Lic. Fernando Navarro Sánchez, LL.M. has successfully served as a mediator and co-mediator in several large, complex mediations across the globe. His background as both outside and in-house counsel, as an organizational mediator and ombudsperson, as well as his extensive training with some of the world’s most recognized mediators, guides his practical, hands-on approach when working with clients. His success in resolving commercial, workplace and employment disputes worldwide makes him an ideal choice for local or international cases. Mr. Navarro has significant experience in the energy sector, specifically in renewable energy. 

Mr. Navarro is currently a consultant for internal workplace conflicts at the Office of the Ombudsman for United Nations Funds and Programmes, working as ombuds, mediator and trainer, based in Copenhagen, Denmark and is available for mediations worldwide. He is fluent and has experience mediating in both Spanish and English. He also has professional fluency in French and Portuguese.

Mr. Navarro is known for his high energy and tenacity in finding a satisfactory resolution for all parties. He is also keenly attuned to the interpersonal and cultural dynamics involved in cross-border cases. 

 Download General Biography in Spanish

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Mediator of dozens of simple and complex disputes, including commercial, construction, employment, civil and family law matters, both in the United States and in Mexico.
• Mediator of over 100 employment conflicts and workplace issues in international organizations.
• Consultant on dispute resolution issues, including clause drafting and dispute system design.
• Experience with litigation, mediation and business transactions in the United States, Mexico and Central America.
• 10 years of corporate counsel experience, particularly in the renewable energy industry.
• Business development experience in the dispute resolution sector and the renewable energy industry.

Representative Matters

• Mediated a 10-year dispute between American investors and a Mexican real-estate development company regarding a tourism development project in Mexico.
• Mediated dozens of employment, workplace and reorganization matters involving high management for international organizations.
• Mediated a corporate partnership dispute involving a United States-based cannabis industry corporation.
• Mediated a cross-border real estate dispute between international corporations at a tourist resort in Mexico following more than 10 years of litigation in court.
• Formed part of a three-mediator panel to settle an eight year dispute between various unions, beneficiaries of the bankruptcy of major airline "Mexicana." The settlement benefitted over seven thousand families.
• Mediated a complex construction development dispute between an international investor and a Mexican construction contractor regarding the headquarters for an international media corporation, involving contractual/liquidated damages and final payment.
• Mediated a large renewable energy asset purchase dispute involving international corporations doing business in Mexico.
• Mediated multiple employment cases for multinational corporations in Mexico City involving the retail and energy industries.
• Co-mediated several insurance coverage disputes the mining industry in Mexico involving an international reinsurance company.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

• Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS
• International Academy of Mediators (IAM), Distinguished Fellow
• Member, International Advisory Committee, International Mediation Institute (IMI)
• Weinstein International Foundation, Senior Fellow
• Member, Mexican Bar Association
• Completed International Ombuds Association (IOA) - Foundations Course

Publications

• Co-Author: “Mediation in the Energy and Natural Resources Sector: The Latin American Experience” in Alvarez, G. M., Riofrio, M., & Sperandio, F. V. (Eds.), International arbitration in Latin America: energy and natural resources disputes. Wolter Kluwer International, 2021.
• “Mediación en la Industria Energética en México, un enfoque de Diseño de Procesos,” Abogado Corporativo Review, February 2021.
• “Mexico Reaches an Important Milestone in Mediation,” Daily Business Review, July 29, 2016.

Background and Education

• Certified Private Mediator for the Mexico City State Courts
• Co-Founder and trainer, Academia de Negociación, (Mexico and globally, virtual)
• Corporate Counsel, 174 Power Global Corp., Mexico, 2014–2021
• Client Relationship Manager, Latin America and the Caribbean, JAMS, 2015– 2020
• Associate Attorney, Bufete de la Garza, S.C., 2010–2013
• Intern, Bufete de la Garza, S.C., 2007–2010
• Adjunct Professor in Negotiation and Mediation at the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Santa Fe, Mexico City, 2016 – 2018
• Summer Adjunct Professor on Mediation at the American University, Washington College of Law – Center on International Commercial Arbitration, Washington, DC, 2016 – 2018
• Founder and first coordinator of the Mediation Committee at the Mexican Bar Association, 2016 – 2019
• LL.M. in Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Malibu, CA
• Licenciado en Derecho (JD equivalent), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico