Adrian Vazquez Benitez

EXPERIENCE
Managing Partner at Vázquez Tercero & Zepeda (1992-present)
With over 25 years in the firm, Adrian Vazquez advises and represents a number of national and multinational companies, as well as foreign governments in trade and customs issues, particularly on antidumping, subsidies, safeguards, origin of goods, import and export controls, as well as in the interpretation of trade agreements.

In addition to appearing before administrative agencies, Mr. Vazquez coordinates the firm’s dispute settlement practice team and outlines the legal defense strategies before domestic courts and NAFTA Bi-national Panels. Additionally, he has supported foreign governments with legal memorandum on dispute resolution matters in connection with WTO challenges, in the cases Mexico – Anti-Dumping Investigation of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) from the United States and Mexico – Anti-Dumping Duties on Steel Pipes and Tubes from Guatemala.
RELEVANT CASES

Appearing as legal counsel to petitioners or respondents in more than 70 original antidumping investigations, including the most relevant trade remedy investigations conducted by Mexico such as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), Meat of Bovine, Pork Products and Apples from the United States, as well as in all sort of steel product investigations against South Korea, People’s Republic of China, India and Brazil.
Moreover, Mr. Vazquez has actively participated in 6 NAFTA Bi-national Panel reviews, including the successful litigation of the HFCS trade remedy dispute, that later lead to the Mexico - Tax Measures on Soft Drinks and Other Beverages case.
In recent years, Mr. Vazquez has successfully landed the negotiation of two major Suspension Agreements, which continue in force.

PUBLICATIONS

Mr. Vázquez most recent and significant publications are the following:
Adrián B Vázquez, Horacio A López-Portillo, Emilio Arteaga and Mariana Malváez, International trade in goods and services in Mexico: overview, Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 2019
Adrián B Vázquez, Horacio A López-Portillo, Emilio Arteaga and Mariana Malváez, “Mexico”, International Trade 2018, Chambers and Partners, 2018.
Adrián Vázquez and Emilio Arteaga, ‘Mexico’, The International Trade Law Review, No.2, 2017
Adrián Vázquez and Emilio Arteaga, ‘Mexico’, The International Trade Law Review, No.2, 2016
Adrián Vázquez and Emilio Arteaga, ‘Mexico’, The International Trade Law Review, No.1, 2015
Adrián Vázquez, ‘Protection of Confidential Information in the Mexican Trade Remedy System’, Global Trade and Customs Journal, Volume 9, Issue 7&8, 2014
Adrián Vázquez, ‘The Peace Clause in China’s Protocol of Accession to the WTO and the Resulting Transitory Measures’ in Jorge A. Moreno Castellanos (ed), New Paradigms in International Trade (Tax editores, 2010)
Héctor Vázquez and Adrián Vázquez, Sistema Antidumping Mexicano, Normatividad y Práctica, (Centro de InvestigaciónAduanera y de ComercioInternacional, 2002)

EVENTS

Mr. Vázquez has frequently been invited as a speaker in Mexico, United States, The Netherlands, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Brazil and Argentina, during a number of summits; recently, he has attended to the following events:
In March 2018, Mr. Vazquez served as Panelist in the All-American Round of the 16th ELSA WTO Moot Court Competition.
In June 2017, Mr. Vázquez attended ‘The Annual Conference on WTO Law’ held in Geneva, Switzerland.
In March and June 2017, Mr. Vazquez served as Panelist in the Regional and Final Round of the 15th ELSA WTO Moot Court Competition, held in Bogota, Colombia and Geneva, Switzerland, respectively.
In February 2017, Mr. Vazquez was invited and attended the round of conferences ‘WTO@20 Conference’ in New Delhi, India.
In April 2016, Mr. Vazquez was invited and attended the round of conferences ‘Old Rules, New Problems, The WTO at 20’ held in Harvard Law School.
In December 2015, Mr. Vazquez coordinated, in conjunction with Appellate Body Member Ricardo Ramírez, the round of conference ‘Latin America and the Future of International Trade Law’, held in Cancún, Mexico, which commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the World Trade Organization.

AFFILIATIONS

Among other organizations, Mr. Vazquez has participated in the following entities:
Appointed Member to the Evaluation Committee of the National Export Award, Agricultural Chapter.
International associate of the American Bar Association and the U.S. Mexico Law Institute.
Honorary Member of the Center for International Legal Studies in Austria.
Founder Member of the NGO International Trade Practices Advisors Association (ACOPRACI).
Co-chair of the Antidumping Committee of the U.S.-Mexico Bar Association.
Former Chair of the Trade Commission of the Public Accountants Mexican Institute.
Member of the Foreign Trade Section of the Mexican Bar.
Member of the Foreign Trade and Logistics Section of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico.
General Director of the Mexican Juvenile Products Association (Asociación Mexicana de ProductosInfantiles, A.C.).
Advisor to the Foreign Trade Expert Guild (Círculo de Especialistas en Comercio Exterior) of the professional education firm GrupoMaerker, S.C. in Mexico City.