With more than 6 years’ experience, Santiago’s professional practice has focused on planning, consulting, strategy and defense in matters involving the IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute) and INFONAVIT (Mexican Workers National Housing Fund Institute) related to issuance and collection, company classification, occupational risks, affiliation, agreements, employer audits (reports, SIROC (Mexican Construction Work Registry Service), voluntary corrections, specific visits, etc.), disability payments, granting of economic benefits, payment of contributions and repayment of housing loans, regularization of payments, and certifications of compliance with employer obligations.
He also has experience in strategic and labor litigation. He has performed planning functions to mitigate risks derived from litigation in different high-impact matters. Strategies for the optimization of labor processes and dealing with visits from the Ministry of Labor.
Experience in retail, automotive, construction, pharmaceutical, oil and energy sectors.
Experience
Santiago Fernández is an associate in the Labor and Employment Practice. He has solid experience in the design and implementation of strategies related to social security, occupational risks and labor reforms in Mexico. He led the strategic planning for the defense against the refusal by the IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute) to allow the filing of additional returns, on the grounds that the deaths caused by the 2019 earthquake in Mexico City were occupational risks.
He obtained favorable judgments in tax proceedings and in proceedings for nullity against the reclassification of occupational risk insurance for companies with more than 3,000 employees, getting the unlawful decisions of the IMSS overturned and obtaining rectifications of risk premiums.
He successfully handled the obtainment of over 70 employer registrations, which allowed the dissociation from a Single Employer Registration (RPU) and the transfer of over 2,000 workers. He also designed strategies for business mergers, including the transfer of workers and the implementation of employer substitutions.
He coordinated the employer substitution of over 30 registrations, ensuring that favorable premiums were maintained for the companies involved. He also developed integral strategies for companies affected by the reform in relation to subcontracting, dealing with employer substitutions, associations of INFONAVIT registries and transfers of workers, ensuring compliance with legislation and the operational continuity of the companies.
Santiago speaks Spanish and English fluently.
Academic background
- Universidad Iberoamericana CDMX, Licenciatura en Derecho (2021).
- Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana, Diplomado en redacción legal (2022).