July 17, 2024 — A University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) delegation met with stakeholders, including government officials, academic leaders, major U.S. law firms with offices located in Mexico, industry professionals, and alumni during a July trip to Mexico.
UH Law was represented on this trip by Leonard M. Baynes, Dean, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Chair, and Professor of Law; Julián Cárdenas, a Research Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law; and Karen L. Jones, Executive Director of Global and Graduate Programs.
“We were delighted to be hosted by so many wonderful organizations and host events for Law Center alumni in Mexico. This event underscored our commitment to fostering global legal education and professional development,” said Baynes. “Mexico is Texas’s number one trading partner. It is important for UH Law Center to have strong ties with organizations on the other side of the border. We all share the same goal which is to train talented and accomplished lawyers who can effectively represent their clients in cross border business transactions and disputes.”
The visit included a presentation on "ESG Standards as Transnational Rules for Energy Transition," in Spanish, at Goodrich, Riquelme y Asociados in Mexico City. Joined by David Enríquez, Senior Partner at the firm, Cárdenas highlighted how evolving ESG practices are reshaping laws, treaties, industry guidelines and arbitration rules. It is the first time UH Law held a Texas CLE program in Mexico.
"The trip confirmed the continued engagement of the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law in promoting exchanges with universities, government agencies and academia in Mexico," said Cardenas. "It was a very successful trip in Mexico City and Monterrey."
UH Law reaffirmed its partnership with the Mexican National Hydrocarbon Commission for internships, training, and seminars. Meetings with the Mexican Foreign Ministry and alumni Alejandro Celorio Alcantara (LL.M. ‘09) and Natalia Jimenez Alegria (LL.M. ‘20) also strengthened UHLC's ties with the ministry. In addition, the UH Law team met with the Alfredo Femat Bañuelos, who is President of the Foreign Relations Committee and Member of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies.
“It is always great to represent the University of Houston Law Center with colleagues and discuss ways to collaborate with law firms and other organizations around the world,” Jones said. “It is great to meet in person with our neighbors and colleagues across the border and identify the ways that we can mutually benefit through increased collaboration. We have spent many years developing strong relationships with universities, firms, government entities and organizations in Mexico. We recognize the importance and support the goal of developing strong transnational lawyers; those who can speak both languages (English and Spanish), understand the respective laws, and are licensed to practice law in both countries. Ideally transnational lawyers must be able to operate effectively in both the U.S. and Mexican legal communities. Participating in this trip to Mexico has allowed us to identify opportunities for greater collaboration and ways to achieve our shared goals.”
During the visit, the UHLC trio discussed academic exchange opportunities with other universities, including Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México Law School, Universidad Anáhuac, Universidad La Salle, A.C, and Tecnológico de Monterrey Santa Fe.
