Antonio Cardenas Arriola

Partner

About

Antonio Cárdenas focuses on bringing amparo proceedings and ordinary defense procedures in administrative matters, and he advises on internal investigations, regulatory matters, and relations with authorities in regulated markets. He has extensive experience in litigation on highly regulated markets and in complex antitrust affairs.

Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and Investigations

Bar admissionsMexico

'Antonio Cárdenas' service is exceptional,' one commenter told Chambers. 'His expertise in the TMT industry is fundamental to our handling of complicated and challenging cases.'

Another respondent added, 'He is an excellent lawyer who has strong technical skills.' Chambers noted: 'He provides a service well above expectations' and commented, 'Antonio Cárdenas of DLA Piper garners market recognition for his experience in administrative litigation proceedings in Mexico.'

One client comments: ‘Antonio Cárdenas is a very good practitioner,’ while an impressed market observer declares: ‘He is an excellent lawyer, technically solid, studious, and a great litigator in regulatory matters in the telecom space.

— Chambers Latin America, 2023

EXPERIENCE

ANTONIO HAS LED OR CO-LED THE FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANT MATTERS:

Antonio led internal investigations on major companies in several industries, such as (i) food and beverages, (ii) apparel, (iii) mining, (iv) tire market, and (v) oil and gas, among others.
Antonio leads the defense on several amparo trials regarding antitrust and regulatory issues of one of the largest telecommunication companies.
Antonio leads the defense in the amparo trial against one major investigation conducted by Cofece in the oil and gas industry in connection with the defense of one of the largest distributors in Mexico.
Antonio leads the defense on several matters of a bank institution in connection with their regulatory obligations.
Antonio led the amparo trial against specific rules issued by the Secretariat of Education, which affected all the students up to high school in public education and obtained an injunction and later a final ruling vacating such rules with benefits for millions of students in Mexico.
Antonio led the legal defense in the first amparo trial filed by the Railroad Association, which comprises 99% of the railroad market in Mexico, against a certain rule issued by the Federal Railroad Commission.
Antonio led the legal defense of one of Mexico's most significant dairy products companies, which challenged transit regulations (prohibitions on heavy-weight vehicles used in the supply chain) in ten municipalities of Nuevo León. All of the trials ended with favorable rulings issued by different Courts.
Led the defense of a leading Global food and beverages producer against the prohibition of the Mexico City Government from commercializing plastic coffee capsules. The legal defense permitted the client to continue distributing the coffee capsules.
Led the litigation regarding interconnection rates in more of one hundred constitutional rights trials for a major Telco (2008 to 2022).
Advised various public entities in designing, implementing, and defense of the sale procurement process for the sale of nine sugar mills before the Supreme Court of Justice. These represent 22.2% of the overall Mexican sugar production.
Antonio was a key member in the team advising Shared Telecommunications Network (the biggest telecommunications infrastructure project in Mexico's history) since the bidding process in 2016 and its legal defense before the Supreme Court of Justice.
Participated in more than two hundred complaints before the Federal Institute of Telecommunications against the abuse of market power of Mexico´s largest Telco (2015 to 2021).
Participated in the defense in a cartel investigation in the Oil and Gas national distribution market conducted by the Federal Antitrust Commission. In counseling the client (a major Liquid Petroleum Gas distributor), Antonio led an internal investigation, interviewing several company functionaries to determine if there was any misconduct or illegal activity under the Federal Antitrust Law (2017 to 2022).
Participated in the defense in a cartel investigation in the Treasury Bonds market conducted by the Federal Antitrust Commission. While counseling the client (global banking institution), Antonio participated in an internal investigation, interviewing several functionaries to determine if there was any misconduct or illegal activity under the Federal Antitrust Law (2017 to 2021).
Participated in the defense in a cartel investigation in the Aeronautic Transportation market conducted by the Federal Antitrust Commission; among counseling to the client (a major airline), Antonio participated in an internal investigation interviewing several functionaries, to determine if there was any misconduct or illegal activity under the Federal Antitrust Law. This investigation was made with close collaboration with the Miami office of his prior firm (2015 to 2019).
Participated in the defense of a cartel investigation in the pension funds market conducted by the Federal Antitrust Commission counseling to the client (a global pension fund manager). Antonio participated in an internal investigation, interviewing several functionaries to determine if there was any misconduct or illegal activity under the Federal Antitrust Law (2015 to 2017).
Participated in the defense in a cartel investigation in the poultry market conducted by the Federal Antitrust Commission. While counseling the client (a global poultry producer), Antonio participated in an internal investigation, interviewing several functionaries to determine if there was any misconduct or illegal activity under the Federal Antitrust Law (2009 to 2013).
Led the drafting, reviewing, and implementing anti-corruption policies and protocols for companies in several industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceutical, energy, telecom, and financial services, including documentation that governs the relationship between company functionaries and public servants and all relevant "contact rules" and protocols to be followed in case of a breach or internal misconduct.

Education

Law Degree (J.D. equivalent), Universidad Iberoamericana

Masters Degree in Law, Economic Law, Universidad Panamericana

Awards

Publications

"Doing Business in Mexico: Chambers Guide 2023," Chambers and Partners, July, 2023
"Doing Business in Mexico: Chambers Guide 2022," Chambers and Partners, August 2022
Co-author, "Corruption in Mexico: A threat to the rule of law," NYU Journal of International Law and Politics, NYU,2020
Co-author, "Global Practice Guide: Litigation, Mexico, trends and development," Chambers and Partners” 2019
Co-author, "Mexico,” The Intellectual Property and Antitrust Review, The Law Reviews 2016-2020

Seminars