Fernando Holguín-Casas

BIO

Fernando Holguín is a member of the Tax and Trade practice group, focusing on tax, customs, and international trade matters. He has been consistently ranked as a Leading Lawyer in his practice by Chambers and Partners Latin America and Chambers Global (2016–2025), and has been recognized by Latin Lawyer as a reference attorney for Mexico. He has also been named a Leading Lawyer by The Legal 500, Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers, and was shortlisted for the Legal 500 Mexico Awards.

Fernando has extensive experience advising multinational companies on the design, implementation, and operation of tax and customs-efficient strategies in Mexico. His expertise spans free trade agreements, regulatory compliance, IMMEX/maquiladora and shelter programs, customs valuation, HTS classification, e-commerce, logistics structures, audits, regularization procedures, and legal defense before tax and customs authorities. He is actively involved in public-private dialogue and voluntary disclosure processes. He has also provided in-depth legal advice to numerous companies in the international transportation sector regarding their tax and customs operations in Mexico.

He regularly advises corporate groups on tax planning, restructuring, maquiladora operations, and transfer pricing compliance. In the area of international taxation, he assists both foreign investors doing business in Mexico and Mexican-based multinationals with global operations, helping them structure their activities in line with OECD standards and double tax treaties to maximize tax efficiency.

EDUCATION

• Law Degree, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Chihuahua Campus, Summa Cum Laude.
• LL.M. in International Taxation, New York University (NYU), Fulbright Scholar.
• Master’s in Business Law, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) in partnership with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).
• Postgraduate Degree in Tax and Customs Law, Escuela Libre de Derecho.
• Postgraduate Degree in Tax Law, Universidad Panamericana.
• Diploma in Practical Aspects of International Taxation and Transfer Pricing, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), 2025.

RELEVANT MATTERS

• Structuring and implementing tax and customs-efficient strategies for manufacturing, logistics, and transportation operations in Mexico.
• Strategic trade planning for global supply chains under international trade agreements such as USMCA and EU-Mexico.
• Representation in audits, origin verifications, regularization procedures, and litigation before Mexican tax and customs authorities.
• Comprehensive advisory on compliance, VAT certifications, and risk management for IMMEX and shelter companies.
• Implementation of transfer pricing policies and negotiation of Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) to avoid permanent establishment risks in Mexico.

RECOGNITIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

• Recognized as Leading Practitioner by Chambers and Partners, “The Guide to the World’s Best Lawyers” (2016–2025).
• Recognized as Latin Lawyer’s Reference Attorney for Mexico.
• Leading Lawyer by The Legal 500 and shortlisted for the Legal 500 Mexico Awards.
• Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers.
• Member of the American Bar Association (Business Law Section).
• Member of the Customs and International Trade Bar Association (USA).
• Member of the Foreign Trade Association.
• Chairman of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity (Chihuahua Chapter).
• Professor at ITESM, Ciudad Juárez Campus.
• Chairman of the International Trade Chapter of the Fulbright Scholars Association.