Carlos is Founder and Partner at Ibarra del Paso Gallego, where he specializes in Real Estate, Hospitality, and Business Transactions.

Profile

Carlos is a Mexican lawyer and is admitted to practice law in the United States of America, specifically in the states of New York and California.

He has twenty-five years of experience advising foreign and domestic investors doing business in Mexico, specializing on Real Estate, Tourism and Hospitality, and M&A transactions, actively representing a variety of companies in the acquisition, leasing, and development of real estate properties for industrial, residential, commercial, lodging (restaurants, hotels, and services) and infrastructure projects.

Professional Background

Before founding the Firm, Carlos worked in prestigious law firms specialized in real estate transactions both in Mexico City and abroad (Greenberg Traurig New York, 2004-2005).

Some of the companies that Carlos has represented in relevant transactions include:

• ATCO Gas, in the preparation of several hydrocarbons’ easement agreements, and on obtaining the first legal easements and court validations of right of way in Mexico.
• Trax Retail, in the establishment of its Mexican subsidiary and operations in Mexico.
• Urban Land Institute, Mexico District Council, as Treasurer and on different operational aspects for the organization’s mission-achievement in Mexico.
• Walmart, in the real estate legal audit for expansion projects, long-term leases and acquisitions throughout the country.
• Wework, in real estate, regulatory, land use, and zoning consultations for its operations in Mexico.
• Financial institutions, both domestic and international, in real estate – secured financings and in the disposition of real estate distressed assets.
• World-leading international chains in the development and marketing of timeshares, both with their first projects in Mexico and with the establishment of their operations centers for Latin America from Mexico and various regulatory matters.

Teaching, Publications, and Speaking Engagements

Carlos has been an organizer, panelist, and speaker in real estate /foreign investment in Mexico specialized forums, both in the US and in Mexico, including the IBA 2024, NYSBA 2023, US-Mexico Bar Association, ITAM, Stewart Title International’s STAR Conference, the US-Mexico Law Institute, ATLAS Information Group, the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and Inmobiliare Magazine.

Since 2007 Carlos has been a professor of “Legal Structures for Domestic and Foreign Investments on Real Estate” and “Juridical Forms for the Financing and Investment on Real Estate Projects in Mexico” at the postgraduate degree course in Real Estate and Tourism Law among other postgraduate courses and programs with the ITAM, Universidad Anáhuac, and the Urban Land Institute.

From 2002 through 2004 he also was a professor of Comparative Law and Common Law at the School of Law of the Universidad Anáhuac del Sur.

Carlos has published many specialized articles on legal real estate and investment subjects with American and British publishers. Likewise, he is a compiler, publishing coordinator, and co-author of the book Real Estate Law: Select Topics and Sector Perspectives, by Editorial Porrúa and ITAM.

Carlos has been recognized by Legal 500, Chambers & Partners and Best Lawyers, among other rankings, as a specialist attorney recognized in the Real Estate sector in Mexico.

Academic Background

• In 1998, at Universidad Anáhuac Sur (Mexico City), he obtained his Law Degree (J.D./LL.B. equivalent).
• In 1999, at Universidad Iberoamericana, he obtained a Certification in Business Law.
• In 2000, at Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), he obtained a Certification in Legal Aspects of International Trade.
• In 2002, at Georgetown University Law Center (Washington, D.C.), he obtained an LL.M. in International Legal Studies, focused in Business Law, as a Fulbright Scholar.

Affiliations

• US.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Chapter.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI), Mexico District Council. Vice Chairman of the Legislative Committee (2010 – 2012); Chairman of the Real Estate Law Committee (2016 – 2018); Treasurer (2018 – 2023); Chair for Mission Advancement (CMA) (2025-2027).
• Law Rocks. Mexico Co-Chair.
• Bar of the State of New York.
• State Bar of California.

Languages

Carlos is a native speaker of Spanish and is fluent in English.