Profile
Joselino Morales leads the amparo trial and tax and administrative law litigation practice in the firm’s Mexico City office. With more than 25 years of experience leading high-stakes and complex trial cases in Mexican federal and state courts, he has been the lead lawyer in landmark litigation proceedings representing international and domestic clients across diverse industries, including infrastructure, telecommunications, satellite, construction, real estate and energy. Joselino has been recognized by Chambers and Partners, Benchmark Litigation, The Legal 500, and Who’s Who Legal as one of the top lawyers in Mexico in his areas of practice.
In addition to his experience in private practice, Joselino previously served as Clerk of the Mexican Federal Court of Justice for Tax and Administrative Matters.
Concentrations
- Amparo trial
- Administrative
- Tax
- Infrastructure
- Construction
- Competition/antitrust
- Intellectual property
- Telecommunications
- Energy
- Public work
- Government procurement
- Real estate
Capabilities
Experience
- Successfully represented as leading partner E-Entertainment, in a litigation process to challenge the Mexican tax authority (SAT) decision of rejecting VAT refund and imposing a tax credit against the Mexican subsidiary of the company that was rendering services to its parent company in USA, as it interpreted that same was a permanent establishment in Mexico of the foreign company and should tax as such. The refund was authorized, and the interpretation was reversed.
- Represented a shareholder of a major real estate company against the attempt to collect -as a joint obligor- a multimillion tax credit imposed to the company by the Mexican tax authority; the case was resolved before the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice.
- Represented, as lead litigation counsel, the automotive products company HFI in a litigation process to challenge a VAT refund rejection derived from several purchases of material to produce automotive parts.
- Represented a major telecommunication company, Phoenix Tower International, in a litigation process to challenge a multimillion VAT refund rejection derived from the purchase of dark fiber.
- Represented a pharmaceutical company in an audit process whereby the tax authority attempted to impose a tax credit derived from the purchase of medicine patents, reducing a substantial amount of the tax credit, which was then challenged before Courts.
- Represented Uber in several litigation proceedings that allowed them to resume operations in Cancun and other cities of Quintana Roo, after over a year of inactivity, by challenging the local regulation and through Amparo trials and securing a binding precedent (jurisprudencia) that acknowledges their service as private, as opposed to a public service bound to a concession.
- Represented Bio Pappel, as a trial lawyer, in an amparo trial against the conditions imposed by the Mexican Federal Competition Commission (COFECE) in the authorization of a concentration. The result obtained in this ruling marked the first time that a merger was carried out in Mexico without complying with the COFECE-imposed conditions.
- Acted as lead litigation counsel to Satélites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. (SATMEX), a leading satellite operator which delivers video, audio and data services to the Americas in several amparo trials and administrative proceedings.
- Acted as lead litigation counsel to consortium in charge of the construction of the Tunnel Emisor Oriente, one of the largest wastewater tunnels in the world, in several amparo trials and administrative law proceedings. The consortium was formed by Slim's Mexican billionaire Grupo Carso and other prominent Mexican engineering, procurement and construction companies.
- Acted as lead Mexican litigation counsel to the largest telecommunications towers operator in the U.S. and the fourth largest independent operator in the industry, in several amparo trials.
- Acted as lead Mexican litigation counsel to one of the largest mobile network providers in the world with operations in Europe, Asia (China Unicom), North America and South America in several amparo trials, administrative and regulatory proceedings.
- Ingenieros Civiles Asociados (ICA). Representation in diverse annulment trials.
- Acted as a leading litigation attorney to a Spanish engineering and technology company with presence in 34 countries, including Mexico, in an administrative trial to challenge the termination of a public service agreement.
- Representation of a major company in the energy sector in Mexico as lead litigation counsel, in several amparo trials regarding compensatory adjustments on natural gas distribution tariffs.
- Represented, as lead litigation counsel, a number of electric power companies in Mexico against the amendments to laws and regulations of the energy sector.
- Represents a world leader in industrial real estate logistics with presence in America, Europe and Asia as lead litigation counsel, in a contentious administrative trial.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Chambers Latin America, 2020-2024
- Public Law - Mexico, 2024
- Dispute Resolution: Administrative Litigation - Mexico, 2020-2023
- Listed, Best Lawyers, “Best Lawyers in Mexico,” Administrative Law, 2023
- Listed, The Legal 500 Latin America Guide, Latin America: Mexico," 2021-2023
- Litigation, 2022
- Dispute Resolution, 2021-2023
- Energy and Natural Resources, 2021
- Listed, Chambers Global, Dispute Resolution: Administrative Litigation, 2020-2022
- Listed, Benchmark Litigation, 2017-2020
- Listed, Who’s Who Legal, "Administrative Litigation and Corporate Tax in Mexico," 2017
- Member, Winning Team, Acquisition International magazine, "Overall Law Firm of the Year – Mexico," 2013
- Member, Winning Team, Acquisition International magazine, "Most Trusted Law Firm of the Year – Mexico," 2013
- Lecturer, Amparo trial and administrative law-related subjects in the graduate and post graduate programs, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico
- Member, National Association of Business Lawyers, Bar, A.C.
Credentials
Education
- Post Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL), Tax and Corporate Law, Universidad Panamericana
- Diploma, Amparo Trial, Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 1994
- J.D., Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Admissions
- Mexico
Languages
- Spanish, Native
- English, Fluent