"Marcela Ánimas has an in-depth understanding of the water sector. She is highly knowledgeable, understands our business and provides sound advice that helps identify risks at an early stage. Chambers & Partners (2027)

Marcela Ánimas is a partner at Nader Hayaux Goebel and a highly regarded environmental and water resources lawyer with more than 25 years of experience. She is a member of the firm’s Transition to Sustainability Working Group, a multidisciplinary team that advises Mexican and international companies on their transition towards a regenerative economy through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESG principles.

Her practice covers urban development and land use planning, cultural heritage and archaeological sites, health and safety, environmental regulation, environmental impact and risk assessment, sustainability, and the efficient use of natural resources, including land, water and air. She also advises on waste management, disposal and circularity, corporate environmental liability, site decommissioning and divestitures, among other environmental and regulatory matters.

Marcela is a versatile practitioner with extensive experience in regulatory matters, as well as mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, project finance, capital markets, public policy and legislative processes.

Her practice focuses on: (i) identifying financial risks in transactions through comprehensive environmental, water and regulatory due diligence, and developing legal strategies to mitigate material risks and preserve asset value in M&A, project finance and other complex transactions; (ii) helping private sector clients integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESG principles into their core business strategies by translating sustainability objectives into enforceable legal frameworks that strengthen long-term resilience and corporate responsibility; and (iii) providing clients with a competitive advantage by incorporating climate-aligned provisions into commercial agreements and contractual frameworks.

Marcela is a frequent speaker and author in Mexico and Spain on climate change, soil contamination, the circular economy, water governance and the sustainable management of national parks.

She obtained her law degree from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) and holds a master’s degree in environmental policy and management from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Spain. She has also completed postgraduate studies in compliance, real estate, energy and environmental law at Escuela Libre de Derecho and ITAM.

 

Work Highlights

ESG & Sustainability

  • Part of the first cohort of The Chancery Lane Project’s pilot Climate Contracting Learning Platform for the integration of climate-aligned clauses (net-zero targets, emissions reporting, and supply chain accountability) into standard commercial agreements.
  • Participated in a collaborative initiative between Nader Hayaux Goebel and The Chancery Lane Project to adapt 17 global climate-aligned legal clauses into Mexican law providing actionable, Spanish-language ESG tools for corporate, finance, and construction sectors (2024-2025). Her work alongside other Nader Hayaux Goebel Net Zero Transition Task Force members led to technical transposition (not just translation) of climate clauses and net zero targets within the Mexican legal framework.
  • Contributed to the 2025 and 2026 editions of the Mexico ESG Dispute Handbook (Guía de Controversias ASG para México), a specialized legal guide published jointly by law firms Nader Hayaux Goebel and Guerra, Hidalgo y Mendoza, aimed at helping corporations, executives, and members of the board navigate the evolving landscape of sustainable transition in Mexico.
  • Contributed to the Directors’ Duties Navigator: Climate Risk and Sustainability Disclosures 5th edition (Mexico jurisdiction), co-published by the Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative (CCLI) and the Climate Governance Initiative (CGI) – 2026.

 

Environment & Water

  • Advised Apex Logistics International, a Hong Kong-based logistics and supply chain management company, on its USD 35 million investment in Awesome Cargo, a rapidly growing Mexican cargo airline, covering environment-related aspects of the transaction.
  • External counsel to the Mexican Water Advisory Board (Consejo Consultivo del Agua) since 2017. In January 2026, appointed coordinator of the Legal Strategy Committee, leading efforts to develop recommendations for the Mexican federal water authority (CONAGUA) regarding implementing regulations for the December 2025 national and federal water legal frameworks.
  • Served as external consultant to the 2030 Water Resource Group (hosted by the World Bank) to strengthen Mexico’s water governance through water reuse and regeneration (2024).
  • Served as external consultant to the World Bank on a Policies, Institutions and Regulation (PIR) framework for agricultural / irrigation water rights in Mexico (2025).
  • Advised companies in the real estate development, food and beverage sectors on water-themed fiscal and administrative audits to better understand consumption, discharge legal risks and seek opportunities for progressive compliance and integration of water management best practices.
  • Successfully advised cardboard, real estate, food and automobile companies on protecting unused water rights to ensure business continuity, through mixed schemes for investment in water efficiency and payment of water protection fees (cuota de garantía).
  • Participated as counsel on environmental and water matters for Reddy Ice, in the acquisition of 100% of the capital stock of Fábrica de Hielo Apodaca (Aguafría), the largest ice manufacturer in Mexico. This facilitated entry into the Mexican market of a global leader amidst the country’s shifting legal landscape, resulting in the enactment of a new General Water Law and amendments to the National Waters Law, which substantially changed the water concessions regime for private and public parties.
  • Acted as counsel on regulatory, environmental and water matters for the lender in a landmark Project Financing deal in which a syndicate of 13 financial institutions granted Energía Mayakan, a subsidiary of the ENGIE Group, USD 2.5 billion in financing to develop, build, and operate a 694-kilometer pipeline expansion, which will enhance transportation of natural gas through the Yucatan Peninsula for the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). The Project’s strategic purpose is to generate cleaner electricity to address growing energy demands in the region (2024-2026).
  • Advised Proparco (Société de Promotion et de Participation pour la Coopération Économique) and DEG (Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft), as lenders, on regulatory, environmental and water matters in connection with the financing of C3ntro Telecom’s 2,513.63 km cross-border dark fiber infrastructure project linking Mexico and the United States (2025–2026).
  • Advised Platinum Equity on Project Dominion, its USD 1.6 billion acquisition of Owens & Minor’s Global Products business, including all Mexican subsidiaries involved in the transaction.
  • Advised Oriental Yuhong Group on Project Polaris on its potential USD 100 million acquisition of Protexa, a Mexican subsidiary that manufactures and sells construction and waterproofing products.
  • Advised Oriental Yuhong Group on Project Texa on its acquisition of Texa Laguna, a Mexican company that produces and sells waterproofing and insulating materials.

 

Regulatory

  • Advised Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals for water-intensive industries, analyzing regulatory aspects in Mexico for its acquisition of Grupo NCH.

 

Site Remediation

  • Advisor for a multinational pharmaceutical corporation and a Mexican company on the acquisition of a polluted site undergoing remedial works.