He was the first Mexican and the youngest to be appointed to the highest court on international trade, the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO). He served for almost nine years and was elected by his peers as Chair for two consecutive terms.
On 2017, he was appointed by the Chairman of the Administrative Council of the World Bank to the Panel of Arbitrators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) for a period of 6 years. He has been arbitrator in cases initiated under different trade agreements as well as on investment arbitration tribunals, being one of the most active Latin arbitrators in this field. He was also a member of the first arbitral tribunal which involved labor provisions contained in a free trade agreement.
As a panelist, he has participated in different disputes under Chapter XIX of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He was appointed independent trade expert of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) and is also a member of the panelists’ roster on several trade agreements.
In the private sector, he was head of the International Trade Practice for Latin America at Chadbourne & Parke, S.C. His practice focused on a full range of trade matters, including unfair trade practices and safeguards. In the public sector, he was Deputy General Counsel for Trade Negotiations of the Ministry of Economy in Mexico. For more than 11 years, Mr. Ramírez provided advice on international trade matters related to all trade agreements signed by Mexico.
He is Chair of the International Trade and Investment Policies Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce in Mexico (ICC). He is also President of the International Trade Professors Association of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He holds a Law Degree by the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico and an L.L.M on International Legal Studies by the American University, Washington College of Law.
Prior to joining RRH Consultores S.C., Hugo Romero worked at the Office of the General Counsel for International Trade, Ministry of Economy for over 10 years and for over 5 years as Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the WTO in Geneva, Switzerland. Between 2017 and 2019, he as Deputy-General Counsel for International Trade.
As public official he was part of the team of defense of Mexico in international trade and investment dispute at different stages. He as part of Mexico’s team negotiating the USMCA – as Lead of Mexico in the Trade Remedies Group and as member of Mexico’s team in the Legal and Institutional Group –, Modernization of the Mexico-EU FTA, CPTPP, Mexico-Peru FTA, Mexico-Central America FTA among others, as well as many BITs. Additionally, he provided advise on international trade and investment law.
He participated as a delegate of Mexico before international organizations such as WTO, UNCITRAL (Group III), UNCTAD, OECD and APEC.
He is professor and holds the Chair of International Trade Law and NAFTA at the Faculty of Law of the Mexican Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Regularly he is speaker in conferences and has written specialized articles.
He is member of the arbitrators list of the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA), where he was arbitrator in a complex case initiated by Guatemala against Panama on certain import requirements for juices (MSC-01-16).
He holds a Law and a Master of Laws degrees.
He is fully proficient in English.
Prior to joining RRH Consultores S.C., Samantha Atayde worked at the Office of the General Counsel for International Trade, Ministry of Economy for over 13 years participating in international trade negotiations, including TPP/CPTPP, Pacific Alliance, Mexico-Peru FTA, Mexico-Central America FTA and Mexico-Panama FTA, as well as in dispute settlement proceedings (investor-State and State-State) at different stages. In September 2016, Samantha Atayde was appointed General Counsel and participated as Lead Counsel in the negotiations for the USMCA and the Modernization of the Mexico-EU FTA, and represented the Government of Mexico in WTO disputes and several arbitration proceedings before ICSID. Additionally, she provided advise on international trade and investment law.
She participated as a representative of Mexico before international organizations such as WTO, ICSID and OECD.
Regularly she is speaker in conferences and has written specialized articles.
She received her Master’s degree in International Business Law from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and holds a law degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila.
She is fully proficient in English.
Marisol has represented national and multinational companies in anti-dumping and subsidies investigations as well as in procedures derived from the imposition of anti-dumping duties such as sunset, annual reviews, and anti-circumvention proceedings. She is also responsible for the legal defense of private companies on legal appeals related to international trade investigations before national courts and amparo lawsuits.
Her practice includes procedures in regulatory matters for the importation of health-related products as well as legal assistance in investor-State cases under international treaties. She has served as a legal assistant and as Panelist on a Binational Panel constituted under NAFTA Chapter XIX.
She is a professor of International Trade Law at the Law School of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and holds a Law Degree from the UNAM.
He took part in the negotiations for the updating of NAFTA (now USMCA) and the Modernization of Mexico and the European Union Agreement. Between 2013 and 2016 he served as General Director of International Trade Rules of the Ministry of Economy and during that same period he was also appointed Senior Official of Mexico (SOM), before the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Mechanism (APEC).
Between 2001 and 2013 he served as a Head of the NAFTA Office of Mexico in Canada. His responsibilities were to oversee the implementation of NAFTA commitments, as well as to deepen economic ties and cooperation between Mexico and Canada, trough the promotion of trade and investment. He participated in the Canada Mexico Partnership (CMP), as well as the defunct Security and Prosperity of North America (SSP), both mechanism of cooperation, designed to promote the integration and competitiveness of the region.
Between 1997 and 2000 he was General Director of Services Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade and Industrial development. In that period, he was responsible for the negotiations of the services chapters of Mexico FTAs with the European Union, The European Free Trade Association, Central and South American countries, as well as with Israel. Before this period, he participated in the negotiations of the services chapter in the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics for the National Autonomous University of Mexico and has published articles, on liberalization of trade services and Mexico’s relationship with Asia Pacific.
Teléfono: 52 55 56351732
