Dear clients and friends,
In order to keep you informed about regulatory changes impacting the management of your industrial property assets in Mexico, we share an analysis of the Resolution published by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) in the Official Gazette of the Federation on March 11, 2026, through which Article 11 of the Timeframes Resolution is amended, introducing a maximum limit of two office actions during the substantive examination of patent and utility model applications, as well as the possibility of holding virtual meetings with examiners.
Below are the most relevant aspects:
What does this Resolution amend?
It amends Article 11 of the prior IMPI Resolution regarding timeframes, limiting to two the maximum number of office actions during the substantive examination of a patent or utility model application.
What is the virtual meeting and who may request it?
It is a videoconference with the IMPI examiner to discuss the prosecution of the application. It may be requested by the applicant at any time during the substantive examination. Additionally, IMPI itself may propose such meeting when issuing the first office action.
When does it enter into force?
It becomes effective on the business day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation, on March 11, 2026. Applications filed before that date will continue to be governed by the previous regulations.
How does it benefit IP rights holders?
It reduces uncertainty by establishing a maximum of two office actions and opens channels of direct communication with examiners to streamline and clarify the process of obtaining a patent or utility model.
Conclusion
The amendment to Article 11 of the IMPI Timeframes Resolution represents a significant step forward in terms of administrative simplification and legal certainty for patent and utility model applicants in Mexico. By establishing a maximum of two office actions during substantive examination and enabling virtual meetings as a dialogue mechanism, IMPI adopts a more agile and transparent approach, aligned with international best practices in industrial property.
For patent applicants, this represents an opportunity to manage their applications in a more efficient and strategic manner, taking advantage of direct communication channels with the Authority.
Our specialist lawyers
Our team of lawyers is ready to help you understand how to apply these new rules to your company or investment project.
Profile
Elías-Fernández, Edmundo
Senior Partner
Perfil
Mr. Elías has 36 years of experience in the legal profession. His practice focuses on international trade and customs matters, commercial law, corporate law, corporate compliance (anti-corruption), and government affairs. Mr. Elías has extensive experience across various sectors and industries, including the maquiladora industry, pharmaceuticals, automotive, consumer products, information technology, among others.
He has advised and represented numerous companies (Fortune 10, 100, and 500) in corporate, foreign trade, and customs matters, as well as in international commercial and anti-corruption issues. Likewise, he has represented such companies in matters related to free trade agreements, duty deferral programs, customs compliance, representation before authorities, tariff classification, rules of origin, customs valuation, and non-tariff regulations, among others.
Mr. Elías is recognized by Chambers and Partners (Band 1 National and Global), The Legal 500 (Hall of Fame), Best Lawyers, and Who's Who Legal as a leading lawyer both nationally and globally.
Experiencia Profesional
Currently, Mr. Elías is the Head Partner of the Foreign Trade practice at Ramos, Ripoll & Schuster. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Elías served as Managing Partner of the Guadalajara office of the international law firm Cacheaux, Cavazos & Newton. Mr. Elías worked at Baker McKenzie from 1992 to 2014. Among other responsibilities, he served as Coordinator of the International Trade and Customs practice in Mexico and Latin America. He also served twice as Global Coordinator of the firm’s International Trade and Customs practice.
Previously, Mr. Elías was founding partner of Bufete Elías, S.C. (1989–1992), a firm focused on corporate and commercial matters; Estrategia Bursátil, S.A. de C.V. Casa de Bolsa (1987), where he served as assistant to the Legal Department; and Gallástegui y Lozano, S.C. (1985–1986), where he worked as a law clerk.
Mr. Elías has held a customs broker license authorizing him to operate throughout Mexico since 1995.
He has served as a professor at National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez, and Tecnológico de Monterrey Guadalajara Campus. He currently teaches at the Law School of Universidad Panamericana (undergraduate and graduate programs) at its Aguascalientes, Mexico City, and Guadalajara campuses.
He has been a panelist and speaker at more than 100 seminars on foreign trade, customs, and foreign investment organized by distinguished organizations, including the World Trade Organization, World Customs Organization, International Fiscal Association, American Management Association, Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, the Mexican Ministry of Commerce and Industrial Development, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the American Chamber of Commerce, the Confederación de Asociaciones de Agentes Aduanales de la República Mexicana, the Barra Mexicana Colegio de Abogados, and the Consejo Nacional de la Industria Maquiladora y Manufacturera de Exportación, among others.
Mr. Elías also served as Special Advisor and Co-Coordinator of private sector working groups during the modernization of United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement negotiations (NAFTA/USMCA).
- Co-author, NAFTA Handbook, CCH.
- Co-author, Mexican Tax Guide, CCH.
- Author of various essays and articles.
- Barra Mexicana Colegio de Abogados, currently Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Jalisco Chapter.
- American Bar Association.
- Academia Internacional de Derecho Aduanero (full member).
- Confederación de Asociaciones de Agentes Aduanales de la República Mexicana.
Formación Académica
- Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law – Master of Laws (LL.M.) with Honors.
- Universidad Panamericana – Master’s Degree in Business Law with Honors.
- IE Business School – CBA.
- Universidad Panamericana – Doctoral Candidate in Law.
- IPADE Business School – AD-2 Program (2005).
- Management Executive Program, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.
- Universidad Panamericana – Postgraduate Studies.
- National Autonomous University of Mexico – Law Degree with Honors.
- Centro Universitario México (C.U.M.) – High School Diploma.
Área de Práctica
Idiomas
Spanish, English
Certificaciones, Rankings, Publicaciones, Afiliaciones
Band 1 - Latin America Guide 2026, International Trade / WTO
Shortlisted - Lawyer of the year 2026, International Trade and Customs
- Corporate and Mergers Acquisitions Law
- International Trade and Finance Law
- Trade Law
Testimonios
Profile
Ripoll-González, Alejandro
Senior Partner
Perfil
Alejandro Ripoll has more than 20 years of experience in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment, infrastructure and energy projects, corporate governance, and cross-border transactions.
He has led M&A transactions with an aggregate value exceeding USD 4 billion and has participated in infrastructure and energy projects with a combined value of more than USD 15 billion across Mexico and Latin America.
His recent experience includes advising on the cross-border acquisition of Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol (Spain) by an international investment group (2025), advising on the acquisition of Logistik Industrial Park in San Luis Potosí for more than USD 250 million (one of the largest industrial parks in Latin America), as well as advising on the acquisition of Fox Sports México, including audiovisual rights structures in Mexico and the United States.
Mr. Ripoll has extensive experience structuring sophisticated transactions involving rollover schemes, earn-outs, hybrid stock and asset transactions, and cross-border reorganizations in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, maquiladora, technology, and entertainment sectors.
In addition to his transactional practice, Alejandro Ripoll serves as a board member of various companies in the agribusiness, industrial park development, energy generation, and railway terminal infrastructure sectors. This board-level experience allows him to advise clients from both a strategic and business-oriented perspective.
He is recognized by Chambers and Partners (Global and Latin America) in the areas of Corporate/M&A, Projects, and General Business Law.
Experiencia Profesional
Alejandro is a partner at Ramos, Ripoll & Schuster and co-leads the Corporate & Business and Energy & Infrastructure practice groups. Prior to joining Ramos, Ripoll & Schuster, he was part of the Corporate/M&A group at Baker McKenzie.
He regularly advises multinational corporations, private investors, and family-owned business groups on acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, restructurings, and corporate governance matters.
Mr. Ripoll also serves as board member and external advisor to companies in the agribusiness, industrial park, power generation, and railway terminal sectors.
He is a member of the Executive Committee of Legalink, a global alliance of more than 70 independent law firms across 60 jurisdictions, where he promotes cross-border collaboration and the development of international clients.
Publications, Conferences, and Academic Activities
Mr. Ripoll is a professor of Legal Business Strategies in the MBA program at Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (Guadalajara).
He has taught corporate law and alternative dispute resolution methods at Universidad Panamericana and has participated in international academic initiatives, including the Global Sales Law Project of the University of Basel. He has also participated in numerous conferences and seminars related to corporate governance, infrastructure, energy, and cross-border investment.
Professional Affiliations
- Barra Mexicana Colegio de Abogados – Member of the Executive Committee, Jalisco Chapter (2023–2025).
- Legalink – Member of the Executive Committee (2022–2026).
Formación Académica
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Executive Program in Blockchain and Disruptive Technologies.
- Harvard Law School – Negotiation Program.
- Escuela Libre de Derecho – Specialty in Energy Law.
- Fordham University School of Law – U.S. Legal System for Foreign Lawyers Program.
- Universidad Panamericana – Master’s Degree in Commercial and Corporate Law.
- Universidad Panamericana – Law Degree.
Área de Práctica
- Corporate / Mergers & Acquisitions
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Infrastructure & Public Procurement
- Real Estate & Urban Law
Idiomas
Spanish, English
Certificaciones, Rankings, Publicaciones, Afiliaciones
Band 5 - Projects
Band 1 - General Business Law: Guadalajara
Band 5 - Projects
- Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Investment
Testimonios
Profile
Amador Espinosa, Juan Rafael
Senior Associate
Perfil
Juan Rafael has over 12 years of experience practicing law. He has focused his practice on industrial property, intellectual property, and privacy, with experience in various industrial sectors, including the automotive, consumer products, pharmaceutical-veterinary, and information technology industries, among others.
He has advised and represented various companies in cross-border matters involving the protection of intangible assets, technology transfer, protection of trade secrets, and transfers of personal data.
Juan Rafael has been recognized as an “Associate to Watch” by Chambers and Partners in the area of intellectual property in Mexico; he is authorized to serve as an arbitrator in copyright disputes before INDAUTOR; and he is a Certified Lawyer by the National Association of Corporate Lawyers, Jalisco Chapter (ANADE Jalisco – 2023).
Experiencia Profesional
Juan Rafael joined Ramos, Ripoll & Schuster in 2012 and currently leads the firm’s Intellectual Property and Privacy practice.
He serves as the firm’s liaison and representative before SICYT (the Secretariat of Innovation, Science and Technology) for the PROPIN program (Jalisco Intellectual Property Promotion Program), through which the firm has been recognized for its expertise in Copyright Law.
Since 2013, he has lectured on the importance of Intellectual Property and Industrial Property and their relationship to business development for undergraduate students in the Business Legal Framework course, as well as in the Master’s in Administration program (Legal Foundations of Business), taught by Professor Manuel Alejandro Ripoll González at ITESO.
He has been a speaker at numerous intellectual property conferences and professional development programs, including: the Diploma Program in Intellectual Property and Innovation Protection at Centro Universitario UTEG (2022); the Industrial Property Diploma Program of the Mexican Bar Association, Jalisco Chapter (2021); the 11th Conference Series “Law in Economic and Administrative Sciences” (2020), where he presented on “Intellectual Property and Mass Media,” organized by the University Center for Economic and Administrative Sciences of the University of Guadalajara; the 16th Business-University Forum organized by the University of the Gulf of California in Los Cabos; the workshop “The Importance of Proper Trademark Use” at the Jalisco Institute for Entrepreneurship; and various continuing education courses organized by Academia Lawgic.
He has authored and co-authored several articles published in Revista Consejero Empresarial, MarcaSur, LexLatin, and other internal publications related to intellectual and industrial property right.
Formación Académica
- Universidad Panamericana, Aguascalientes Campus — Master’s Degree in Copyright, Industrial Property, and New Technologies (2020–2022).
- Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara Campus — Bachelor of Laws (2008–2012).
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) — Advanced Course on Software Licensing, Including Open Source (2018).
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI); University of Guadalajara (UdeG) — Summer Course (2018).
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) — Intellectual Property Management (2016).
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Mexico; Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara Campus — 24th Certificate Program in International Commercial Arbitration (2015).
- University of Guadalajara (UdeG) — Certificate Program in Alternative Dispute Resolution (2011).
Professional Affiliations
- International Association for the Protection of Industrial Property (AIPPI).
- Mexican Association for the Protection of Industrial Property, A.C. (AMPPI) — Chair of the Western Committee for the 2023–2025 term.
- National Association of Corporate Lawyers, Jalisco Chapter (ANADE Jalisco).
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Mexico — Vice-Coordinator (2022–2024) of the ICC Mexico Jalisco Young Arbitrators Committee.
Área de Práctica
Idiomas
Spanish, English, French
Certificaciones, Rankings, Publicaciones, Afiliaciones
Testimonios
Profile
Márquez Ledezma, Daniela
Associate
Perfil
Daniela Márquez earned her law degree from the Universidad Panamericana (Guadalajara Campus).
She began her professional career at the Fourth Family Court of the First Judicial District of Jalisco as a law clerk.
She was part of Torres Morante (2017–2022), where she gained experience in civil, commercial, and family litigation as a law clerk and attorney.
She joined the Firm in 2022 as part of the Corporate and Business team, focusing on Intellectual Property, at our offices in Guadalajara.
Experiencia Profesional
Daniela works in the Corporate and Business practice area, specializing in Intellectual Property.
Her practice focuses on the corporate and litigation aspects of intellectual property, including: Industrial property: trademarks, industrial designs, trade names, and trademark registrations in the United States; Copyright: works and image rights; Privacy and personal data protection; and litigation in these three areas: litigation proceedings, infringements, invalidity and expiration proceedings, as well as invalidity lawsuits.
Formación Académica
- Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara Campus (2015–2020). LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws), graduated with honors following the defense of her thesis, “The Duty of Care in Non-Contractual Civil Liability: A Comparative Analysis.”
- Diploma Program in Personal Data Protection (2023), awarded by the Institute for Transparency, Public Information, and Personal Data Protection of the State of Jalisco in collaboration with Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara Campus, the Illustrious and National Bar Association, and other professional associations.
- General Course on Industrial Property (2023), offered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
- Industrial Property Seminar (2022), offered by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI).
- Diploma Program in International Commercial Arbitration (2021), awarded by the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO).
- Diploma Program in Alternative Dispute Resolution (2020), certified by the Alternative Justice Institute of the State of Jalisco (IJA). Currently in the process of obtaining certification as an official mediator in the State of Jalisco.
- Vis East Moot Hong Kong (2018–2019). Member of Universidad Panamericana’s representative team and oral advocate. The team received an honorable mention for claimant’s memorandum.
- Universidad Panamericana ICC Moot. Participated as a guest arbitrator in hearing sessions.
- Vis Pre-Moot at Universidad Panamericana, Guadalajara Campus. Participated as a guest arbitrator in hearing sessions.
Professional Affiliations
Daniela serves as an ambassador for the newly established Guadalajara chapter of AbogadasMx, an association that promotes the inclusion of women in the legal profession.
- Member of the Legalink Committee on Intellectual Property and Personal Data Protection.
Área de Práctica
- Compliance & Anti-Money Laundering
- Intellectual & Industrial Property
- Privacy & Data Protection / Cybersecurity
Idiomas
Spanish, English, French
Profile
Castañeda García, Sofía
Junior Associate
Perfil
Sofía Castañeda García holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Guadalajara Campus. She has experience in various areas of law, including family, civil, commercial, and notarial law. She has also supplemented her academic training with international experience in Spain, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Ireland.
Experiencia Profesional
Sofía is a member of the Corporate & Business team, focusing her practice on intellectual property.
Formación Académica
In 2015 and 2016, Sofía studied at Woodlands Academy in Ireland, where she earned a Cambridge English language certificate and gained valuable international experience.
In 2019, she participated in academic programs at the Swiss Education Academy in Leysin, Switzerland, focusing on basic French and hospitality, which broadened her cultural and professional horizons.
In 2023, she completed a certificate program in European Union Law and Institutions at Anglo-American University in Prague, Czech Republic, deepening her understanding of the European legal framework.
Subsequently, in 2024, she spent an international semester at Antonio de Nebrija University in Madrid, Spain, focusing on privacy, personal data protection, and international economic law.
Additionally, at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Guadalajara Campus (2020–2024), she served as Class of 2024 Leader and authored the research article “The Recognition of Neuroscientific Expert Evidence in Mexico: Challenges and Opportunities,” submitted to the 8th Edition of Critical Studies on Justice.
Professionally, Sofía worked as an intern at Notary Public Office No. 17 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, in 2021. Subsequently, from 2022 to 2023, she served as an intern at Vázquez Tercero y Zepeda Abogados in Guadalajara, Jalisco, primarily working on civil, commercial, and family law matters.
Área de Práctica
Idiomas
Spanish, English