The Firm that transformed Labor Law in Mexico
Marked by the beginning of Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency in Mexico and Dondald Trump’s second administration in the United States, geopolitical, political and legal circumstances in 2025 brought great challenges and opportunities for Mexico with them.
On the one hand approximately 19 highly transcendent reforms entered into force. The most renowned one being the reform to the Judicial Power, which brought the election by popular vote of the justices of Mexico’s Federal Supreme Court of Justice and of the judges and magistrates of the Federal Judicial Power. In consequence, 50% of all Federal judges and magistrates, and justices of Mexico’s Federal Supreme Court of Justice were replaced this year.
From the side of the United States, a massive disruption of global trade was generated by virtue of its new approach to foreign trade, changing its position as promoter of free trade to a protectionist position. This new policy, headed by President Trump, was implemented by means of an aggressive policy of tariffs on products imported from almost all of the world’s countries, including Mexico and Canada. This has forced the review and adjustment of investment and operation plans in companies at a global level.
In addition to the foregoing, preparation for the first review of the USMCA has to start this year. This review has to be completed by July 1, 2026, and is under threat by Trump’s government of ending this treaty and replacing it with bilateral agreements between the US, Canada and Mexico.
Facing this scenario, De la Vega & Martínez Rojas has a team that specializes on Labor Law that is capable of advising its clients in their renegotiation of collective bargaining agreements, operational reorganization, personnel adjustment, and risk management in a changing economic environment.
In the context of the application of the labor reforms, whose entry into force has materialized this year, our Firm has successfully advised its clients on the implementation of the Chair Law, has provided the proper consulting to prevent their going against the provisions of the Law on Human Trafficking, provided protection against contingencies arising from the reform to the INFONAVIT [National Workers’ Housing Fund Institute] Law in regard to the payment of fees in cases of workers’ disabilities, handled inspections deriving from the System for Labor Complaints and Workplace Accidents (SIQAL) and the Labor Inspection Intelligence System (SIDIL), the Protocol for Preventing and Eradicating Child Labor and Protecting Adolescent Work in Approved Ages, among other matters. Our Firm has also been a pioneer in the application of the labor reform on the topic of work in digital platforms. This has allowed our clients to make a smooth transition in the implementation of the reforms and eliminate the risks deriving from a possible violation, while having the least possible impact on productivity.
Among our successes we can make special note of the advisory provided to various companies during the investigation and prior processes relating to the Rapid Response Labor Mechanisms (RRLMs) provided for in the USMCA, as well as once the mechanism has begun, with positive results for our clients. In some cases, preventing the mechanism from formally being initiated and, in others, freeing them from the sanctions provided for in the Agreement.
The protectionist policy of the current administration of the United States government has had a significant impact on our clients in the automotive and auto parts sector, a situation that has made it necessary for them to conduct operational, financial and labor restructuring. In this context, the Firm successfully advised Volkswagen de México, S.A. de C.V. and Saint Gobain, S.A. de C.V. in their respective salary reviews, avoiding strikes in the midst of an unprecedented crisis caused by the imposition of tariffs on automobiles, steel and aluminum.
In regard to the vital aviation industry, the pilots’ strike of the most important airline in the country was avoided with the participation of our Firm, with the comprehensive negotiation of the collective bargaining agreement. The strike would have paralyzed half of Mexico’s air traffic.
In the case of Aerolitoral, S.A. de C.V., the company’s interests were defended in the midst of a dispute between two flight attendants’ guild unions over the administration of the collective bargaining agreement. Our Firm’s advice was instrumental in defining the limits of participation and adherence to the workers’ rights of free association.
In the food industry, a strike of the Ganaderos Productores de Leche S.A.P.I. de C.V. [Dairy Farm Producers] company was avoided; such a strike would have caused a shortage of an essential element of the basic food basket, which would have caused a food crisis. Our Firm’s participation was crucial in providing the company with accurate advice in face of complaints by the union about alleged violations to the collective bargaining agreement.
De la Vega y Martínez Rojas also consolidated its national expansion, with one year of operations at the Monterrey office, actively participating in strategic labor negotiations.
Our growth plan for 2026 includes the opening of a new office in Querétaro, in order to provide a closer service to the Central-Northern part of the Country.
These are only a few of the successes of our Firm in favor of its clients this year, providing a professional and timely service. This has been and continues to be our commitment and philosophy, that of continuing to be a benchmark Firm on labor advisory matters.
