I Hernández & Abogados S.A.S. Integration: Mazars continues its expansion and growth in the country

We are pleased to announce that as of June 2024, Hernández & Abogados S.A.S., under the leadership of Francia Ines Hernández Diaz, will join Mazars in Colombia. Mazars is a firm operating in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide, supported by the expertise of over 50,000 professionals—more than 33,000 in the integrated Mazars organization and over 17,000 through the Mazars North America Alliance—to assist clients of all sizes at every stage of their development.

Francia Ines Hernández Diaz, who is now also our new Customs and Foreign Trade Partner, is a Lawyer from the Autonomous Latin American University, a Specialist in Law from the University of Antioquia, holds a Master's and PhD in Procedural Law from the University of Medellin, and is a candidate for a Master's in Ibero-American Compliance from the University of Salamanca. She has more than 21 years of experience in international trade, customs, foreign investment, among others, having worked in entities such as DIAN and ICONTEC, as well as in customs agencies. Additionally, Francia is a member of various international and national institutions, including the Colombian Institute of Tax and Customs Law and the International Academy of Customs Law.

With the incorporation of the Hernández & Abogados S.A.S. team, Mazars will now offer a broader range of services, including customs advisory, foreign trade, authorized economic operator (AEO) qualification, free trade zone user qualification, free trade zone qualification, exchange law, trade defense measures, among others. This is in addition to its already established services of audit, consulting, financial advisory, outsourcing, legal and tax advisory, maintaining the same quality standards.

Since the launch of Mazars Colombia in 2018, there has been a strong upward momentum, growing more than 50% annually as a firm. This integration demonstrates the commitment to continue growing and developing its activities in Colombia.

Commenting on the integration, Juan Esteban Sanín, International Tax & Legal Partner of Mazars in Colombia, said: "Francia Hernández embodies everything Mazars stands for: Human quality, professionalism, and customer service. We know that with this integration, Mazars will be a leading firm in Latin America in the areas of foreign trade and customs."

Together, Mazars and Hernández & Abogados S.A.S. will provide integrated support across multiple jurisdictions and offer the full benefit of Mazars' experience to clients in Colombia from offices in the country's four main cities.

Francia Ines Hernández, Leader of Hernández & Abogados S.A.S., added: "Hernández & Abogados S.A.S. joins Mazars today because both companies seek corporate and legal well-being for their clients in business law, customs, foreign trade, auditing, taxes, and consulting. By expanding the service portfolio, we make it possible to transcend borders and materialize the concept of globalization and internationalization that drives the world economy today."

This unique partnership structure means that integrated services will be provided across multiple jurisdictions. Please contact us if you would like to learn more about how we can help.