Profil
Julio Antonio Sardina Pla focuses his practice on cross-border real estate matters between the United States and Mexico, with an emphasis on the legal aspects of structuring and financing projects, general corporate matters, and mergers and acquisitions, as well as tourist, residential, commercial, and industrial development projects. His experience includes mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and development and management transactions across various industries, including hospitality, residential, multifamily, retail, and industrial.
Julio advises clients on legal issues related to the purchase and sale, implementation, and development of a variety of real estate projects, including the acquisition of land for the construction of major tourist and residential developments, such as hotels, golf courses, and marinas, in various destinations in Mexico, the sale of assets and stock, and foreign investment in Mexico.
The Legal 500 has recognized Julio as a Rising Star Associate in Real Estate every year since 2021.
Concentrations
- Hospitality
- Project financing and development
- Investment management
- Mergers and acquisitions
Expertise
Erfahrung
- Representation of Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated in its first expansion outside of the United States with the acquisition of four, beachfront properties in Mexico from Royal Resorts.
- Representation of Walton Street Capital in connection with the acquisition of a multimillion-dollar industrial real estate portfolio.
- Key participation in the representation of Hyatt Hotels Corporation in several joint venture, sale and purchase, development, and hotel management agreements for the ownership, development, and operation of hotels and resorts across several destinations in Mexico.
- Participated in the negotiation of various hotel operation contracts on behalf of major hotel chains for the operation of hotels in Mexico City, other cities, and several beach destinations in the Mexican Republic (such as Accor, SBE, Playa Hotels & Resorts, The Sol Group, Starwood, among others).
- Participation in the representation of office and mixed-use developers, including Desarrolladora del Parque, in connection with the acquisition, development, sale, and operation of real estate projects.
- Participation in the representation of Grupo Lar in the acquisition of several plots of land within Mexican territory, including Mexico City, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Puebla, Queretaro, and the State of Mexico.
- Represented Noma (World’s Best Restaurant 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014) and Chef René Redzepi, in the opening and operation of the Pop-Up NOMA Restaurant in Tulum, Quintana Roo.
- Represented Apple Leisure Group in a build-to-suit lease agreement for their headquarters in Tulum (Cancun, Quintana Roo) for 7,000 square meters in five stories.
- Assisted Blackstone in the US$3 billion acquisition of the entire loan portfolio of General Electric Capital Real Estate (as main counsel on the acquisition side of the transaction in Mexico). This deal was named Latin Lawyer’s 2015 Corporate Finance Deal of the Year.
Anerkennung durch den Markt
- Listed, Best Lawyers, “Best Lawyers in Mexico: Ones to Watch,” Real Estate Law, 2024-2025
- Listed, The Legal 500 Latin America Guide, 2021-2025
- “Leading Associates; Recommended Lawyer: Mexico - Real Estate,” 2025
- “Rising Stars - Latin America: Mexico – Real Estate,” 2021-2024
- Shortlisted, The Legal 500 Latin America Guide, as “Rising Star of the Year - Real Estate” for The Legal 500 Mexico Awards 2023
Ausbildung
- J.D., Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico, 2013
- Graduate Certificate, Real Estate, New York University, 2016
- Graduate Certificate, U.S. Law, New York University, 2012
- Introduction to the American Legal System course, Whittier Law School, 2011
- Mexico
- Spanisch, Native
- Englisch, Fluent