Jose P. Barnola II

Practice Lead

José P. Barnola Jr. is a lawyer with extensive experience in taxes, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law. He is licensed to practice in both Mexico and Venezuela. With a career spanning over 25 years, José P. Barnola has led numerous local and regional projects across Latin America. His distinguished career is marked by his role as a Tax Law professor for more than 17 years.

Currently, José serves as Practice Leader at Ágora in Mexico City. Before joining Ágora, he worked at one of the leading international law firms in Venezuela, where he held various leadership and management positions, including Leader of the Corporate Practice and the Environment and Real Estate Practice. His role extended to regional leadership, being part of the Latin American Steering Committees for the Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate Practices. His contributions in this field, especially in complex tax litigation and international taxation, have earned him recognition in various legal circles.

Education:

  • Law, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, cum laude, 1993

  • Specialist in Tax Law, Universidad Central de Venezuela, cum laude, 2000

  • General Exam for Law Degree Graduation, Centro Nacional de Evaluación para la Educación Superior (Mexico, 2020)

  • Law Degree Revalidation and Professional License, Secretaría de Educación Pública (Mexico, 2021)

  • Advanced Studies Program in Arbitration, Universidad Monteávila, 2022

Affiliations:

Member of the Venezuelan Association of Procedural Law

Member of the Venezuelan Association of Tax Law

Member of the International Fiscal Association

Publications:

  • "Principles of investment arbitration planning in Latin America," in World Arbitration and Mediation Review (WAMR+2020), Vol. 14 No. 1, December 31, 2022

  • "New study on the effects of tax system designs on the development of Latin America," book review, in TaxLatam, September 13, 2022

  • "The new assumptions of the Venezuelan tax on large financial transactions on payments in foreign currency, cryptocurrencies, and crypto-assets and the tribulations of taxpayers," in TaxLatam

  • "The taxation of digital services in Venezuela," in TaxLatam, August 1, 2021

  • "Why tax lawyers should study investment protection treaties," in TaxLatam, May 12, 2021

  • "The Venezuelan VAT withholding system, another case for legal teratology," in Book Tribute to Professor Eugenio Hernández-Bretón, Editorial Jurídica Venezolana-Baker McKenzie, Volume III, Caracas, 2019

Languages: Spanish and English

Office: Mexico