Biography: Trade & Customs

Mr Elias has been practising with Baker & McKenzie since 1992. He is the Mexican and Latin American coordinator of the Trade and Commerce Practice of the Firm. He is also the coordinator of the Global International Trade, Compliance and Customs Practice Group of Baker & McKenzie. He has expertise in the areas of general corporate law, foreign investment, customs and international trade, including tariff classification, customs valuation, rules of origin, marking regulations, maquiladoras, and government affairs. Mr Elias is also a licensed Mexican customs broker, authorised to operate throughout Mexico. Mr Elias has served as professor at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), at the Instituto Tecnológico Aut6nomo de Mexico (ITAM), at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juarez (UACJ), at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) and currently at the law school of the Universidad Panamericana (Graduate and Post-Graduate) in Guadalajara and Mexico City.

He has been a speaker and panelist on international trade, customs and foreign investment seminars organised by various associations, including, among others, the World Customs Organization (WCO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the American Conference Institute, the CS, the American Management Association, the Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos en Finanzas (IMEF), the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Council for the Americas, the American Corporate Counsel Association (ACCA), the American Chamber of Commerce, the International Fiscal Association (IF A), the Executive Enterprise Institute, The Van Andel Global Trade Center of the Grand Valley State University, the International Franchise Association, the Instituto Tecnol6gico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), the Colegio de Contadores Publicos, AC, the Offshore Group, the Institute for International Research, the Center for Business Intelligence, the International Electronics Manufacturers and Consumers of America (IEMCA), the Border Trade Alliance (BTA) and the Western Maquila Trade Association (WMTA), among others. Mr Elias co-authored the NAFTA Handbook and the Customs Chapter of the Mexican Tax Guide, both works published by CCH and has written and published various papers and articles on foreign trade, customs and related matters.

Mr Elias is a member of the Barra Mexicana Colegio de Abogados, AC; the US-Mexico Bar Association; the Ilustre y Nacional Colegio de Abogados, AC, the National Association of Customs Brokers (CAAAREM) and the American Chamber of Commerce.

He received his law degree from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) in 1989, summa cum laude. He was awarded the 'Gab ina Barreda' Award as the best student of his class. Mr Elias has post graduate studies at the Universidad Panamericana in 1991, concentrating in corporate, labour, financial and international trade law. He also has post-graduate studies in management at the Kellog School of Management and the Instituto Panamericano de Alta Direccion de Empresas (IPADE). Mr Elias is candidate for doctoral degree in law from the Universidad Panamericana.

He speaks Spanish and English.