07.05.2013 Views

Mexican Legal Framework of Business Insolvency - White & Case

Mexican Legal Framework of Business Insolvency - White & Case

Mexican Legal Framework of Business Insolvency - White & Case

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Conditioning the application <strong>of</strong> cross-border cooperation provisions to international<br />

reciprocity is a novelty <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Insolvency</strong> Law, as it is not found in the Model Law.<br />

Reciprocity can be defined as the term attributed to the custom <strong>of</strong> a state granting<br />

another state a like treatment to the one the former receives from the latter, in a<br />

specific issue <strong>of</strong> international cooperation. 64 The reciprocity requirement can be seen<br />

from two different angles: (1) positive (or specific) reciprocity; or (2) negative (or diffuse)<br />

reciprocity. Positive (or specific) reciprocity would require an enacting state<br />

to have affirmative evidence <strong>of</strong> reciprocity from another state; while negative (or diffuse)<br />

reciprocity would require absence <strong>of</strong> evidence that another state would<br />

refuse reciprocity.<br />

Given Mexico’s international cooperation tradition in other areas, it is reasonable<br />

to conclude that the position Mexico has taken adheres to the negative (or diffuse)<br />

reciprocity test. That is, the cross-border cooperation provisions would apply and Mexico<br />

would recognize a foreign proceeding and grant a foreign representative access to<br />

<strong>Mexican</strong> courts and proceedings, etc., unless there is evidence that another state would<br />

not recognize a <strong>Mexican</strong> concurso and grant a <strong>Mexican</strong> representative access to its<br />

courts and proceedings, etc. ALI Mexico (2003) considers that reciprocity would exist<br />

regarding states that incorporate the Model Law into their legal systems. 65 An unrelated<br />

precedent illustrates Mexico’s position in connection with reciprocity, taking a negative<br />

(or diffuse) reciprocity position:<br />

INHERITANCE. WHOEVER INTENDS TO EXCLUDE A FOREIGN-BORN INDIVIDUAL<br />

SUCCESSOR HAS THE BURDEN TO PROVE FOREIGN LAW AND LACK OF RECIPROCITY.<br />

According to Article 86 bis <strong>of</strong> the Federal Code <strong>of</strong> Civil Procedures and 284 bis <strong>of</strong> the Code <strong>of</strong><br />

Civil Procedures for the Federal District, the party invoking the application <strong>of</strong> foreign law must<br />

invoke it. Lack <strong>of</strong> international reciprocity cannot derive from scattered provisions <strong>of</strong> foreign<br />

law, therefore it is insufficient to simply gather a partial copy <strong>of</strong> a foreign civil code; likewise,<br />

64 IIJ (2002), p. 53, Book VI.<br />

65<br />

P. 309.<br />

<strong>White</strong> & <strong>Case</strong><br />

89

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!