Buenos Aires Lawyers' College Secures Collective Action Against Argentina Labor Reform

A federal court in Buenos Aires accepted a collective lawsuit filed by the Public Lawyers' College of the Capital Federal (CPACF) challenging two provisions of Argentina's Labor Modernization Law. Judge Martín Cormick of the Federal Administrative Court 11 recognized the CPACF's standing to represent all registered lawyers in the city and ordered the case to be entered into the Supreme Court's collective processes.

The lawsuit targets Article 10, which imposes objective and joint liability on lawyers for court costs, and Article 56, which permits labor judgments—and consequently lawyers' fees—to be paid in installments (up to six for large firms and twelve for SMEs). The CPACF argues that these articles breach the right to fair remuneration and discriminate against legal professionals compared with other courts where payment is immediate. A ruling on the constitutionality of these provisions could halt a key element of the broader labor reform and affect the entire legal profession in Buenos Aires.