MXVYAP resumes its activities with a focus on intergenerational exchange, professional development, and community building.
THE AUTHOR:
Felipe Acosta, Dispute Resolution Officer at the Legal Advisory Office for International Trade of Mexico’s Ministry of Economy
On 26 March 2026, arbitration professionals from the public and private sectors gathered at Hogan Lovells’ Mexico City office, now Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, for the relaunch event of Mexico Very Young Arbitration Practitioners (“MXVYAP”), an initiative aimed at creating spaces for exchange, learning and networking among young practitioners and established professionals in international arbitration.
A New Beginning for MXVYAP
MXVYAP’s new phase centres on fostering an exchange of ideas, creating a space for professional development, and building an active, diverse, and collaborative arbitration community. The relaunch event reflected these priorities through two discussions: the first addressed the origins and evolution of the initiative; the second focused on the decisions, responsibilities, and lessons learnt involved in building a career in international arbitration.
The event concluded with a networking session that brought together attendees, speakers and the organising team.
Introduction by the General Coordination Team
Alejandro Rebollo, from the Ministry of Economy, and Fernanda Serrano, from Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, welcomed the attendees and introduced the vision guiding this new phase. Jorge Escalona and Karla Arreola addressed the attendees remotely from Singapore, where they were former students of the LL.M. in International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution at the National University of Singapore (“NUS”). All four are members of the MXVYAP General Coordination Committee, which was responsible for organising the relaunch event.
Origins of MXVYAP
The relaunch of MXVYAP’s activities provided an opportunity to reflect on the beginnings of the initiative. In the first part of the relaunch event, moderated by Alejandro Rebollo and Fernanda Serrano, MXVYAP’s co-founders – Alan Bonfiglio, from Mexico’s Ministry of Economy, and Erick Clavel, founder of Clavel Abogados – shared the story behind the Mexican initiative. During a session of the Arbitration Academy in Paris, both co-founders had the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the work of other initiatives within the global network of Very Young Arbitration Practitioners. Reflections on the lack of forums focused on the professional and social development of young people interested in arbitration in Mexico became the driving force behind the creation of MXVYAP.
The presentations by both co-founders showed that MXVYAP was not established solely as a space for technical discussions, but also as a response to the need to foster more accessible and horizontal professional relationships between those at an early stage of their careers and more experienced arbitration practitioners.
Reflections by Cecilia Azar and Luis Enrique Graham
In the second part of the relaunch, moderated by Ana Sofía Guerrero from Galicia Abogados and Andrea Pérez from Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, Cecilia Azar from Galicia Abogados and Luis Enrique Graham of Hogan Lovells Cadwalader shared their reflections on the legal profession and arbitration practice.
Cecilia Azar encouraged young practitioners to take the initiative in shaping their professional careers. She pointed out that opportunities do not always arise spontaneously and that, on many occasions, it is necessary to create them. She also addressed the role of mistakes in professional development: far from being incompatible with a successful career, mistakes form part of the learning process, provided that they are acknowledged, accepted, and turned into opportunities for improvement. Finally, she emphasised that specialisation, when aligned with an individual’s interests and strengths, can become a strategic asset for standing out in arbitration practice.
Luis Enrique Graham reflected on an increasingly competitive professional environment and on the responsibilities that come with practicing arbitration. He emphasised that being involved in this practice is a privilege that demands rigour and ethical responsibility. He also highlighted the importance of managing time wisely and investing it in activities that generate long-term value. Drawing on his own experience, he also pointed out that learning foreign languages broadens the opportunities to participate effectively in what is essentially an international profession.
Taken together, both presentations offered a vision of an arbitration career that does not depend solely on technical knowledge. Personal initiative, the ability to learn from mistakes, specialisation, time management and ethical responsibility emerged as equally important elements in building a sustainable career.
The MXVYAP sub-coordinating committees
To translate this vision into concrete lines of work, the relaunch introduced four thematic sub-coordinating groups. Ana Sofía Guerrero, from Galicia Abogados, will lead the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sub-coordinating Group; Andrea Pérez, from Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, will lead the Innovation and Technology Sub-committee; Montserrat Abogado, from Garrigues, will lead the Events Sub-committee; and Diego Abreu, from Cuatrecasas, will lead the Editorial Sub-committee. These subcommittees will be responsible for developing content, activities and discussions relating to some of the key professional and institutional challenges facing the new generation of arbitration practitioners.
Conclusion
The relaunch of MXVYAP highlights the aspiration of a new generation of professionals to participate more actively in the Mexican arbitration community and to create their own spaces for learning, exchange and collaboration. The combination of intergenerational discussions, editorial initiatives, professional activities, and a thematic structure provides a foundation for achieving this objective.
The true scope of this new phase will, however, depend on its continuity and on the participation of the community it seeks to serve. The relaunch event on 26 March marked the starting point: it will now be up to its members to translate the vision presented into accessible, substantive projects capable of generating value for young arbitration practitioners in Mexico.
