Basham, Ringe y Correa is remarkable both for its size and longevity, recently celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2022. With age comes experience and a breadth of service that its competitors struggle to replicate. Although its corporate, banking, labour, tax and litigation practice areas remain the core strengths of this firm, Basham has launched industry-specific groups, including aerospace and automotive, while luxury brands benefit from the firm’s membership in a global luxury brands law firm network. Basham has also established desks to target clients from countries investing heavily in Mexico, such as China, a move signalling the growing importance of looking to markets beyond the US.
Like many firms in the past couple of years, Basham saw an uptick of work in its disputes departments. Its corporate and labour practice groups were also kept busy. Indeed, the firm thought it necessary to add firepower to its labour team in recent years by hiring a partner from a local rival. Looking ahead, Basham leadership is looking to strengthen the compliance, data privacy and ESG teams in the next few years.
Basham’s key departments are well-stocked with specialist talent, allowing them to take on multiple complex cases at once. The structured groups work together, and the firm incentivises cross-practice communication to ensure its services are streamlined. The firm’s executive committee comprises five partners from different practice areas, evidence that this multidisciplinary vision emanates from the top.
A sign of the services on offer here, Basham has clients that have been on its books since its inception over 100 years ago. Founder Harvey Basham helped register The Coca-Cola Company brand in Mexico in 1903 and the brand remains a client to this day. Basham provides counsel to seven of Latin America’s approximately 100 biggest companies, according to a study, 'Who Represents Latin America’s Biggest Companies', published by the Latin American Corporate Counsel Association, which is affiliated to Latin Lawyer. Some of Basham’s core clients include América Móvil, Walmart de México and energy group Xignux Corporativo. International companies Netflix, Amazon and Microsoft are all recent clients too.
In addition to its Mexico City base, Basham has invested in establishing a name for itself in Monterrey, Querétaro and León. While the firm’s traditional client base is drawn from abroad, these offices are part of a strategy to build Basham’s client base by being close to local clients in the country’s industrial hubs.
The firm’s executive committee, which is currently made up of Eduardo Kleinberg, Alejandro Catalá, Gil Zenteno, Jorge de Presno and Amilcar Peredo, is thinking about the best ways to foster a more collaborative working environment. The firm has implemented a career path, clarifying for associates how to develop and reach higher positions. In addition, associates are now playing a more active role in the firm’s committees, including its diversity and inclusion committee. Several other committees exist to assist the executive partners with various priority areas, including the offices outside Mexico City, and technology and business development.
Offices
Basham has four offices in total, including one of the largest offices in Monterrey of any Mexico City firm. There are outposts in Querétaro and León. Mexico City is home to the firm’s HQ and home to the majority of the firm’s partners.
Alliances & networks
Basham believes in using networks to build its international profile and belongs to some of the most recognised global networks. These include the Club de Abogados, Lex Mundi and the World Services Group. It is also part of the labour law network Ius Laboris and Luxury Law Alliance, a network of luxury brands and their legal teams.