Commercial Mandate Agreement Mexico (Contrato de Mandato Mercantil)

A Commercial Mandate Agreement Mexico (Contrato de Mandato Mercantil) is a written contract by which one party — the mandator (mandante) — authorises another party — the mandatary (mandatario) — to perform one or more commercial acts (actos de comercio) in the name and on behalf of the mandator, as defined and regulated by the Código de Comercio (CCom) Articles 273 through 308. The Commercial Mandate Agreement Mexico is the primary legal instrument through which Mexican businesses delegate authority to representatives, brokers, agents, and commercial intermediaries to negotiate contracts, collect payments, enter into commercial transactions, and manage commercial relationships on the mandator's behalf under Mexican commercial law.

The Código de Comercio Articles 273–308 establish the specific regime governing commercial mandates in Mexico, distinguishing them from civil mandates under the Código Civil Federal (CCF) Articles 2546–2595. A mandate is commercial when it is executed for the purpose of carrying out acts of commerce — acts classified as mercantile under Article 75 of the Código de Comercio, including the purchase and sale of commercial goods, operations of commercial companies (sociedades mercantiles), banking and insurance operations, transport of goods and persons, brokerage (correduría), and commission operations (operaciones de comisión). When the underlying act is commercial in nature, the mandate is governed exclusively by the commercial mandate regime of the Código de Comercio, which grants the mandatary broader implied authority and imposes stricter accountability obligations than a civil mandate.

Article 274 of the Código de Comercio provides that a commercial mandate may be general — authorising the mandatary to perform all commercial acts on behalf of the mandator — or special — limited to specific enumerated acts. A general commercial mandate (mandato mercantil general) executed before a Notario Público and registered in the Registro Público de Comercio (RPC) constitutes a poder general para actos de administración or poder general para actos de dominio depending on the scope of authority granted, pursuant to Article 2554 CCF as applied to commercial entities. Article 2554 CCF requires that a general power of attorney for acts of administration (administración) be expressly stated to include such authority, and that a general power for acts of ownership (dominio) be conferred with a further express clause.

The mandatary under a commercial mandate in Mexico acts in the name and on behalf of the mandator (en nombre y representación del mandante) — meaning the legal effects of the acts performed by the mandatary are attributed directly to the mandator, not to the mandatary. Article 285 of the Código de Comercio establishes that a commercial mandatary who acts within the limits of its mandate is not personally liable to third parties for the obligations entered into on behalf of the mandator. The mandatary's authority must be sufficiently described in the Contrato de Mandato Mercantil to avoid ultra vires acts that exceed the granted authority and are unenforceable against the mandator under Article 2583 CCF.

The Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) has developed extensive jurisprudencia on commercial mandates — including the doctrine that third parties who rely in good faith on the apparent authority (autoridad aparente) of a commercial mandatary are protected even if the mandatary exceeded its actual mandate, provided that the mandator's conduct created a reasonable belief of authority. This doctrine of apparent authority (apariencia de representación) under Mexican commercial law makes the precise scope of authority in the Contrato de Mandato Mercantil critically important.

In the context of Mexican sociedades mercantiles governed by the Ley General de Sociedades Mercantiles (LGSM), commercial mandates are used to authorise the apoderado (attorney-in-fact) of a Sociedad Anónima (S.A.), Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (S. de R.L.), or Sociedad Anónima Promotora de Inversión (SAPI) to bind the company in commercial transactions. The power granted by the mandate must be consistent with the company's estatutos sociales (articles of incorporation) and resolutions of the Asamblea de Accionistas (shareholders meeting) or Consejo de Administración (board of directors), as required by LGSM Articles 10 and 148.

A Commercial Mandate Agreement Mexico is required whenever a business or individual needs to authorise another person or entity to perform commercial acts (actos de comercio) on their behalf under the Código de Comercio Articles 273–308 — whether for day-to-day commercial operations, specific transactions, or ongoing commercial representation.

The Contrato de Mandato Mercantil is required when a Mexican company (sociedad mercantil) appoints a commercial representative (representante comercial) to negotiate and execute purchase and sale contracts with clients or suppliers in one or more regions of Mexico. The representative's authority to bind the company in commercial transactions of specified value must be documented in a written mandate registered at the Registro Público de Comercio.

The agreement is needed when a foreign company (empresa extranjera) authorises a Mexican agent or representative to perform commercial acts in Mexico — including negotiating contracts, collecting receivables, and managing commercial relationships — under Article 250 of the Ley General de Sociedades Mercantiles and the commercial mandate rules of the Código de Comercio. A written mandate is particularly important for foreign company representatives acting under Ley de Inversión Extranjera compliance requirements.

A Commercial Mandate Agreement is required when a financial institution or investment fund authorises a portfolio manager (administrador de cartera) or investment advisor to execute securities transactions on behalf of the client in markets regulated by the Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores (CNBV) under the Ley del Mercado de Valores (LMV). These mandates must comply with the CNBV's regulations on delegation of investment authority.

The contract is needed when a real estate developer (desarrollador inmobiliario) appoints a real estate agent or broker to execute preliminary sales contracts (promesas de compraventa) and collect reservation deposits from buyers on behalf of the developer — the agent's authority to receive payments and sign pre-sale documents must be established in a written mandate under the Código de Comercio.

Under Código de Comercio arts. 273–308 and CCF arts. 2546–2595, a written Commercial Mandate Agreement is best practice for any delegation of commercial authority — oral mandates, while recognised in limited circumstances under Article 2551 CCF, create significant evidentiary and liability risks if the scope of authority is disputed before a Juzgado Mercantil.

A valid Commercial Mandate Agreement Mexico under the Código de Comercio Articles 273–308 must contain the following essential elements to be enforceable before Mexican commercial courts (Juzgados Mercantiles) and registrable at the Registro Público de Comercio:

Identification of Parties: Full legal name, RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes), CURP (Cédula de Identidad Ciudadana for individuals), official identity document reference or Registro Público de Comercio folio for entities, and domicilio fiscal of both the mandator (mandante) and the mandatary (mandatario). The mandator's legal capacity to grant the mandate — and the mandatary's legal capacity to accept it — must be stated with reference to the relevant corporate authority (poder notarial, acta de asamblea, or cargo directivo).

Scope of Authority — General or Special: The mandate must expressly state whether it is general (mandato mercantil general) or special (mandato mercantil especial). Under Article 2554 CCF applied to commercial mandates, a general mandate for acts of administration must expressly confer authority to administer, and a general mandate for acts of ownership (disposición) must include an additional express clause. Special mandates must enumerate the specific acts, transactions, territories, or counterparties the mandatary is authorised to deal with.

Description of Commercial Acts Authorised: A detailed list of the commercial acts (actos de comercio) the mandatary is authorised to perform on behalf of the mandator — including executing contracts, receiving payments, issuing receipts (recibos y comprobantes fiscales), initiating and settling commercial disputes, signing cheques and transferring funds, and executing any other acts expressly enumerated. The limits of authority in terms of transaction value (monto máximo por operación) and geographic scope should be expressly stated.

Representation Basis: Statement confirming whether the mandatary acts en nombre propio (in its own name but for the mandator's account, applicable to commission agents under Código de Comercio Arts. 273–308) or en nombre y representación del mandante (in the mandator's name and on behalf of the mandator). The distinction determines whether third parties contract with the mandator or the mandatary and which party incurs primary liability.

Remuneration and Expenses: The mandate fee or commission (comisión mercantil) payable to the mandatary — whether a fixed fee (honorarios fijos), a percentage of transaction value, or a combination. Reimbursement of expenses (gastos y erogaciones) incurred by the mandatary in performing the mandate, including travel, legal fees, and notarial costs. Article 306 of the Código de Comercio provides the mandatary a right to retain the mandator's property until expenses are reimbursed.

Duration and Revocability: The term of the mandate (vigencia) — definite (plazo determinado) or indefinite (hasta revocación). Article 2595 CCF establishes that a mandate terminates upon revocation (revocación) by the mandator, resignation (renuncia) by the mandatary, death or incapacitation of either party, or expiration of term. Commercial mandates that are irrevocable (irrevocables) require an express clause stating the irrevocability and the specific business interest (interés jurídico específico) that justifies the irrevocability, as required by SCJN jurisprudencia.

Accountability and Reporting: Obligations of the mandatary to render accounts (rendición de cuentas) of the acts performed, funds received, and expenses incurred — stating the frequency of reporting (mensual, trimestral, o al término de cada operación) and the form of documentation required (facturas, contratos, recibos). The mandatary must deliver to the mandator all sums received, documents executed, and property acquired on the mandator's behalf, under Article 2579 CCF.

Substitution and Sub-mandate: Whether the mandatary may appoint a sub-mandatary (sustituto) to perform part of the mandate — and if so, whether the mandator must approve the substitute. Under Article 2576 CCF, the mandatary who appoints a substitute without authority is liable for all acts of the substitute.

Forms-legal.com provides this Commercial Mandate Agreement Mexico template as a practical starting point. Mandates involving real property (bienes inmuebles), company shares (acciones de sociedades mercantiles), or powers for acts of ownership (actos de dominio) must be formalised before a Notario Público and registered at the Registro Público de Comercio or Registro Público de la Propiedad as required by applicable law. Consultation with a Licenciado en Derecho specialised in derecho mercantil is recommended for mandates of significant commercial scope.