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Episode Notes

Host Chad Hughes welcomes Pablo Gutiérrez, Managing Director of O’Gorman&Hagerman professional services firm, to the show to talk about what it’s like to acquire land access and engage with the public in Mexico. O’Gorman&Hagerman started in corporate law but moved to provide agrarian services which is where they now specialize.

Pablo explains that Mexico has public and private property, just like the US and Canada, but they also have ejidos and communities which are social property mainly in rural areas which are under agrarian law. He explains how different states have different regulations for the various property types and what it’s like to navigate the complex system of authorities governing land rights.

Chad and Pablo discuss the complexities of the differing information systems mapping each property type, the process required to assess routes and gain access, and how he and his firm would go about appraising and negotiating compensation. Pablo shares a lot of information about the Mexican right of way system and describes the kind of development with the most activity there. This episode sheds a lot of light on the differences and also similarities between our system and that of Mexico.

“… safety is one of our main concerns as a company. It’s a very tough one to solve because you don’t actually know who to trust. And in each community, you don’t know at the onset who’s there. We have a team of social experts that through these interviews, try to understand what’s happening on the field, who’s there, who has interests, who are the leaders, what are they doing if there is organized crime there, and at what level? What do they control if they have contact with the lands or not? So we try to know where we’re going. But there are many things that are not apparent, that you cannot see. And that’s one, I would say, main risk. And the other is we just have many roads and many areas in Mexico that that are just dangerous at some hours or times or, you know, that you don’t want to be on the wrong moment at the wrong time” – Pablo Gutiérrez

About Pablo Gutiérrez:

Pablo Gutiérrez is a Managing Partner of O’Gorman&Hagerman, a professional services firm specializing in Land, Permits and Social Licenses for infrastructure projects. They focus on due diligence, land acquisition and real estate litigation.

Through O’Gorman&Hagerman, Pablo has experience working with ejidos and agrarian communities, which has enabled them to build sustainable agreements in complex situations.

Alongside a multidisciplinary team of lawyers, engineers and social workers, Pablo strives, with the firm, to achieve results while fostering stronger communities, acting with social responsibility and respect for human rights.

Chad Hughes | CEO, Entrepreneurial Leader, Author: website |linkedin

Pablo Gutiérrez | Managing Director at O’Gorman&Hagerman: website | linkedin