13 minute read
Practice Area Breakdown Total listings in WWL: Central America
José Ramón Paz
Consortium Legal
Advertisement
Benito Arturo Zelaya Cálix
Lexincorp Central American Law Firm
Gerardo Hernandez
Consortium Legal
Jose Ramón Paz P is a co-founder of Consortium Legal – Honduras where he is currently the managing partner and a practitioner in the banking law, mergers and acquisitions and agency and partnership groups.
As a practitioner he has recently coordinated and participated in large cross-border financial transactions, involving multinational banks and local and regional institutional borrowers, also structuring guarantee solutions through trusts in some of those cases. He has been a substitute judge of the Supreme Court in Honduras, has participated in cross-border financial transactions for amounts ranging between US$30 million and US$1,700 million, involving international banks and local and regional borrowers, structuring guarantee trusts for some of them, participated in cross-border mergers and acquisitions for amounts ranging between US$50 million and US$650 million, involving foreign purchasers and local sellers, among other matters. Jose holds an LLM with orientation in financial institutions and transactions from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, United States (1982) and a Juris Doctor with specialisation in commercial law and banking law from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Honduras (1978).
He speaks Spanish and English.
Primera Calle # 304 Torre Consortium I. Colonia La Estancia Final del Bulevar Morazán. Tegucigalpa Tel: +504 2221 1002 jrpaz@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: José Ramón Paz has acted for clients in a range of work including negotiations and arbitration in finance, real estate and infrastructure.
Benito is a well-rounded lawyer with special expertise in arbitration, litigation and corporate law.
He believes that through the practice of law it´s possible to contribute in the development of the Central American region, and that´s why he decided to practice law, to create a positive impact on society.
He has steered his career to practice areas that have a profound impact in the economy, of his country and justice in general. With this in mind, Benito has a specialized practice in Arbitration and litigation for the regulated sector in the following industries: Infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, concessions, public-private partnerships, banking, and distribution contracts, where he believes his contributions will have a lasting and profound impact.
As of today following this vision he advises airports, infrastructure companies, energy transmission and generation corporations, telecommunications and several public-private partnerships in Honduras. Understanding the importance of corporations in the development of the region, Benito also leads the corporate department of the firm. For the last few years, the firm has been at the forefront of advising Public-Private Partnerships, contributing to the widespread use of this option in the structuring of complex infrastructure projects. Benito has also been part of a number of arbitration tribunals as institutional and ad-hoc arbitrator, where he decided to get involved to contribute not only as litigator but also as decider, in order to have further impact in the justice sector.
Through the practice of law, lawyers can be agents of change in their societies. By focusing his career in areas of the law where the impact affects thousands of people, Benito seeks to be that agent of change through sound advice, ethical approach and out of the box impactful solutions.
Colonia Lomas del Guijarro Sur Calle Roma, Avenida Berlín Tegucigalpa Tel: +504 2263 5902 bzelaya@lexincorp.com www.lexincorp.com
WWL says: Benito Arturo Zelaya Cálix gains high praise from market sources as “a pleasure to work with” and “an excellent practitioner” for complex commercial disputes.
Gerardo is a partner at Consortium Legal – Nicaragua, with over 25 years of experience in the food and beverage, banking and financial services, real estate, energy, and retail sectors. He has extensive experience in conflict resolution, particularly in litigation and arbitration. He has litigated in the civil and commercial areas and is a certified commercial arbitrator of the Mediation and Arbitration Center Antonio Leiva Pérez of the Chamber of Commerce and Services of Nicaragua. He has led the firm’s litigation team in the country’s most noteworthy cases. He is currently one of the most referenced litigation attorneys at the regional level by Central America 2019 - Benchmark Research.
He has taught at Nicaragua’s main universities and at the Judicial School in undergraduate, master’s, and postgraduate programs in the areas of civil procedure, insolvency, and commercial arbitration. Author of the Manual of Civil Procedure and co-author of several manuals of International Commercial Arbitration in Ibero-America. Gerardo has been the Team Leader on behalf of a Fortune Top 10 company in an arbitration process consisting of a lawsuit for breach of contract and damages of more than US$10 million. The process concluded with a favourable resolution to our client reflected in an award that ordered to pay less than US$600,000. He has also been Co-Counsel and expert in Nicaraguan law in the representation of a client of the medical supplies industry in a civil process in the State of Florida in which a breach of fiduciary obligation, unfair competition, violation of confidentiality obligation was exercised, which concluded with a favorable sentence for the client for more than twelve million dollars.
Del antiguo Hospital Militar 1 cuadra al Norte Managua Tel: +505 2254 5454 ghernandez@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Gerardo Hernández from Consortium Legal impresses as “a leading professional” when it comes to handling conflict resolution in civil and commercial litigation.
Fernando Arias
Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega
Carlos G Cordero
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Alejandro Ferrer
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Fernando A. Arias joined the firm in 1984 and became a partner in 1995. Mr Arias is co-managing partner and is a member of the firm’s executive committee. He is also head of the firm’s corporate services practice group and co-head of the litigation and arbitration practice group.
Dr. Arias’ litigation practice focuses on commercial and civil matters; taxation and administrative cases.
His corporate practice includes establishing estate planning structures involving trusts, foundations and special purposes vehicles including companies registered in the BVI and Panama. He currently overseas ARIFA Hong Kong office.
Dr. Arias completed his JD at Drake University (1983), and his BA at Tulane University (1979). Carlos Cordero joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee in 1985 as a founding partner. His professional practice is concentrated on corporate law, commercial law, telecommunications, banking and administrative law. Mr Cordero has advised domestic and international companies on a broad array of legal and commercial matters. Mr Cordero has served on Special Missions for the Defence of the International Services from 1999 to 2012; as vice minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1994; and on the National Council of Foreign Affairs in the periods from 1993 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2004. He is also on the board of directors of Cable & Wireless Panama, SA, Electra Noreste, SA and he is a member of the Panama Bar Association. Mr Cordero has a Bachelor of Law and Political Sciences from Universidad de Panama. Mr Cordero has been recognised as a Senior Statesman in the areas of banking and finance, corporate and M&A, and projects by the prestigious publication Chambers and Partners. He has also been recognised as a leading lawyer in the areas of corporate M&A and corporate governance by Who’s Who Legal. He is fluent in Spanish and English.
ARIFA Building, 10th Floor, West Boulevard Santa María Business District, PO Box 0816-01098 Panama City Tel: +507 205 7012 farias@arifa.com www.arifa.com Humboldt Tower, 2nd Floor East 53rd Street Panama City, PO Box 0819-09132 Tel: +507 269 2620 ccordero@alcogal.com www.alcogal.com
Alejandro Ferrer joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee in 1998 as a partner. His professional practice concentrates on mining law; international trade; competition law; business law; telecommunications; energy; oil; mining; litigation; arbitration; M&A projects development; and general practice.
Dr Ferrer has advised domestic and international companies on a broad array of legal and commercial matters. He served as member of the Foreign Relations Committee (2008–2009 and 1996–1999); president of the advisory council to the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Authority (2006–2008); minister of commerce and industry (2004–2008); alternate justice of the Third Superior Court of Appeal of the First Judicial District of Panama (2001–2004); member of the Presidential Commission against Money Laundering (1998–1999) and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama (2019–2020).
Before joining Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee, Dr Ferrer served as deputy minister of foreign affairs (1996–1997); international trade counsel at the Embassy of Panama to the United States (1995–1996); deputy permanent ambassador to the United Nations and other international organisations (1994-1995); ambassador to the World Trade Organization (1994–1995); joint permanent representative on a special mission to the GATT (1993–1994); legal counsel at the Commission of Accession of Panama to GATT (1993); and associate at Alfaro, Ferrer, Ramírez & Alemán (1989–1996).
Dr Ferrer is featured as a leading lawyer in Chambers and Partners, IFLR1000, The Legal 500 and Latin Business Chronicle. Dr Ferrer has an SJD (2000) and an LLM (1992) from the University of Michigan Law School (2000), and a Bachelor of Law and Political Sciences from Universidad Santa María La Antigua (1990). He was a Fulbright scholar (1991–1992) and studied at Georgetown University (1991) and Harvard Kennedy School (2008).
WWL says: Fernando Arias is a highly respected figure for his top-tier litigation practice in commercial and civil disputes. His deep expertise in tax and estate planning structures is further applauded. WWL says: Carlos Cordero is a highly endorsed lawyer with an extensive practice spanning banking, finance, capital markets and dispute resolution issues. WWL says: Alejandro Ferrer is “a top-notch dispute resolution lawyer” for energy, natural resources, corporate and M&A matters.
Eduardo E Gomez A
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Jorge Federico Lee
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Eduardo Gómez joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee in 2002, becoming partner in 2018. His professional practice concentrates on litigation and arbitration; corporate and M&A; and banking and finance.
Mr Gómez has a bachelor’s degree in law and political sciences from Panama University (2005).
Mr Gómez has served as a teaching assistant for the course on evidence and general practice at Panama University (2002-2004) and judicial assistant of the Seventh Civil Circuit Court of Panama (1999-2002). He is fluent in Spanish. Jorge Federico Lee joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee as a founding partner in 1985. He is regarded as one of the leading practitioners in the areas of dispute resolution, including international and domestic commercial arbitration, and labour law. His labour practice includes collective bargaining and complex labour litigation. Mr Lee also specialises in the areas of antitrust, real estate, banking and finance and capital markets.
Mr Lee is a former Justice of the Supreme Court (2004–2005) and a former minister of labour of the Republic of Panama (1985–1988). He also served as alternate justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Panama (1996–2004). Moreover, Mr Lee has also held high public positions, such as chairman of the Panama Inter-Oceanic Region Authority in (2002), General Director of the Colon Free Trade Zone (1984–1985) and Vice Minister of Government and Justice (1982–1983).
In 1986, as Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, he promoted the first flexibility legislation in Latin America, introducing changes in the Panamanian labour system to incentive productivity by allowing employers to pay bonuses, production premiums and other variable compensation. As a lawyer, he drafted the Labour Section of the Panama Canal Authority Act and advised the Panamanian government in the labour aspects of the vast privatisation process undertaken during the 1990s, mainly in the telecommunication and power energy areas. Mr Lee has also served as chairman of the University of Panama Foundation and as professor of Procedural Law and Evidence Law (1972–2002).
Mr Lee is a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and vice president of the Pan-American Institute of Procedural Law. He has also served on the boards of directors of the InterOceanic Region Authority (1996) and the National Investment Council (1984–1985) and is a member of the Panama Bar Association. Mr Lee has a bachelor’s degree in law and political sciences from the University of Panama.
Mr Lee has been top-ranked top band for dispute resolution by Chambers and Partners. He is fluent in English and Spanish.
Humboldt Tower, 2nd Floor East 53rd Street Panama City, PO Box 0819-09132 Tel: +507 269 2620 egomez@alcogal.com www.alcogal.com Humboldt Tower, 2nd Floor East 53rd Street Panama City, PO Box 0819-09132 Tel: + 507 269 2620 jfl@alcogal.com www.alcogal.com
WWL says: Eduardo Gomez A is widely acclaimed as a go-to contentious and non-contentious private client lawyer with vast experience across finance and litigation matters. WWL says: Jorge Federico Lee is a go-to lawyer for clients engaged in business ownership matters, wealth management and the creation of offshore trust vehicles.
An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages.
Nominees have been selected based on comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practitioners worldwide.
Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.
Belize
Ashanti Arthurs Martin Balderamos Arthurs LLP ashanti@balderamosarthurs.com Eamon Harrison Courtenay SC Courtenay Coye LLP ecourtenay@courtenaycoye.com
Costa Rica
John Aguilar-Osborne Aguilar Castillo Love jao@aguilarcastillolove.com Arnoldo André Lexincorp Central American Law Firm andre@lexincorp.com Jaime Barrantes Gamboa Artavia y Barrantes Abogados jbarrantes@artaviaybarrantes.com Alejandro Batalla Batalla abatalla@batalla.cr Jorge Manuel Chacón Mora CJA Abogados jmchacon@cjalegal.com Christian Diaz Barcia Migratoria cdiaz@migratoria-la.com Alberto Fernández Lopez* BTA Legal alberto.fernandez@btalegal.com Víctor MI Garita Arias victor.garita@ariaslaw.com Róger Guevara Batalla rguevara@batalla.com Roy Herrera Dentons roy.herrera@dentons.com Andrea Hulbert Hulbert Volio Montero ahulbert@hulbertvolio.com Dyalá Jiménez Figueres DJ Arbitraje dyala.jimenez@djarbitraje.com Rolando Laclé Zúñiga* Consortium Legal rlacle@consortiumlegal.com Carlos Oreamuno Facio & Cañas coreamuno@fayca.com Rodrigo Oreamuno Independent Arbitrator Rodrigo Oreamuno roreamuno@robcr.com Alejandro Pignataro Pignataro Abogados apignataro@pignataroabogados.com Mauricio Salas BLP msalas@blplegal.com Efraín Zapata BDS Asesores ezapata@bdsasesores.com
Dominican Republic
Francisco Alvarez Valdez Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez falvarez@hrafdom.com Andrés Bobadilla Fernández Bobadilla Abogados aeb@bobadilla.com Julio Cesar Camejo Castillo Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez jcamejo@hrafdom.com Yolemny Cruz Pellerano & Herrera y.cruz@phlaw.com Rosa (Lisa) Diaz Jiménez Peña rdiaz@jcpdr.com Maria Esther Fernández Alvarez de Pou Raful Sicard Polanco & Fernández mefernandez@legalrsp.com Jesús Francos Rodríguez Medina Garrigó Abogados SRL jfrancos@mga.com.do Pablo González Tapia González Tapia Abogados pgonzalez@gonzaleztapia.com Tomas Hernández Metz Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez thernandez@hrafdom.com Laura Medina Jiménez Peña lmedina@jcpdr.com Fabiola Medina Garnes Medina Garrigó Abogados SRL fmedina@mga.com.do Lucy Objío Pellerano & Herrera l.objio@phlaw.com Marcos Peña Rodriguez Jiménez Peña mpena@jpadvisors.do Aimee Prieto Prieto Cabrera & Asociados SRL aprieto@prietocabrera.com
El Salvador
Carlos Castillo Romero Pineda & Asociados ccastillo@romeropineda.net Ricardo A Cevallos Ricardo Cevallos y Asociados rc@cevalloscortez.com Rafael Mendoza Espino Nieto & Asociados rmendoza@espinolaw.com Cesar Ramos* Consortium Legal cramos@consortiumlegal.com José Roberto Romero Romero Pineda & Asociados jose@romeropineda.com Mario Enrique Sáenz Sáenz & Asociados mes@saenzlaw.com Humberto Sáenz Marinero* Novis Estudio Legal hsaenz@novislegal.com Eduardo Ángel Arias eduardo.angel@ariaslaw.com
Guatemala
Rodolfo Alegria T Carrillo & Asociados rodolfo.alegria@carrillolaw.com Mario Archila Arias mario.archila@ariaslaw.com Alejandro Arenales Farner BLP aarenales@blplegal.com Milton Argueta* Avanz Legal meargueta@avanzlegal.com Elías José Arriaza Sáenz* Consortium Legal earriaza@consortiumlegal.com Jorge Rolando Barrios BMT Law jrbarrios@bonilla.com.gt Emanuel Callejas A Carrillo & Asociados emanuel.callejas@carrillolaw.com Rodrigo Callejas A Carrillo & Asociados rodrigo.callejas@carrillolaw.com Alfonso Carrillo M Carrillo & Asociados alfonso.carrillo@carrillolaw.com Alvaro Rodrigo Castellanos Howell* Consortium Legal acastellanos@consortiumlegal.com Juan Carlos Castillo Aguilar Castillo Love jcc@aguilarcastillolove.com José E Quiñones QIL+4 Abogados jquinones@qilsc.com Rodolfo Salazar BLP rsalazar@blplegal.com Alfredo Skinner-Klee Skinner-Klee & Asociados - LatamLex skinner-klee@latamlex.com
Honduras
Ulises Mejía León Gómez* Consortium Legal umejia@consortiumlegal.com José Ramón Paz* Consortium Legal jrpaz@consortiumlegal.com Fanny Rodríguez Arias fanny.rodriguez@ariaslaw.com Benito Arturo Zelaya Cálix* Lexincorp Central American Law Firm bzelaya@lexincorp.com
Nicaragua
Luz Marina Espinoza Ruiz Alvarado y Asociados luzme@alvaradoyasociados.com.ni Gerardo Hernandez* Consortium Legal ghernandez@consortiumlegal.com Soraya Montoya Herrera Central Law smontoya@central-law.com
