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Julio Rivera Ríos
Partner

Biography

Julio is a fully trained lawyer in both common and civil law jurisdictions, bringing a dual perspective to his practice. He focuses on resolving high-stakes disputes across industries like energy, mining, finance, construction, shareholder relations, and sports. He represents clients in complex commercial and investor-state arbitrations under ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, among others. In Mexican courts, he litigates high-profile cases, including constitutional amparos, bankruptcy proceedings, and government liability claims. Julio also advises on compliance—crafting policies, training programs, and regulatory strategies—and manages government investigations, steering clients through audits and advising on resolutions.

Lexology (2022-2025) names him a Future Leader in international arbitration and a Thought Leader – Global Elite, calling him a “talented and excellent advocate.” The Legal 500 (2024-2025) ranks him as a key lawyer, noting that he is a “very talented lawyer, intelligent, extremely hard-working, charming, and with amazing communication skills.” Clients praise him, saying he “stands out for his intelligence, hard work, great personality, and the excellent preparation he has for interrogations.”

Julio holds prominent leadership roles in the arbitration community. He co-directs the Young ICCA Mentoring Programme, serves as ICC YAAF Representative for North America, and leads the ITA Americas Initiative Task Force on Mexican Judicial Decisions in Arbitration. He served on the IBA Arb40 Subcommittee (2022-2024) and regularly speaks and writes on arbitration topics.

Before co-founding Rivera Garcia, Julio practiced at a leading Mexican litigation firm for five years, then at two top-tier New York firms for nearly a decade.

Education +
  • Harvard Law School, LLM.
  • Escuela Libre de Derecho, Law Degree, summa cum laude.
Admissions +
  • Mexico
  • New York
  • Texas

Representative Cases

Arbitration +
  • Represented a leading investment management firm and its holding company in securing a $100 million UNCITRAL arbitration award against a sovereign state.
  • Represented a major multinational mining company and a prominent mining operator in an ICSID arbitration against a sovereign state under a bilateral trade agreement, challenging the government’s imposition of royalties, penalties, and interest on its copper mining operations in a dispute valued at nearly $1 billion.
  • Represented an international construction company in an LCIA arbitration concerning disputes over the engineering, procurement, and construction of a $9 billion liquefied natural gas plant.
  • Represented a major professional sports league and its teams in defeating over $1 billion in antitrust claims alleging collusion against its players.
  • Represented a major construction company in an LCIA arbitration concerning disputes arising from the construction of a 240MW hydroelectric power plant.
  • Represented an Indian conglomerate in an ICC arbitration over a shareholder dispute related to an $800 million mining project.
  • Advised a state-owned enterprise on potential Chapter 11 NAFTA claims concerning the lease of oil production platforms.
  • Advised a publicly traded Mexican company on restructuring its investment framework to secure treaty protections.
Litigation +
  • Managed a portfolio of claims for a major Mexican bank, coordinating parallel proceedings across multiple states to defend against wrongful allegations of misappropriated funds.
  • Removed leased assets from the estate of a bankrupt oil and gas company and enforced recovery orders across multiple states.
  • Represented a client in claims against federal authorities for the wrongful confiscation of high-value assets, securing compensation for their unlawful forfeiture.
  • Secured a court ruling ordering state authorities to compensate a client for the unlawful destruction of commercial property, forcing the local legislature to allocate funds through constitutional litigation.
  • Represented a client in enforcing ownership rights over patented technology and claiming damages for its misappropriation.
  • Represented a client in seeking damages against public telecommunications licensees for trademark infringement, while coordinating strategy for parallel proceedings before the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property.
Compliance +
  • Counseled a multinational investment bank in investigations by Mexican authorities into alleged corrupt practices, as well as in potential FCPA enforcement proceedings by the DOJ.
  • Advised a major mobile network operator on enhancing anti-corruption compliance, revising FCPA policies, strengthening contractual safeguards, and optimizing due diligence processes to mitigate regulatory risks.
  • Advised a financial institution in connection with a SEC investigation into potential fraud, assisting with internal reviews and regulatory responses to ensure compliance and risk mitigation.

Publications & Events

Publications +
Events +
  • Arbitration in Mexico Post-Judicial Overhaul
    13 March 2025, Columbia International Arbitration Association, New York City, New York
  • ITA Americas Initiative Latin American Forum,
    11 March 2025, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, New York, New York
  • Award Scrutiny at the ICC and Other Arbitral Institutions
    25 October 2024, ICC Paris, 10th Young ICCA Mentoring Program Retreat, Paris, France
  • Dialogues on Latin American Arbitration: Mining Disputes, China’s Growing Influence, and Recurring Damages Issues
    1 October 2024, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York, New York
  • International Arbitration and Government Policy in Latin America
    19 September 2024, Young ICCA, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Shaping the Future of International Arbitration: Evidence Gathering and Protection of Foreign Investments
    15 September 2024, International Bar Association, IBA Arb40 Symposium, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Perspectives of Emerging Leaders in International Arbitration: Enforcement of Arbitral Awards
    17 April 2024, Fordham International Law Association, New York, New York
  • Protection of Foreign Investments through International Arbitration
    7 March 2024, ICC Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Cultural Differences in International Arbitration
    15 December 2023, Gide Loyrette Nouel, 9th Annual Young ICCA Mentoring Program Retreat, Paris, France
  • Investment Arbitration and ICSID: Perspectives Following Ecuador’s Recent Ratification
    5 December 2023, Ecuadorian Arbitration Institute, The Award: Enforcement Under the ICSID Convention, Webcast
  • The Art of Impactful Opening and Closing Statements
    6 November 2023, ICC YAAF, IBA, Columbia International Arbitration Association, New York City, New York
  • Witness and Expert Examination Course
    12 October 2023, ARBANZA Institute of Arbitration, Webcast
  • The IBA Basics on Arbitration
    25 July 2023, IBA Young Lawyers Committee, Webinar: The IBA Basics on Arbitration, Webcast
  • Impact of Economic Sanctions on International Arbitration
    3 March 2023, Harvard International Arbitration Law Students Association, 9th Harvard International Arbitration Conference, International Arbitration: Fostering and Adapting to Change, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Unfolding the Future of International Arbitration: Substantive Challenges and the Rise of a New Model
    30 October 2023, International Bar Association, IBA Arb40 Symposium, Miami Beach, Florida
  • Witness and Expert Examination Course
    6 October 2022, ARBANZA Institute of Arbitration, Webcast
  • Reforms Mexico has Implemented in the Energy Sector
    25 January 2022, Mexican Bar Association, Nuevo Leon Chapter, El ABC de la Reforma Energética: Aspectos Domésticos y Tratados Internacionales, Webcast
  • Convergencia o Divergencia entre el Common Law y Civil Law, en Arbitraje Comercial Internacional
    7 July 2021, Mexico International Chamber of Commerce, Comité Jóvenes Árbitros Bajío, Webcast
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