Fernando Camarena Cardona

Partner

Fernando Camarena Cardona

Partner

Fernando Camarena is a senior business and legal advisor on international and domestic tax issues in Mexico, providing both tax counseling and assistance with litigation. He is a partner in the Taxation, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, and Transactions Practices. He represents medium-sized companies to Fortune 500, FTSE 100, and other global and brand name corporations in the energy, manufacturing, nutritional supplement, insurance, and other industries.

Fernando is frequently sought after by clients for his broad understanding of tax laws and systems around the world. He is described by clients in the Chambers & Partners Latin American Guide as having deep financial knowledge that “allows him to understand not only the tax implications but also the business with which he is dealing.” With referrals from clients and major law firms around the world, he is passionate about clients’ primary goal of conducting business in Mexico as tax efficiently as possible.

Fernando has extensive experience in M&A and corporate transactions. He has a deep understanding of the corporate vision, as well as the technical transaction specifics for U.S. and foreign corporations, such as the permanent establishment issue that arises in joint ventures, especially in the energy industry, and the country-specific treaties on double taxation. His experience also encompasses insurance regulatory and government contracts matters.

U.S. and European companies are confident when they hire Fernando that he has superior international tax knowledge, and that he understands the entire business picture and structure under which they are operating. American clients appreciate that he knows the reporting that must be done in the U.S. – FIN 48, which they must file when they have an income tax issue abroad.

Awards and Recognition

  • Recognized, The Best Lawyers in Mexico (Steven Naifeh & Gregory White Smith eds., Woodward/White Inc.)
    • Corporate Law (2015-2025)
    • Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2015-2025)
    • Amparo Law (2020 – 2025)
    • Administrative Law (2020 – 2025)
    • Real Estate Law (2023-2025)
    • Tax Law (2023-2025)
    • Project Finance and Development (2023-2025)
    • Leisure and Licensing Law (2025)
  • Recognized, Chambers Latin America: Latin America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
    • Tax (Mexico) (2011-2024)
  • Recognized, Chambers Global:
    • Tax (Mexico) (2011-2023)

Affiliations

  • Member, Illustrious and National Mexican Attorney’s College
  • Member, Mexican Attorney’s Bar
  • Member, Tax Commission of the Mexican Attorney’s Bar
  • Member, Legal Precedents Commission of the International Fiscal Association (IFA)
  • Member, International Tax Commission of the Mexican Accounting Institute

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish
02 March 2025 In the News

Foley Attorneys Featured for International Trade, Manufacturing in Mexico Webinar

Foley & Lardner LLP partners Alejandro Gómez-Strozzi and Fernando Camarena are featured in the FreightWaves article, "Borderlands Mexico: Mapping supply chains key to surviving tariff wars, experts say," summarizing a recent Foley webinar on international trade and manufacturing in Mexico.
26 February 2025 Events

2025 In-House Connect Supply Chain & Trade Law CLE Summit

With the new Trump administration taking office, significant policy shifts are on the horizon, particularly for the manufacturing sector. Join Foley & Lardner LLP and In-House Connect on February 26 for a half-day webinar full of insights regarding policy shifts, supply chain, tariffs, international trade laws, and more.
05 February 2025 Foley Viewpoints

Mexican Government Announces Tax Incentives in Support of Nearshoring

On January 21, 2025, the Decree granting tax incentives in support of the national strategy known as "Plan Mexico," to encourage new investments that promote dual training programs and innovation was published in the Official Federal Gazette, with the primary goal of stimulating the relocation of companies and the reconfiguration of supply chains closer to the U.S. market, particularly in the manufacturing sector in Mexico.
10 December 2024 Manufacturing Industry Advisor

Incoming Perfect Storm?: The Shifting Regulatory Landscape for Automotive Manufacturers in Mexico

It is expected that the next few years will be a challenging time for manufacturers in Mexico, with the automotive industry being particularly vulnerable as multiple pressure points come to a head.
19 July 2024 Manufacturing Industry Advisor

Chinese Mobility in the USMCA Region: A Choking Process that will Upend the U.S. and Mexican Automotive Industries

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement automotive sector must be prepared to navigate a new set of requirements that will likely reshape supply chains, impact costs, and alter the competitive dynamics within the industry.
15 July 2024 Foley Viewpoints

Tax benefits for contributors to key operations in certain zones located in Yucatán, Mexico

In order to promote investment, encourage economic growth, and the creation of formal jobs in the peninsular region of the Yucatan (where the Mayan Train will pass through) the Mexican Ministry of Treasury (SHCP by its acronym in Spanish) issued a Decree on June 28, 2024 that grants tax incentives and administrative facilities to taxpayers that invest and develop certain productive economic activities within the "Progreso I" and "Merida I" Industrial Parks located in the municipalities of Progreso and Merida in the State of Yucatan, Mexico (the Decree).