and Compliance, Latin Lawyer, 2019-2026
Latinvex, Latin America's Top 100 Lawyers, 2014-2026
Lexology Thought Leaders: Mexico, Data, 2024, 2025
Highly Regarded, Corporate, IFLR1000, 2023, 2024
Leaders League, Mexico: Mergers & Acquisitions, 2023, 2024; Innovation, Technology & Telecommunications, 2024
Stand-Out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, 2022, 2024
Los Mejores Abogados de México 2022, Tops México, Leading Lawyer, Corporate Law
Who's Who Legal: Global Leader: Data – Information Technology, 2020; National Leader: Mexico – Data, 2020-2022
Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2021
LACCA Thought Leader, Anti-Corruption Investigations and Compliance, 2018, 2020
The Best Lawyers, TMT Lawyer of the Year, 2015
Latin America's Top 50 Legal Stars, Latin Business Chronicle, 2014