115 minute read
Administrative & Public Law 2 Dispute Resolution
ADMINISTRATIVE & PUBLIC LAW
In this chapter, we recognise 40 lawyers for their outstanding work across a broad range of public law matters, including public-private partnerships, government contracts and public procurement.
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Alejandro Batalla
Batalla San José
Most Highly Regarded
Manrique Jiménez Meza
Corporación JIME San José
Luis Ortiz
BLP San José
Aldo Milano Sánchez
Consultores en Derecho Público S.A San José
Costa Rica
The “excellent” Alejandro Batalla from Batalla is “one of the most traditional experts” in the market, regularly handling administrative law issues pertaining to financial markets, retail goods and construction.
Aldo Milano Sánchez at Consultores en Derecho Público is held in high esteem by sources for his long-standing practice acting for clients in administrative litigation, constitutional law matters and arbitrations.
Corporación JIME’s Manrique Jiménez Meza handles the full gamut of administrative disputes and is a well-regarded name in the market for his breadth of experience.
Luis Ortiz at BLP receives effusive praise from commentators for his “quick response, impressive knowledge of the law and provision of brilliant and practical ideas”.
Jose Enrique Rojas Franco at Rojas Franco & Asociados is recognised by peers as “one of the first public law experts” in Costa Rica and maintains a top-tier practice encompassing contentious administrative and constitutional law matters.
Carlos Ubico of Arias is praised by sources for his substantial experience acting for public and private clients before the Costa Rican courts.
DPI Legal’s Carlos Andrés Arguedas Vargas is highly sought after thanks to his strong track-record “actively advising government entities on PPP projects and public bids”.
Juan Carlos Castro Loría with Officium Lex garners plaudits as a “regular name in the field, known for his top-notch practice on public law with a concentration on tax litigations, audits and restructurings.
Oller Abogados’ Rubén Hernández secures wide-ranging endorsements, not just for his “most renowned practice in constitutional law”, but also for his impressive academic background.
Mauro Murillo Arias with Bufete Lic. Mauro Murillo Arias is a key name in the market who excels in resolving contentious and non-contentious procurement matters for corporations.
Ruben Zamora Castro from Aguilar Castillo Love ranks highly among peers thanks to his extensive experience dealing with government contracts, public procurements and regulatory compliance.
El Salvador
BLP’s Zygmunt Brett draws widespread recommendations from peers and clients for his “sharp mind” and ability to untangle intricate administrative law matters in corporate transactions.
Guatemala
María Isabel Luján Zilbermann with QIL+4 Abogados is well regarded for her wealth of experience handling complex regulatory matters and transactions in the finance, retail and energy sectors.
At Consortium Legal, Lionel Francisco Aguilar Salguero draws plaudits for his established tax and public law practice, with particular expertise in labour matters.
Honduras
Nicaragua
At Arias, Ana Teresa Rizo is highlighted for her first-rate work negotiating public and private procurement contracts and advising on privatisation structures for domestic and multinational companies.
Panama
Annette Bárcenas Olivardia from Alfaro Ferrer & Ramírez continues to impress clients from the telecoms, energy and public transportation sectors with her strong know-how and adept handling in regulatory and administrative law issues.
Ivette Martinez of Ivette Martinez Attorneyat-Law is a top-drawer lawyer who frequently handles government procurement matters across an array of sectors, including energy, insurance, banking and capital markets.
Esteban Agüero Guier
Aguilar Castillo Love
Esteban Aguero Guier is Partner of Aguilar Castillo Love since 2010 and is the managing partner of the firm in El Salvador since 2021. He is the head of the international litigation and arbitration department at ACL.
Esteban is admitted to practice law in Costa Rica and New York and is in the process of admission in El Salvador.
Mr Aguero is one of the lawyers in Central America who has participated in more investor-State arbitration cases. He has a broad experience working in the Corporate M&A transactions in the region. Before joining the firm, Mr Agüero was director in the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, where he negotiated several Free Trade Agreements, including the FTAs with Europe and the United States.
Mr Agüero holds an LLM from Georgetown University, a postgraduate diploma from the University of Barcelona and a JD from the University of Costa Rica.
Lionel Francisco Aguilar Salguero
Consortium Legal
Lionel is a partner at Consortium Legal – Guatemala. With over 34 years of experience in the electric, sugar, banana, industrial and commercial sectors; he has experience in labour litigation and counselling. During his professional practice, he has been given the task of creating and directing new areas of work such as: criminal tax law, migration advisory to expatriates of multinational corporations, obtaining permits and licenses so that they can perform work in these territories. He has also been a promoter and director of the compliance area focused primarily on the criminal area, thus avoiding the linking of legal representatives to the criminal proceedings in question.
During his career, he has elaborated the manual of labour inspectors sponsored by AID. In addition, he has negotiated collective agreements with unions, he has been a participant in labor justice commissions, representative of work organizations in national and international congresses.
He has participated as an adviser in matters of work and social welfare to national and multinational groups, banks and local companies; and as a member of the examining panels of students in labour matters at the Law School of the Francisco Marroquín University and the Rafael Landívar University in Guatemala.
He has a master’s in criminal law (closed curriculum) from the Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences, University of San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala (2006), and is an authorised lawyer and notary (1985).
He speaks Spanish.
Armando Manzanares
Consortium Legal
Armando is a partner at Consortium Legal – Honduras. With over 27 years of experience; he is a specialist in commercial and tax law. He also has an extensive experience in administrative law, intellectual property, arbitration, foreign investment and regulated sector. He is currently the director of the tax and administrative law practice. He is an adviser to important national and international companies and he has been featured in national and international publications for his knowledge and capacity in tax matters, corporate, civil and procedural law, but above all for his comprehensive management of the right in large financing projects, concessions, mergers and acquisitions of mercantile companies.
He holds a juris doctor in commercial and tax law from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, a master’s in business law from Suffolk Law School, Boston, United States, a postgraduate degree in international business from Georgetown, Washington, DC and INCAE Business School and a degree in Law from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Honduras (1992).
He speaks Spanish and English.
San José, Escazú Centro Corporativo Plaza Roble San José Tel: +506 256-7261 eag@aguilarcastillolove.com www.aguilarcastillolove.com Diagonal 6 10-01 zona 10 Centro Gerencial Las Margaritas Torre II Oficina 1402 Ciudad Guatemala City, 01010 Tel: +502 2279 3939 laguilar@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Primera Calle # 304 Torre Consortium I. Colonia La Estancia Final del Bulevar Morazán. Tegucigalpa Tel: +504 2221 1002 amanzanares@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Esteban López Moreno is reognised as a top name in the Central American market for dispute resolution in commercial and civil law, both nationally and internationally. WWL says: Lionel Augilar has over 30 years of experience in public law and litigation, where he has acted on complex collective agreements across a range of sectors. WWL says: Armando Manzanares possesses significant experience of administrative litigation, spanning disputes across a range of sectors including TMT and financial services.
Anibal Galindo
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Aníbal Galindo joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee in 1985 as one of its founding partners. Before this, he worked at law firm Rosas & Rosas (1982–1985) and Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones SA (Bladex) (1978–1982). Since joining Alcogal, Mr Galindo’s professional practice has concentrated on corporate and M&A, real estate, banking, finance and capital markets, maritime and port facilities and tax law. Mr Galindo has advised Panamanian and international clients with their most pressing corporate needs, including: Ideal Living, Corp in connection with the master plan and development of Panama City’s largest and most exclusive mixed golf and residential development; First Quantum Minerals Ltd on its estimated US$5.1 billion acquisition of Toronto-based Inmet Mining Corp, which owns Minera Panama SA; Ingenieros Civiles Asociados (ICA) with all matters related to the construction of a ring road around Panama City; and Evergreen International in regards to all its shipping and ports needs in Panama.
Mr Galindo has served in the board of directors of the National Banking Commission and the National Savings Bank.
Mr Galindo has a Master of Laws (LLM) from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana (1979), and a Bachelor of Law and Political Science from the University of Panama (1978). He is a member of the National Bar Association of Panama, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and the Banking Law Institute. He is fluent in Spanish and English.
Humboldt Tower, 2nd Floor East 53rd Street Panama City, PO Box 0819-09132 Tel: +507 269 2620 agalindo@alcogal.com www.alcogal.com
WWL says: Anibal Galindo excels as a go-to adviser for domestic and international clients in complex public law matters. An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages.
Belize
Pricilla J Banner Courtenay Coye LLP pbanner@courtenaycoye.com Iliana Swift Courtenay Coye LLP iswift@courtenaycoye.com
Costa Rica
Esteban Agüero Guier* Aguilar Castillo Love eag@aguilarcastillolove.com Carlos Andrés Arguedas Vargas DPI Legal carguedas@dpilegal.com Alejandro Batalla Batalla abatalla@batalla.cr Juan Carlos Castro Loría Officium Lex jccastro@officiumlex.net Luis Chacon BLP lchacon@blplegal.com Marvin Céspedes M EY Law marvin.cespedes@pachecocoto.com David Gutiérrez BLP dgutierrez@blpabogados.com Rubén Hernández Oller Abogados info@ollerabogados.com Manrique Jiménez Meza Corporación JIME manriquejimenez@corporacionjime.com Alfonso Liao Facio & Cañas aliao@fayca.com Enrique Lopez Dentons enrique.lopez@dentons.com Aldo Milano Sánchez Consultores en Derecho Público S.A consultas@cdp.co.cr Mauro Murillo Arias Bufete Lic. Mauro Murillo Arias Francisco Obando BLP fobando@blplegal.com Luis Ortiz BLP lortiz@blplegal.com Jose Enrique Rojas Franco Rojas Franco & Asociados info@rojasfranco.com Juan Jose Sobrado Chaves LLM Abogados jsobrado@llm.co.cr Carlos Ubico Arias carlos.ubico@ariaslaw.com Rubén Zamora Castro Aguilar Castillo Love rzc@aguilarcastillolove.com
El Salvador
Zygmunt Brett BLP zbrett@blplegal.com Eduardo Ángel Arias eduardo.angel@ariaslaw.com
Guatemala
Lionel Francisco Aguilar Salguero* Consortium Legal laguilar@consortiumlegal.com Rafael Briz Mayora & Mayora, SC rbriz@mayora-mayora.com Alejandro Cofiño QIL+4 Abogados acofino@qil4.com Liz Gordillo Arias liz.gordillo@ariaslaw.com María Isabel Luján Zilbermann QIL+4 Abogados mlujan@qil4.com Ana Gabriela Roca QIL+4 Abogados groca@4abogados.com.gt
Honduras
Armando Manzanares* Consortium Legal amanzanares@consortiumlegal.com Claribel Medina Central Law cmedina@central-law.com Fanny Rodríguez Arias fanny.rodriguez@ariaslaw.com Enrique Rodríguez-Burchard Aguilar Castillo Love erb@aguilarcastillolove.com
Nicaragua
Ana Teresa Rizo Arias ana.rizo@ariaslaw.com
Panama
Annette Bárcenas Olivardia Alfaro Ferrer & Ramírez abarcenas@afra.com Anibal Galindo* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee agalindo@alcogal.com Gabriel González-Ruiz A Icaza González-Ruiz Alemán gabrielg@icazalaw.com Diego Herrera Dutari Galindo Arias y López dherrera@gala.com.pa
Siaska SSS Lorenzo Arias siaska.lorenzo@ariaslaw.com Ivette Martinez Ivette Martinez Attorney-at-Law imartinez@ims.legal
ASSET RECOVERY
Here we present nine highly regarded lawyers, recognised for their impressive work in asset recovery, protection and tracing.
Ashanti Arthurs Martin
Balderamos Arthurs LLP Belize City
Most Highly Regarded
Rodrigo Callejas A
Carrillo y Asociados Guatemala City
Alejandro Pignataro
Pignataro Abogados San José
David M Mizrachi Fidanque
MDU Legal Panama
Belize
Ashanti Arthurs Martin of Balderamos Arthurs comes highly recommended by sources as “a reliable and smart asset recovery lawyer” with deep expertise in multi-jurisdictional litigation.
Fred Lumor at Fred Lumor & Co is held in high regard by his peers for his extensive knowledge on asset protection matters. Costa Rica
The “outstanding” Alejandro Pignataro with Pignataro Abogados possesses over 20 years’ experience in corporate law and asset recovery. Dominican Republic
Prieto Cabrera & Asociados’ Aimee Prieto is celebrated by peers as “an outstanding asset recovery practitioner with a hands-on approach”. She is also applauded as “a pleasure to work with”.
Guatemala
Carrillo & Asociados enters three leading asset recovery lawyers into this year’s chapter.
Rodrigo Callejas A is hailed by peers for his “deep cross border expertise” and international asset recovery practice.
Alfonso Carrillo M is held in high esteem as a go-to lawyer for complex tax, asset recovery and fraud issues.
Emanuel Callejas A comes highly regarded among interviewees for his technical approach to complex asset issues.
Panama
David Mizrachi Fidanque at MDU Legal is widely celebrated for his “integrity, lateral thinking and reliability”, with sources adding, “He always delivers on time and on budget.”
Miguel Urriola Maylin of Maylin Fábrega Molino has over 20 years of experience in complex asset recovery and commercial dispute resolution proceedings.
DIRECTORY
Belize
Ashanti Arthurs Martin Balderamos Arthurs LLP ashanti@balderamosarthurs.com Fred Lumor Fred Lumor & Co flumor_co@yahoo.com
Costa Rica
Alejandro Pignataro Pignataro Abogados apignataro@pignataroabogados.com
Dominican Republic
Aimee Prieto Prieto Cabrera & Asociados SRL aprieto@prietocabrera.com
Guatemala
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
Panama
David M Mizrachi Fidanque MDU Legal david@mdulegal.com Miguel E Urriola Maylin Fábrega Molino murriola@fmm.com.pa
BANKING, FINANCE & PROJECTS
This year, 98 impressive lawyers are highlighted for their deep expertise in the Central American banking market.
Alejandro Cofiño
QIL+4 Abogados Guatemala City
Diego Herrera Dutari
Galindo Arias y López Panama City
Andrés López
BLP San José
Most Highly Regarded
Juan Alcalde Fernández
OMG Santo Domingo
Rolando Laclé Castro
Consortium Legal San José
Mario Quesada Bianchini
Consortium Legal San José
Mario Gómez Pacheco
Latamlex Abogados San José
Roberto León Gómez
Vector Legal San José
Costa Rica
Consortium Legal sees five leading lawyers recognised here.
Rolando Laclé Castro is a specialist in his field with over 55 years of experience working on complex banking, finance and international commercial transactions.
Roberto León Gómez at Vector Legal is a top-notch lawyer renowned for his extensive practice in investment, banking and corporate law.
Andrés López from BLP has an excellent track record of “thorough analysis” and “delivers a strategic approach” when assisting banks, financial institutions and multilateral organisations.
Luis Hérnandez is esteemed by peers for his “impressive track record” in credit granting and bank financing matters for a wide range of clients.
Dominican Republic
OMG receives five listings here.
Juan Alcalde Fernández is widely recognised for his first-rate banking and finance practice. His real estate and tourism expertise is further heralded.
Esperanza Ivette Cabral Rubiera wins high praise from market sources impressed with her extensive knowledge of corporate banking and European Union law.
Leonel Melo Guerrero is endorsed by sources as “a go-to lawyer” with “an excellent reputation” in corporate and financial law.
Rebeca García Vilalta stands out in the Central America market for her stellar banking, regulatory and financing practice.
Luis Pellerano from Pellerano Nadal Law & Consulting possesses four decades of experience assisting banking and financial services clients in complex cross-border transactions.
El Salvador
Arias stands out with four practitioners.
Roberta Gallardo is recommended by peers as “a well organised practitioner who keeps an eye on costs and excels in complex transactions”.
Armando Arias is a well-established figure in El Salvador for domestic and international banking and corporate law.
Mario Lozano is highly regarded for “handling customer-attorney business and personal relations exceptionally well”. His “deep knowledge of all applicable laws” is received with further aplomb.
Lilian Arias earns plaudits for her extensive experience advising large-scale domestic and international financial institutions in the gamut of relevant law.
Zygmunt Brett from BLP comes highly praised by respondents as “an extremely skilled lawyer” who “consistently delivers comprehensive advice”.
Guatemala
Consortium Legal excels with four listings.
Alvaro Rodrigo Castellanos Howell is cited by peers for being “an excellent and leading professional in Guatemala” for matters regarding banking, foreign investment and banking legislation.
Sofía Escribá gains recognition for her first-class work handling high-value banking and M&A transactions, notably across the mining sector.
Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad is highly sought after for his over 35 years of experience handling banking and foreign investments in Guatemala, as well as Guatemalan investment abroad.
Rafael Alvarado Riedel is a highly experienced lawyer, who focuses his top-tier practice on sophisticated banking and international commercial transactions.
Alejandro Cofiño at QIL+4 Abogados draws praise for his top-tier work in financial law. His deep expertise assisting energy sector clients in banking and project finance matters is also lauded.
Marcos Ibargüen Segovia stands out for his outstanding practice assisting international and Guatemalan companies in banking and financial law.
Rodrigo Callejas A from Carrillo & Asociados has an excellent reputation in cross-border restructuring, insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings.
Honduras
Consortium Legal achieves three listings.
José Rafael Rivera Ferrari is highly sought after by clients impressed with his stellar work in cross-border deals and investment transactions.
Gustavo León-Gómez is a banking law specialist, revered for his in-depth understanding of related regulatory issues.
José Ramón Paz gains recognition from peers for his comprehensive practice working with clients on high-value cross-border transactions.
Lopez Rodezno & Asociados’ Rene López Rodezno comes highly recommended by sources who herald his incisive handling of complex banking, capital markets and M&A transactions.
Nicaragua
José Evenor Taboada of Consortium Legal enjoys a sterling reputation in the Central American market, where he ranks highly for his excellence in banking and finance transactions, and foreign investment.
Panama
Diego Herrera Dutari at Galindo Arias y López cuts a distinguished figure in the market for his first-rate work in the financial restructuring of various banking institutions.
Eloy Alfaro B from Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee is a widely respected figure in Panama market and is endorsed for his astute assistance to clients on the gamut of banking matters.
Daniel Araya
FORZA LEGAL
Randall Barquero León
Consortium Legal
David Arturo Campos
Consortium Legal
Daniel is an Attorney and Notary Public with more than 20-years’ experience practising law. He has led specialist teams on mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate, bank and tax law matters. He has worked with clients in several industries such as manufacturing, financial institutions, pharmaceutical, tourism, hospitality, real estate, energy and services, among others.
Daniel heads FORZA, a trusted legal and consulting firm with an interdisciplinary team of seasoned professionals with more than 20 years of experience in offering legal and business services to local and foreign clients. It is the exclusive member in Costa Rica of the Alliot Global Alliance, which is the 6th largest multidisciplinary alliance of independent professional firms (accounting and law firms). The network has grown to more than 180 firm members in 80 countries around the world. Randall is a partner at Consortium Legal – Costa Rica, he has extensive experience in the banking, finance and fintech sectors. His experience includes representing national and international banks and multilateral entities in local and crossborder lending and project finance transactions. Also, he has participated in several mergers and acquisitions in the banking industry, in Costa Rica and the region. He regularly provides advice to local and international banks in corporate matters, contracts, credit structuring, financial regulation and compliance.
During his career, he has served as member of the board of the directors of the Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce, and as comptroller of the board of directors of Citibank Costa Rica. He joined Consortium in 2006 after working for more than seven years as in-house counsel for the BCT Financial Group in Costa Rica.
He has a a specialisation in commercial law (with honours) (2001) and a law degree and notary public (1998) from the University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the InterAmerican University, Costa Rica (1996)
He speaks Spanish and English. David is a partner al Consortium Legal – Costa Rica, he is an expert on regulatory matters of the financing market and a leading lawyer in the areas of banking, stock-exchange and commercial law. In his professional practice he carries out the legal management of acquisition processes of financial entities in Costa Rica and in Central American countries.
Along his career David has served as credit director of the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE), president of the board of directors of Scotiavalores, member of the board of directors of Fincomer Bank of Scotiabank of Costa Rica SA, as comptroller of LAFISE Bank, member of the board of the CEFA Fishel Group, member of the investment committee of Cuestamoras Group, and as faculty member of the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE).
He holds a law degree (with honours) from the Autonomous University of Central America, Costa Rica (1984).
He speaks Spanish and English.
Oficentro Plaza Aeropuerto Oficina G13A Alajuela Tel: +(506) 4350 0300 daraya@forza.legal https://www.forza.legal/ 150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 rbarquero@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com 150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 dacampos@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Daniel Araya has over 20 years of experience of handling high-value banking and finance transactions for clients in the region as well as internationally. WWL says: Randall Barquero León impresses market sources who note he is “a distinguished banking lawyer with an excellent reputation” and “a real pleasure to work with”. WWL says: David Arturo Campos is highly recommended for his outstanding work and “depth of knowledge” in complex banking regulation and finance transactions.
Rolando Laclé Castro
Consortium Legal
Rolando Laclé Zúñiga
Consortium Legal
Mario Quesada Bianchini
Consortium Legal
Rolando is founder and senior partner of Consortium Legal – Costa Rica. He is an expert on corporate and commercial, banking and finance, litigation, foreign investment and international commerce.
Along his career, Mr Laclé has been member and president of the board of directors of Banco Anglo Costarricense, member and vice-president of the directive board at Banco Internacional de Costa Rica, vice president of the directive board of Lacsa, member of the directive board of Cemex and member of the directive board of DMC Abonos Agro. He was member and president of the Congress of Costa Rica, minister of presidency, elected congressman in the Congress of Costa Rica for 4th periods, and president at the International Affairs and Commercial Trade Commission. He is member of directive board of Volaris Airline and member of directive board of Davivienda Bank – Costa Rica. He has a a law degree (LLB) from the University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica (1964) and is authorised as a public notary (1963).
He speaks Spanish and English. Rolando is a partner at Consortium Legal – Costa Rica. With 29 years of experience, he specialises in mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment, international trade, real estate, civil and commercial litigation. He participated in multiple local and international transactions related mergers and acquisitions, securitisations, and real estate complex transactions. He has also acted as legal counsel in major litigation cases mainly in civil and commercial matters. During his career, he served as president of the International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (2009–2011); and he was an adviser to former president of Costa Rica, Abel Pacheco (2002–2004). He was nominated by Latin Lawyer magazine as one of the 40 best attorneys under the age of 40 in Central America (2006) and by Chambers Global as one of the leading lawyers in Costa Rica.
He has a master’s degree in law from Georgetown University, United States (1994), and an advance degree in commercial law (1993) and a law degree from the University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica (1990).
He speaks Spanish and English. Mario is a partner at Consortium Legal – Costa Rica. With 19 years of experience in the banking sector. He has an extensive experience in the commercial, banking and financial practice areas, especially in the acquisition of banking and financial institutions, leading integration and merger processes, and having a wide knowledge in related regulatory matters. During his career, he has participated in the designing and documentation processes of cross-border financing operations in Central America, representing banks and other international and multilateral financial institutions in both local and multi-jurisdictional transactions, with different guarantee structures. He has participated in the design and documentation of private equity funds for the development and acquisition of projects, as well as advising regulated entities such as investment funds, stock exchanges and insurance companies in their business operations and relationship with their supervisors. He has also participated in the securitisation of assets, as well as in the issuance of bonds and shares.
He has been a member of boards of directors of private banks and insurance companies.
He has a master’s degree in comparative law from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain (1997) and a law degree (with honours) from the University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica (1988).
He speaks Spanish and English.
150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 rlaclec@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com 150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 rlacle@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com 150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 mquesada@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Rolando Laclé Castro is a specialist in his field, working on complex banking, finance and international commercial transactions. WWL says: Rolando Laclé Zúñiga is hailed by peers for his extensive experience and knowledge in all matters regarding banking and finance both locally and with crossborder transactions. WWL says: Mario Quesada Bianchini is held in high regard by sources who consider him “a world leader in the banking and finance sector”, regularly acting in national and international cases.
Oscar Samour
Consortium Legal
Rafael Alvarado Riedel
Consortium Legal
Oscar is partner at Consortium Legal – El Salvador. With 16 years of experience; he has an extensive experience in banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, and conflict resolution and transactions with multiple jurisdictions. He has recently participated as a leading lawyer in the granting of financing by Credit Suisse to Imperia Intercontinental INC for the acquisition of Citibank shares in El Salvador. He has a great international experience, having worked as an international associate at King & Spalding LLP in Washington, DC. In addition, he led the acquisition of AIG’s operations in El Salvador by Panamanian insurance company ASSA and the sale of Finca Microfinanzas El Salvador to Optima Servicios Financieros.
Oscar has an LLM in international arbitration (with honours) from the University of Pepperdine, United States (2009), he studied the American legal system at the school of law of University of Columbia, United States (2006) and received a degree in legal science (honourable mention) from José Simeón Cañas Central American University, El Salvador (2005).
He speaks Spanish and English. Rafael Alvarado Riedel is a partner at Consortium Legal – Guatemala. He has extensive experience in foreign investment, project finance, international mercantile contracts, telecommunications, tax law and mergers and acquisitions.
Mr Alvarado attended Francisco Marroquín University, Guatemala, where he received a master’s in mercantile law and business administration cum laude in 2003 and The College of Law of England and Wales with the International Bar Association, where he received a practice diploma in international business organisations in 2004. He has a diploma in “The Harvard Method” from Centro de Mediacion y Negociacion Internacional as well as a certificate in Multilateral Commercial Negotiations from The World Trade Organisation. He is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), American Bar Association (ABA) and Guatemalan Bar Association.
Language: Spanish, English and German.
Alvaro Rodrigo Castellanos Howell
Consortium Legal
Álvaro is a partner at Consortium Legal – Guatemala. With 33 years of experience in the banking sector; he has experience in arbitration, foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions and banking legislation. He recently participated in the acquisition by Promerica Financial Corporation of Banco Citibank of Guatemala, SA, Cititarjetas, Limitada and other related companies in an operation that will reach US$1,474 million in assets and nearly 100 bank branches.
During his career, he has served as chairman of the board of directors of the conflict resolution commission of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala; he participated as judge of an ad hoc case Tiu Tojín vs State of Guatemala of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; he was a member of Guatemala before the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (2006–2018); member of the editorial board of IURISTEC (an edited compilation of judicial judgement publications), university professor, columnist in El Periodico and as former dean of the Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences of the Rafael Landívar University.
He is a candidate for Doctorate in Law from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, he holds a Master of Laws (LLM) with a specialisation in comparative and international law (FulbrightLaspau Scholar) from the Law School Columbia University, United States (1990) and a degree in legal and social sciences from the Rafael Landivar University, Guatemala (1986).
He speaks English and Spanish.
Calle Llama del Bosque Poniente Urb Madre Selva III Edificio Avante Local 3-13 Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad San Salvador Tel: +503 2209 1600 osamour@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Diagonal 6 10-01 zona 10 Centro Gerencial Las Margaritas Torre II Oficina 1402 Ciudad Guatemala City, 01010 Tel: +502 2324 3939 ralvarado@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Diagonal 6 10-01 zona 10 Centro Gerencial Las Margaritas Torre II Oficina 1402 Ciudad Guatemala City, 01010 Tel: +502 2279 3939 acastellanos@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Oscar Samour is a banking and corporate finance specialist, where he is well versed in working with local and international financial institutions on loan structuring for Salvadoran entities. WWL says: Rafael Alvarado Riedel is a highly experienced lawyer, who focuses his top-tier practice on sophisticated banking and international commercial transactions. WWL says: Alvaro Rodrigo Castellanos Howell is cited by peers for being “an excellent and leading professional in Guatemala” for matters regarding banking, foreign investment and banking legislation.
Sofía Escribá
Consortium Legal
Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad
Consortium Legal
Gustavo León-Gómez
Consortium Legal
Sofía is a partner at Consortium Legal - Guatemala. She has more than 10 years of experience in corporate law. She specialises in mergers and acquisitions and legal advice in the regulated sector with emphasis in mining. She has experience in contract negotiation and shareholder agreements, foreign investment and taxes. She is an expert in corporate governance, reorganisation of businesses and family businesses. She is one of the Guatemalan lawyers admitted to the New York Bar.
Currently, she is the president of the board of directors of Transforma, the local chapter of women in the profession of the Cyrus R Vance Center for International Justice. During her career, she has been director of corporate affairs for a transnational company in the mining sector. She has also given a seminar on strategic resources and has been an assistant professor of tax law.
Alfredo is a partner at Consortium Legal – Guatemala. With 38 years of professional experience in the sectors of foods and beverages, financial services, real estate, agro-industry business, pharmaceutical and life sciences, aviation, manufactures, professional services and startups; he has experience advising companies in matters that include taxes and corporate matters, related to mergers and acquisitions transactions, private equity investments, financial transactions and project financing, foreign investments in Guatemala and Guatemalan investments abroad. He is also an adviser to natural persons and family groups on tax and inheritance planning. Likewise, he has an extensive practice in corporate law and leads real estate and entrepreneurship practice. During his career, he was a university professor in tax matters at the undergraduate level, as well as at the master’s and specialisation level at the Francisco Marroquín University. For the past 25 years, he has continued to teach tax law at the bachelor’s level and at the level of masters and specialisation. He is currently president of the International Fiscal Association (Guatemala) and belongs to several local and international tax associations. He has acted as legal adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala (2004–2006); as main legal adviser for Guatemala for the legal review of the FTA between the Dominican Republic, Central America and the United States (2004) and a personal legal adviser of the Minister of Economy of Guatemala during the negotiations of the FTA between Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico (2000–2001). He holds a Master of Laws from the Law Center pf Georgetown University, United States (1982) and a degree in legal and social sciences from the Rafael Landívar University, Guatemala (1981).
He speaks Spanish and English. Diagonal 6 10-01 zona 10
Gustavo is a partner at Consortium Legal – Honduras. With 25 years of experience, he is specialised in the areas of banking, regulatory, commercial contracting, litigation and arbitration. He has a special emphasis on advising corporate and consumer loans, and advising local and international financial institutions in the regulatory field; with extensive experience in credit cards, local, cross-border banking and credit operations, including structuring of guarantees for syndicated loans, financing of projects, as well as to diverse mercantile companies in all areas of commercial contracting, public and private construction contracts, investments, free trade agreements and bilateral and multilateral investment treaties, public associations, private and concessions. He has been part in multiple local, international arbitrations and before the Central American Court of Justice in matters of community law.
He holds a Master of Business Law from Suffolk Law School, Boston, a postgraduate degree in law in the area of international business from Georgetown University, Washington DC, and the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE) and a law degree from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Honduras (1994).
He speask Spanish and English.
Primera Calle # 304 Torre Consortium I. Colonia La Estancia Final del Bulevar Morazán. Tegucigalpa Tel: + 504 2221 - 1002 Ext. 103 gleongomez@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Sofía Escribá gains recognition for her first-class work handling high-value banking and M&A transactions, notably across the mining sector. WWL says: Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad is highly sought after for his over 35 years of experience handling banking and foreign investments in Guatemala, as well as Guatemalan investment abroad. WWL says: Gustavo León-Gómez is a banking law specialist, revered for his in-depth understanding of related regulatory issues.
José Ramón Paz
Consortium Legal
José Evenor Taboada
Consortium Legal
Eloy Alfaro B
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
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 multi-national 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.
José Evenor Taboada is founder and managing partner of Nicaragua's office. In addition, he is currently the honorary British consul and honorary Swedish consul in Nicaragua and board member of different organisations including Operation Smile Nicaragua (an NGO chapter of Operation Smile International) and Funides (a think tank focused on economic and social development); president of the board at Teletón (NGO focused on the treatment of handicap children) and also president of the board at Unirse (an NGO focused on promoting the social responsibility among the private sector). He continues to teach law at the Tomas Moro University.
Mr Taboada has more than 45 years of legal practice. His experience includes legal services to the government of Nicaragua in the negotiations on the external debt with major commercial banks, the IDB, the World Bank and the IMF, as well as the Paris Club. In private practice he has been local counsel for major companies including large local and international companies such as: Wal-Mart, General Electric, Sony, Caterpillar, Citi, GE Finance and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE), among others, as well as many of the largest local companies, including banks, electricity and generating companies, telecommunications and mining.
He has been president of the Central Bank of Nicaragua and Financial Investments; he has also been member of the board of directors of the Superintendence of Banks and Financial Institutions. Mr Taboada obtained his law degree at the Law School of the University of Chile and his doctorate in the science of law (JSD) from Cornell University, New York.
Del antiguo Hospital Militar 1 cuadra al Norte Managua Tel: + 505 2254 5454 jetaboada@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
Eloy Alfaro B joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee as an associate in 2004 and became a partner in 2011. His professional practice concentrates on banking, finance and capital markets, corporate and M&A, public bids and concession contracts, and real estate law.
Mr Alfaro has been active in assisting local and international clients in mergers and acquisitions, such as Citibank NA, the Bank of Nova Scotia and BBVA in banking acquisitions, mergers and dispositions in Panama, in addition to assisting many international banks and companies in local and cross-border financing transactions. Mr Alfaro has also helped advise Panamanian and international clients in important public bid projects, including: the contractor Grupo Unidos por el Canal in the construction of the Third Set of Locks for the Panama Canal Expansion; London & Regional Panama, SA in the master development of the former Howard Air Force Base; and Vinci Construction Grands Projets in the construction of a third suspension bridge over the Panama Canal on the Atlantic side of the country.
Mr Alfaro has served as secretary of the board of directors of London & Regional Panama, SA since 2007 and as member of the board of directors of GNB Sudameris Bank, SA since 2011. Mr Alfaro has been a member of the board of directors of the Panama Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture since 2016 and Cemento Chagres, SA since 2019. Mr Alfaro has a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Columbia University in the City of New York.
Mr Alfaro has been recognised by Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and by IFLR1000 as a leading lawyer. He is a member of the National Bar Association of Panama. He is fluent in Spanish and English.
WWL says: José Ramón Paz gains recognition from peers for his comprehensive practice working with clients on high-value cross-border transactions. WWL says: José Evenor Taboada enjoys a sterling reputation in the Central American market, where he ranks highly for his excellence in banking and finance transactions, and foreign investment. WWL says: Eloy Alfaro earns plaudits from respondents, who herald his encyclopaedic knowledge of domestic and cross-border corporate law and M&A transactions.
Estif Aparicio
Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega
Ricardo M Arango
Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega
Estif Aparicio joined Arias, Fabrega & Fabrega (ARIFA) in 2000 and became a partner in 2011. Mr Aparicio is member of the firm’s executive committee. He also heads the firm’s capital markets & banking practice group, the taxation group, and the regulatory work group. Estif Aparicio is a skilled corporate lawyer used to advise clients on highly complex infrastructure finance projects, both in the private and public side, with a special focus on the energy, public transportation, roadways, airports, and health sectors.
Mr Aparicio has outstanding deal management and broad expertise setting up a variety of structures, including syndicated and bilateral, secured and unsecured, and domestic and crossborder financing. He has represented creditors in the biggest and perhaps most complex transactions in Panama in recent years, including the expansion of the Tocumen International Airport; the construction of the first, second, and third line of the Panama City Metro; the construction of the Cinta Costera phases I, II and III; and the implementation of the Metro Bus, Panama City new public transportation system.
He has a unique insight to the power generation industry and the Panamanian government “green energy” policy favoring wind, solar, gas, and hydroelectric generation, having represented the lenders that have provided financing to over 35% of the total generation capacity of the country. From 2004 to 2006, the firm granted Mr Aparicio a leave of absence to serve the Panamanian government as Chief Trade Negotiator of all bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements. In this capacity, Mr Aparicio coordinated Panama’s participation in the Doha Round of Negotiations of the World Trade Organization and successfully negotiated free trade agreements with the United States, Singapore, and Chile.
From 2006 to 2007, Mr Aparicio worked for the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York, participating in capital markets, M&A and project finance transactions.
Mr Aparicio has a Master of Laws from the University of Houston Law Center and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Panama. He is admitted to practise in Panama and New York. Ricardo M Arango joined Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega in 1987 and became a partner in 1995. He is co-managing partner and member of the firm’s executive committee. He also heads the firm’s M&A practice group, and leads the securities regulation team.
Mr Arango has also been commended for his leading role in many of the largest and most complex financial and M&A deals in Panama and the Central America region: the Republic of Panama’s Brady Bonds offer; the first securitizations of credit cards receivables, toll road payments, DPRs and residential mortgages in Panama; the IPOs of Bladex, COPA and Panamerican Beverages on the NYSE; Telefónica’s acquisition of BellSouth; the public tender offer by Bancolombia of Banagrícola; and the merger between Banco General and Banco Continental, resulting in Panama’s largest bank.
Mr Arango has been instrumental in creating many of the financial structures that are now common in Panama. He spearheaded the 1999 Presidential Commissions that drafted Panama’s current securities act and later on drafted the rules of operation of LatinClear, Panama’s clearing and settlement agency.
Mr Arango is director of the Panama Canal Authority; director of BLADEX, a NYSE-listed company; director of Banco General and a member of the Latin America Business Council. Mr Arango completed his LLB at the University of Panama (1983), an LLM at Harvard Law School (1984) and an LLM at Yale Law School (1985). He was a Fulbright scholar. He is admitted to the Bar in Panama and New York.
ARIFA Building, 10th Floor, West Boulevard Santa María Business District, PO Box 0816-01098 Panama City Tel: +507 205 7000 eaparicio@arifa.com www.arifa.com ARIFA Building, 10th Floor, West Boulevard Santa María Business District, PO Box 0816-01098 Panama City Tel: +507 205 7000 rarango@arifa.com www.arifa.com
WWL says: Estif Aparicio stands out for his involvement in some of the most high-profile corporate tax issues in Panama. WWL says: Ricardo Arango leads large and complex financial M&A, advising clients in connection with medium-term note programmes, commercial paper programs, syndicated term and revolving loan agreements, to name a few.
Carlos G Cordero
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Roy C Durling
Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega
Arturo Gerbaud
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
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.
Roy C Durling joined the firm in 1991 and became a partner in 2001. Mr Durling is a member of the firm's executive committee and head of the firm's business and corporate law group.
A versatile lawyer with skills in a wide range of corporate and commercial law areas, Mr Durling advises international clients on the negotiation and structure of aviation financing deals. In recent years, he has advised international financial institutions on the sale and delivery of aircraft as COPA, the Panamanian airline, expands its fleet of international transport based in Tocumen International Airport.
Mr Durling has a juris doctor from Cornell University and a bachelor of arts from Georgetown University. He is admitted to the Bar in Panama and New York. 1986–1990: He worked in New York with Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens (today, Holland & Knight LLP) in the area of asset-based financing.
Mr Gerbaud joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee as an associate in 1990 and became partner in 1992. Currently, Mr Gerbaud is the managing partner of the firm and head of the banking and finance, capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions departments.
Mr Gerbaud has represented many leading local and international financial institutions including Citibank NA, the Bank of Nova Scotia, Banco General SA, HSBC, BBVA and Banco Santander SA, among others. Mr Gerbaud has participated in some of the largest and most complex financial transactions that have taken place in Panama. Moreover, Mr Gerbaud was part of the High Level Presidential Commission for the Modernisation for the Capital Markets Commission, and was one of the drafters of the Panama Securities Act. He also served for 16 years as a member of the board of directors of the Superintendency of Banks of Panama.
He is director and president of Central Latinoamericana de Valores, SA, Latinex Holdings, Inc., and Bolsa de Valores de Panamá, SA. He is a member of the Panama Bar Association and director of Soluciones de Microfinanzas S.A. (Microserfín).
Mr Gerbaud has been recognised by the prestigious legal publications Chambers and Partners, the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) and The Legal 500 as one of Panama’s leading lawyers for banking and finance, capital markets, and corporate/M&A. Mr Gerbaud has a master’s degree in law (LLM) from Duke University; and a bachelor’s degree in law and political sciences from Universidad Santa María La Antigua. He is fluent in English and Spanish.
WWL says: Carlos Cordero is a highly endorsed lawyer with an extensive practice spanning banking, finance, capital markets and dispute resolution issues. WWL says: Roy Durling is a seasoned practitioner with in-depth asset-based financing expertise, which he uses to assist clients with interests in Panama. WWL says: Arturo Gerbaud has a go-to reputation in the Central American market for complex securities and project financing matters.
Costa Rica
John Aguilar-Osborne Aguilar Castillo Love jao@aguilarcastillolove.com Arturo Apéstegui Barzuna EY Law arturo.apestegui@cr.ey.com Daniel Araya* FORZA LEGAL daraya@forza.legal Randall Barquero León* Consortium Legal rbarquero@consortiumlegal.com David Arturo Campos* Consortium Legal dacampos@consortiumlegal.com Esteban Carranza Vector Legal ecarranza@vectorlegal.co.cr Luis M Castro BLP lcastro@blplegal.com Ricardo Cordero Baltodano Cordero & Cordero Abogados rcb@corderoabogados.com Hernán Cordero-Maduro Cordero & Cordero Abogados hcm@corderoabogados.com Víctor MI Garita Arias victor.garita@ariaslaw.com Neftalí Garro BLP ngarro@blplegal.com David Gutiérrez BLP dgutierrez@blpabogados.com Mario Gómez Pacheco Latamlex Abogados mgomez@latamlex.com Luis Hérnandez BLP lhernandez@blplegal.com Rolando Laclé Castro* Consortium Legal rlaclec@consortiumlegal.com Rolando Laclé Zúñiga* Consortium Legal rlacle@consortiumlegal.com Roberto León Gómez Vector Legal rleon@vectorlegal.co.cr Vicente Lines Arias vicente.lines@ariaslaw.com Andrés López BLP alopez@blplegal.com Franklin Matamoros Calderón LLM Abogados fmatamoros@llm.co.cr José Antonio Muñoz Dentons joseantonio.munoz@dentons.com Hernán Pacheco O EY Law hernan.pacheco@cr.ey.com Mario Quesada Bianchini* Consortium Legal mquesada@consortiumlegal.com
Dominican Republic
Juan Alcalde Fernández OMG j.alcalde@omg.com.do Awilda M Alcantara-Bourdier Squire Patton Boggs awilda.alcantarabourdier@squirepb.com Francisco Alvarez Valdez Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez falvarez@hrafdom.com Esperanza Ivette Cabral Rubiera OMG e.cabral@omg.com.do Laura Feliz DR&R Abogados y Consultores Fiscales l.feliz@drr-law.com Mary Fernández Rodríguez Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez mfernandez@hrafdom.com Pedro O Gamundi Squire Patton Boggs pedro.gamundi@squirepb.com Rebeca García Vilalta OMG r.garcia@omg.com.do Carolina León Pellerano & Herrera c.leon@phlaw.com Rhina M Martinez Brea Squire Patton Boggs rhina.martinezbrea@squirepb.com Leonel Melo Guerrero OMG l.melo@omg.com.do Luis R Pellerano Pellerano Nadal Law & Consulting lpellerano@pellerano.com Alejandro Peña-Prieto Squire Patton Boggs alejandro.penaprieto@squirepb.com Roberto Rizik Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez rrizik@hrafdom.com Jaime M Senior Fernández Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez jsenior@headrick.com.do Manuel Troncoso Hernández OMG m.troncoso@omg.com.do
El Salvador
Armando Arias Arias armando.arias@ariaslaw.com Lilian Arias Arias lilian.arias@ariaslaw.com Zygmunt Brett BLP zbrett@blplegal.com Ricardo A Cevallos Ricardo Cevallos y Asociados rc@cevalloscortez.com Roberta Gallardo Arias roberta.gallardo@ariaslaw.com Mario Lozano Arias mario.lozano@ariaslaw.com Ana Patricia Portillo Reyes Guandique Segovia Quintanilla - LatamLex pportillo@latamlex.com Carlos Quintanilla Schmidt Guandique Segovia Quintanilla - LatamLex cquintanilla@latamlex.com Oscar Samour* Consortium Legal osamour@consortiumlegal.com Benjamin Valdez Iraheta Benjamín Valdez & Asociados bvaldez@bvaldezlaw.com
Guatemala
Rodolfo Alegria T Carrillo & Asociados rodolfo.alegria@carrillolaw.com Rafael Alvarado Riedel* Consortium Legal ralvarado@consortiumlegal.com Alejandro Arenales Farner BLP aarenales@blplegal.com Jorge Luis Arenales de la Roca Arias jorgeluis.arenales@ariaslaw.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 Alejandro Cofiño QIL+4 Abogados acofino@qil4.com Sofía Escribá* Consortium Legal sescriba@consortiumlegal.com Marcos Ibargüen Segovia QIL+4 Abogados mibarguen@qil4.com Eduardo A Mayora Mayora & Mayora, SC emayora@mayora-mayora.com Claudia Pereira Mayora & Mayora, SC cpereira@mayora-mayora.com José E Quiñones QIL+4 Abogados jquinones@qilsc.com Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad* Consortium Legal arodriguez@consortiumlegal.com Alfredo Skinner-Klee Skinner-Klee & Asociados - LatamLex skinner-klee@latamlex.com
José Augusto Toledo Clarity Law jose.toledo@claritylaw.com
Honduras
Juan José Alcerro-Milla Aguilar Castillo Love jja@aguilarcastillolove.com Evangelina Lardizabal Arias evangelina.lardizabal@ariaslaw.com Gustavo León-Gómez* Consortium Legal gleongomez@consortiumlegal.com Rene López Rodezno Lopez Rodezno & Asociados rene@lopezrodezno.com Dennis Matamoros Batson Matamoros Batson & Asociados dennis.matamoros@matamorosbatson.com Oscar Armando Melara Facussé Melara & Asociados omelara@melarayasociados.com José Ramón Paz* Consortium Legal jrpaz@consortiumlegal.com José Rafael Rivera Ferrari Consortium Legal jrivera@consortiumlegal.com
Nicaragua
Bertha Argüello Arias bertha.arguello@ariaslaw.com Ernesto Rizo BLP erizo@blplegal.com José Evenor Taboada* Consortium Legal jetaboada@consortiumlegal.com Gloria Maria de Alvarado Alvarado y Asociados gmalvara@alvaradoyasociados.com.ni
Panama
Alvaro A Alemán H Icaza González-Ruiz Alemán alvaroa@icazalaw.com Eloy Alfaro B* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee ealfaro@alcogal.com Estif Aparicio* Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega eaparicio@arifa.com Ricardo M Arango* Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega rarango@arifa.com Francisco Arias Morgan & Morgan francisco.arias@morimor.com Salomon J Behar Galindo Arias y López sbehar@gala.com.pa Alida Benedetti Benedetti & Benedetti alida@benedetti.com.pa Cecilio Castillero SIGMA International and Global Market Attorneys ccastillero@sigmalawfirm.com Ana Carolina Castillo Solis Morgan & Morgan ana.castillo@morimor.com Luis A Chalhoub M Icaza González-Ruiz Alemán luisch@icazalaw.com Carlos G Cordero* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee ccordero@alcogal.com Roberto De Araujo Galindo Arias y López roberto@gala.com.pa Roy C Durling* Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega rcdurling@arifa.com Inocencio Galindo Morgan & Morgan inocencio.galindo@morimor.com Arturo Gerbaud* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee agerbaud@alcogal.com Diego Herrera Dutari Galindo Arias y López dherrera@gala.com.pa Alexis V Herrera Jr Icaza González-Ruiz Alemán alexishjr@icazalaw.com Cristina Lewis de la Guardia Galindo Arias y López clewis@gala.com.pa Alfredo Ramírez Jr Alfaro Ferrer & Ramírez aramirez@afra.com Ramón Varela Morgan & Morgan ramon.varela@morimor.com
COMPETITION
This year’s research identifies 19 leading lawyers who stand out for their experience handling a wide range of competition matters, including antitrust investigations and transactional and regulatory matters.
Most Highly Regarded
Uri Weinstok
BLP San José
Costa Rica
Uri Weinstok of BLP is a well-regarded practitioner with a stellar reputation thanks to his expertise in competition law. He regularly handles merger clearance and undertakes audits.
Competition law expert Edgar Odio with Facio & Cañas focuses his first-rate practice on consumer protection and foreign investment.
At Zurcher Odio & Raven, Claudio Donato Monge is a pre-eminent anti-trust advocate who excels at representing large domestic and international clients.
Ignacio Gallegos is a vastly experienced practitioner who regularly advises clients on complex competition matters.
El Salvador
Guandique Segovia Quintanilla – LatamLex execels with three listings.
Oscar Mauricio Hurtado Saldana is highlighted by market sources as a “very good lawyer”, known for his adept handling of a broad range of competition issues.
Carlos Mauricio Guzmán Segovia ranks highly among peers thanks to his renowned competition practice, where he frequently advises clients from the construction and entertainment industries.
Carlos Quintanilla Schmidt Jimenez is a top-tier practitioner who stands out for his insightful corporate law knowledge and regularly advises banks and financial institutions.
Antonio Mendez of Romero Pineda & Asociados is distinguished as “excellent” by market commentators who commend his work in anti-competitive matters.
Honduras
Juan José Alcerro-Milla of Aguilar Castillo Love comes highly esteemed thanks to his superb anti-trust practice that spans the full spectrum of international commercial investment.
Paul Handal Montoya with Matamoros Batson & Asociados - Latamlex is a wellregarded practitioner who has built up an impressive reputation for his work on transfer pricing, as well as contentious and non-contentious tax matters.
José Rafael Rivera Ferrari at Consortium Legal is lauded for his tremendous experience in competition law and his profound understanding of antitrust issues.
Costa Rica
John Aguilar-Quesada Aguilar Castillo Love jaq@aguilarcastillolove.com Claudio Donato Monge Zurcher Odio & Raven claudio.donato@zurcherodioraven.com Andrey Dorado Arias andrey.dorado@ariaslaw.com Ignacio Gallegos Zurcher Odio & Raven ignacio.gallegos@zurcherodioraven.com Edgar Odio Facio & Cañas eodio@fayca.com Henry Rodriguez Nassar Abogados hrodriguez@nassarabogados.com Uri Weinstok BLP uweinstok@blplegal.com
El Salvador
Oscar Mauricio Hurtado Saldana Guandique Segovia Quintanilla - LatamLex mhurtado@latam-lex.com Carlos Mauricio Guzmán Segovia Guandique Segovia Quintanilla - LatamLex cmguzmans@gsqlaw.com Antonio Mendez Romero Pineda & Asociados amendez@romeropineda.com Fernando Montano Arias fernando.montano@ariaslaw.com Carlos Quintanilla Schmidt Guandique Segovia Quintanilla - LatamLex cquintanilla@latamlex.com
Honduras
Juan José Alcerro-Milla Aguilar Castillo Love jja@aguilarcastillolove.com Ricardo Alfredo Duarte Jimenez Garcia & Bodan ricardo.duarte1@garciabodan.com Paul Handal Montoya Matamoros Batson & Asociados phandal@latamlex.com Dennis Matamoros Batson Matamoros Batson & Asociados dennis.matamoros@matamorosbatson.com J. Vanessa Oquelí De Riera Garcia & Bodan vanessa.oqueli@garciabodan.com José Rafael Rivera Ferrari Consortium Legal jrivera@consortiumlegal.com
Nicaragua
Terencio J García Montenegro Garcia & Bodan terencio.garcia@garciabodan.com
CORPORATE
This year’s research into the Central American market sees 111 leading lawyers recognised in this chapter for their experience across the full spectrum of corporate affairs and transactional matters.
John Aguilar-Quesada
Aguilar Castillo Love San José
Alejandro Cofiño
QIL+4 Abogados Guatemala City
Rolando Laclé Zúñiga
Consortium Legal San José
Oscar Armando Melara Facussé
Melara & Asociados Tegucigalpa
Most Highly Regarded
Arturo Apéstegui Barzuna
EY Law San José
Diego Herrera Dutari
Galindo Arias y López Panama City
Roberto Leiva
Facio & Cañas San José
Hernán Pacheco O
EY Law San José
Adriana Castro
BLP San José
Rolando Laclé Zúñiga
Consortium Legal San José
Ivette Martinez
Ivette Martinez Attorney-at-Law Panama City
Carlos Quintanilla Schmidt
Costa Rica
BLP excels in the research with eight listings. Adriana Castro is heralded by peers for her “efficient work and attention to detail” in all corporate governance matters.
Luis Castro ranks highly among peers for his work in multi-jurisdictional M&A and project finance, particularly when it comes to the energy, infrastructure and real estate sectors.
David Gutiérrez garners praise for his “impressive experience and understanding of business law”. Peers further commend his “business acumen and practical approach to problem-solving”.
Eduardo Calderón is well versed in the telecoms, media and technology sectors and frequently acts in regulatory matters, asset acquisition, financing and dispute resolution.
Ronald Lachner is a respected name in the business law and foreign direct investor sectors, he also specialises in Free Trade Zone and M&A work.
Adelín Villalobos is renowned in the market for her “excellent government affairs skills and knowledge of corporate law”.
EY Law sees three outstanding lawyers listed.
Hernán Pacheco is revered by market sources for his activity in local and international M&A, project finance and corporate structuring in civil and commercial contracts.
Arturo Apéstegui Barzuna is lauded as an outstanding lawyer and regularly advises domestic and international financial institutions on real estate, corporate and M&A matters.
Fernando Vargas frequently acts in transnational, regional and local M&A, as well as in investment, compliance and corporate governance.
John Aguilar-Quesada from Aguilar Castillo Love possesses a depth of knowledge in antitrust and competition law and frequently acts in M&A and regulatory matters.
Roberto Leiva with Facio & Cañas is lauded by peers for his litigation and arbitration experience in international transactions, particularly in the real estate and intellectual property spaces.
Carlos Oreamuno gains plaudits within the market for his corporate and commercial law practice which encompasses antitrust and competition law in civil and commercial cases.
Vicente Lines from Arias has over 20 years’ experience in high-value transactions, financing and negotiations involving regulated industries and governmental bodies.
Víctor Garita regularly acts for national and multinational companies in trials before the Costa Rican courts involving damages, distribution contracts and breaches of contract.
Eric Scharf Taitelbaum with Sfera legal is a key name in the Costa Rican market, renowned for his work in corporate law, insurance and free trade matters.
José María Pacheco ranks highly among peers thanks to his outstanding international practice spanning corporate and commercial cases.
José Antonio Muñoz with Dentons impresses market respondents with his sweeping knowledge of business and public law and focuses his expertise on government relations and foreign direct investment.
Lex Counsel’s Jorge Guzman is well versed in all matters in corporate and governance law, and frequently acts for high-profile clients.
Dominican Republic
Mary Fernández Rodríguez at Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez frequently acts as arbitrator and adviser in alternative dispute resolution, banking, franchise and distribution cases.
El Salvador
Carlos Quintanilla Schmidt with Guandique Segovia Quintanilla - LatamLex comes highly esteemed by peers for his in-depth
knowledge of banking, regulatory and M&A matters.
Roberto Romero Pineda from Romero Pineda & Asociados is highly regarded for his work as adviser on contract negotiations involving foreign companies and Central American governments.
Ricardo Cevallos from Ricardo Cevallos & Asociados comes highly recommended for his arbitration work in a range of commercial and corporate disputes.
Zygmunt Brett from BLP receives widespread plaudits as “an extremely talented business and corporate lawyer” and “a great negotiator”.
Armando Arias of Arias is a trusted corporate practitioner with a wide-ranging practice encompassing banking, international commerce and project finance.
Guatemala
QIL+4 Abogados achieves five listings.
Alejandro Cofiño comes highly recommended for his well-established practice which handles a variety of tax-related matters.
Peers commend José Quiñones for his specialisation in banking and finance, compliance, M&A and tax matters.
Marcos Ibargüen Segovia maintains a top-notch practice spanning antitrust law, M&A, restructurings and corporate law.
Honduras
Oscar Armando Melara Facussé from Melara & Asociados is highly regarded by peers for his expertise in advising local and regional clients in corporate law matters.
José Rafael Rivera Ferrari from Consortium Legal wins praise for his work in corporate finance matters.
Juan José Alcerro-Milla at Aguilar Castillo Love is applauded by peers for his experience in competition disputes and corporate M&A.
BLP’s José Miguel Álvarez impresses market sources with his “great communication skills, good judgment, outstanding corporate law knowledge and proactiveness”. Diego Herrera Dutari from Galindo Arias & López is held in high esteem for his handling of financial restructuring for domestic and international clients.
Ramón Ricardo Arias Porras is well versed in mergers and acquisitions with experience advising national and multinational clients.
Ivette Martinez at Ivette Martinez Attorneyat-Law is a top name in the market, highly recommended by market sources for all aspects of corporate and commercial law.
Fábrega Molino’s Juan Pablo Fabrega is lauded for his expert handling of corporate and contract matters in Panama.
Observers note that Luis Manzanares from Morgan & Morgan is a key figure in the market and highly sought after by clients for his experience in the distribution and protection of assets.
Daniel Araya
FORZA LEGAL
David Arturo Campos
Consortium Legal
Juan Manuel Godoy Pérez
Consortium Legal
Daniel is an attorney and notary public with more than 20-years’ experience practicing law. He has led specialized teams on mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate, bank and tax law matters. He has worked with clients in several industries such as manufacturing, financial institutions, pharmaceutical, tourism, hospitality, real estate, energy and services, among others.
Daniel heads FORZA, a trusted legal and consulting firm with an interdisciplinary team of seasoned professionals with more than 20 years of experience in offering legal and business services to local and foreign clients. It is the exclusive member in Costa Rica of the Alliot Global Alliance, which is the 6th largest multidisciplinary alliance of independent professional firms (accounting and law firms). The network has grown to more than 180 firm members in 80 countries around the world. David is a partner al Consortium Legal – Costa Rica, he is an expert on regulatory matters of the financing market and a leading lawyer in the areas of banking, stock-exchange and commercial law. In his professional practice he carries out the legal management of acquisition processes of financial entities in Costa Rica and in Central American countries.
Along his career David has served as credit director of the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE), president of the board of directors of Scotiavalores, member of the board of directors of Fincomer Bank of Scotiabank of Costa Rica SA, as comptroller of LAFISE Bank, member of the board of the CEFA Fishel Group, member of the investment committee of Cuestamoras Group, and as faculty member of the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE).
He holds a law degree (with honours) from the Autonomous University of Central America, Costa Rica (1984).
He speaks Spanish and English. Juan Manuel is a partner of Consortium Legal – Costa Rica, he has a wide experience in business law and environment, he has developed his career in corporate, commercial, foreign trade, foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions and the law of the markets, providing counsel to both multinational companies and small start-ups. Juan Manuel has also devoted much of his time to the energy sector advising important developers of green projects. In terms of mergers and acquisitions, Juan Manuel has led interdisciplinary groups that have carried out important multi-jurisdictional transactions in recent years.
He has a master’s in international business, from the University of Costa, Costa Rica (2006), he is authorised as an attorney and notary by Universidad Internacional de las Américas, Costa Rica (2002) and holds a law degree from the Universidad Externado de Colombia, Colombia (1999).
He speaks Spanish and English.
Oficentro Plaza Aeropuerto Oficina G13A Alajuela Tel: +(506) 4350 0300 daraya@forza.legal www.forza.legal 150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 dacampos@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com 150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 jgodoy@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Daniel Araya is "always on top of the matter at hand", according to sources who praise his vast corporate law experience. WWL says: David Arturo Campos is a leading name in the field of corporate law, notably when it comes to complex acquisition processes for regional and international clients. WWL says: Juan Manuel Godoy Pérez has a vast array of experience in corporate law, working on foreign trade, investment and M&A for a range of high-profile multinational clients.
Rolando Laclé Castro
Consortium Legal
Rolando Laclé Zúñiga
Consortium Legal
Diego Martin Menjivar
Consortium Legal
Rolando is founder and senior partner of Consortium Legal – Costa Rica. He is an expert on corporate and commercial, banking and finance, litigation, foreign investment and international commerce.
Along his career, Mr Laclé has been member and president of the board of directors of Banco Anglo Costarricense, member and vice-president of the directive board at Banco Internacional de Costa Rica, vice president of the directive board of Lacsa, member of the directive board of Cemex and member of the directive board of DMC Abonos Agro. He was member and president of the Congress of Costa Rica, minister of presidency, elected congressman in the Congress of Costa Rica for 4th periods, and president at the International Affairs and Commercial Trade Comission. He is member of directive board of Volaris Airline and member of directive board of Davivienda Bank – Costa Rica. He has a a law degree (LLB) from the University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica (1964) and is authorised as a public notary (1963).
He speaks Spanish and English. Rolando is a partner at Consortium Legal – Costa Rica. With 29 years of experience, he specialises in mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment, international trade, real estate, civil and commercial litigation. He participated in multiple local and international transactions related mergers and acquisitions, securitisations, and real estate complex transactions. He has also acted as legal counsel in major litigation cases mainly in civil and commercial matters. During his career, he served as president of the International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (2009–2011); and he was an adviser to former president of Costa Rica, Abel Pacheco (2002–2004). He was nominated by Latin Lawyer magazine as one of the 40 best attorneys under the age of 40 in Central America (2006) and by Chambers Global as one of the leading lawyers in Costa Rica.
He has a master’s degree in law from Georgetown University, United States (1994), and an advance degree in commercial law (1993) and a law degree from the University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica (1990).
He speaks Spanish and English. Diego is a partner at Consortium Legal – El Salvador. He has experience in mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, insurance law, foreign investment and international trade, customs law, tax and corporate law. He has an extensive experience as a legal adviser to recognised companies, both local and international; he has been a local consultant for national and international public organisations, including the World Bank.
During his career, he has participated as a leading local lawyer in the process of negotiating and acquiring the hotel shares previously operated by the Hilton Franchise by Grupo Español Barceló Hotels and Resorts and in the acquisition of the Maxiefectivo/GuatePrenda group by Ezcorp. He has also advised various clients in tax and customs litigation at administrative and judicial levels. Recently, he led the defence of an administrative process of verification of origin under CAFTA, against the granza rice importer industry, having achieved the recognition of origin by the General Customs Office and the closure of the case.
He has been a professor of law, specialising in corporate and tax obligations. He is the author of different articles, in directories and legal magazines.
He holds a Docorate in private law and a master’s degree in private law from the Autonomous Univeristy of Barcelona, Spain, and a degree in legal sciences (cum laude) from Dr Jose Matías Delgado University, El Salvador, he is attorney and notary authorised by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of El Salvador.
He speaks Spanish, English and German.
150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 rlaclec@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com 150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 rlacle@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Calle Llama del Bosque Poniente Urb Madre Selva III Edificio Avante Local 3-13 Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad San Salvador Tel: +503 2209 1600 dmartin@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Rolando Lacle Castro is applauded for his market-leading expertise in banking transactions and foreign investment mandates. WWL says: Rolando Laclé Zúñiga is endorsed by market sources for this “professionalism and extensive experience” with a special focus on foreign investment, international trade and real estate. WWL says: Diego Martín Menjívar is renowned for his first-class corporate lawyer practice spanning tax, insurance, infrastructure, foreign investment and international trade.
Oscar Samour
Consortium Legal
Oscar is partner at Consortium Legal – El Salvador. With 16 years of experience; he has an extensive experience in banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, and conflict resolution and transactions with multiple jurisdictions. He has recently participated as a leading lawyer in the granting of financing by Credit Suisse to Imperia Intercontinental INC for the acquisition of Citibank shares in El Salvador. He has a great international experience, having worked as an international associate at King & Spalding LLP in Washington, DC. In addition, he led the acquisition of AIG’s operations in El Salvador by Panamanian insurance company ASSA and the sale of Finca Microfinanzas El Salvador to Optima Servicios Financieros.
Oscar has an LLM in international arbitration (with honors) from the University of Pepperdine, United States (2009), he studied the American legal system at the school of law of University of Columbia, United States (2006) and received a degree in legal science (honourable mention) from José Simeón Cañas Central American University, El Salvador (2005).
He speaks Spanish and English.
Rafael Alvarado Riedel
Consortium Legal
Rafael Alvarado Riedel is a partner at Consortium Legal – Guatemala. He has extensive experience in foreign investment, project finance, international mercantile contracts, telecommunications, tax law and mergers and acquisitions.
Mr Alvarado attended Francisco Marroquín University, Guatemala, where he received a master’s in mercantile law and business administration cum laude in 2003 and The College of Law of England and Wales with the International Bar Association, where he received a practice diploma in international business organisations in 2004. He has a diploma in “The Harvard Method” from Centro de Mediacion y Negociacion Internacional as well as a certificate in Multilateral Commercial Negotiations from The World Trade Organisation. He is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), American Bar Association (ABA) and Guatemalan Bar Association.
Language: Spanish, English and German.
Alvaro Rodrigo Castellanos Howell
Consortium Legal
Álvaro is a partner at Consortium Legal – Guatemala. With 33 years of experience in the banking sector; he has experience in arbitration, foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions and banking legislation. He recently participated in the acquisition by Promerica Financial Corporation of Banco Citibank of Guatemala, SA, Cititarjetas, Limitada and other related companies in an operation that will reach US$1,474 million in assets and nearly 100 bank branches.
During his career, he has served as chairman of the board of directors of the conflict resolution commission of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala; he participated as judge of an ad hoc case Tiu Tojín vs State of Guatemala of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; he was a member of Guatemala before the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (2006–2018); member of the editorial board of IURISTEC (an edited compilation of judicial judgement publications), university professor, columnist in El Periodico and as former dean of the Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences of the Rafael Landívar University.
He is a candidate for Doctorate in Law from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, he holds a Master of Laws (LLM) with a specialisation in comparative and international law (FulbrightLaspau Scholar) from the Law School Columbia University, United States (1990) and a degree in legal and social sciences from the Rafael Landivar University, Guatemala (1986).
He speaks English and Spanish.
Calle Llama del Bosque Poniente Urb Madre Selva III Edificio Avante Local 3-13 Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad San Salvador Tel: +503 2209 1600 osamour@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Diagonal 6 10-01 zona 10 Centro Gerencial Las Margaritas Torre II Oficina 1402 Ciudad Guatemala City, 01010 Tel: +502 2324 3939 ralvarado@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Diagonal 6 10-01 zona 10 Centro Gerencial Las Margaritas Torre II Oficina 1402 Ciudad Guatemala City, 01010 Tel: +502 2279 3939 acastellanos@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Oscar Samour is distinguished among peers for his impressive work with high-profile clients on multi-jurisdictional transactions. WWL says: Rafael Alvarado Riedel's impressive corporate law practice spans a range of matters such as M&A, project development, contracts and governance. WWL says: Alvaro Castellanos ranks highly among peers thanks to his adept handling of complex M&A deals and foreign investment matters.
Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad
Consortium Legal
Gustavo León-Gómez
Consortium Legal
José Ramón Paz
Consortium Legal
Alfredo is a partner at Consortium Legal – Guatemala. With 38 years of professional experience in the sectors of foods and beverages, financial services, real estate, agro-industry business, pharmaceutical and life sciences, aviation, manufactures, professional services and startups; he has experience advising companies in matters that include taxes and corporate matters, related to mergers and acquisitions transactions, private equity investments, financial transactions and project financing, foreign investments in Guatemala and Guatemalan investments abroad. He is also an adviser to natural persons and family groups on tax and inheritance planning. Likewise, he has an extensive practice in corporate law and leads real estate and entrepreneurship practice. During his career, he was a university professor in tax matters at the undergraduate level, as well as at the master’s and specialisation level at the Francisco Marroquín University. For the past 25 years, he has continued to teach tax law at the bachelor’s level and at the level of masters and specialisation. He is currently president of the International Fiscal Association (Guatemala) and belongs to several local and international tax associations. He has acted as legal adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala (2004–2006); as main legal adviser for Guatemala for the legal review of the FTA between the Dominican Republic, Central America and the United States (2004) and a personal legal adviser of the Minister of Economy of Guatemala during the negotiations of the FTA between Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico (2000–2001). He holds a Master of Laws from the Law Center pf Georgetown University, United States (1982) and a degree in legal and social sciences from the Rafael Landívar University, Guatemala (1981).
He speaks Spanish and English. Diagonal 6 10-01 zona 10
Gustavo is a partner at Consortium Legal – Honduras. With 25 years of experience, he is specialised in the areas of banking, regulatory, commercial contracting, litigation and arbitration. He has a special emphasis on advising corporate and consumer loans, and advising local and international financial institutions in the regulatory field; with extensive experience in credit cards, local, cross-border banking and credit operations, including structuring of guarantees for syndicated loans, financing of projects, as well as to diverse mercantile companies in all areas of commercial contracting, public and private construction contracts, investments, free trade agreements and bilateral and multilateral investment treaties, public associations, private and concessions. He has been part in multiple local, international arbitrations and before the Central American Court of Justice in matters of community law.
He holds a Master of Business Law from Suffolk Law School, Boston, a postgraduate degree in law in the area of international business from Georgetown University, Washington DC, and the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE) and a law degree from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Honduras (1994).
He speaks Spanish and English. 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 multi-national 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 Ext. 103 gleongomez@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com 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: Alfredo Rodríguez stands out for his excellence when handling high-value M&A transactions, private equity investments and foreign investment. WWL says: Gustavo León-Gómez possesses significant experience of working for local and international clients on sophisticated commercial contracts and banking regulation. WWL says: José Ramón Paz is a renowned name in Central America for his practice in corporate affairs, including banking, finance, and international financial transactions.
Olga María Barreto Gutiérrez
Consortium Legal
Martha Lorena Icaza Ochoa
Consortium Legal
José Evenor Taboada
Consortium Legal
Olga is partner at Consortium Legal – Nicaragua, with more than 20 years of experience in the corporate, banking and finance, and aviation sectors. She has extensive experience in providing corporate advice to companies in different industries, including multi-level reorganisation processes, structuring and documenting syndicated loans, financing and the management of guarantee packages. She also advises and represents aviation companies in the process of regulation and compliance. Among her most important clients are Suzlon Energy, PBS, FMO and Mexichem.
She holds a Master of Law from Georgetown University, United States (2001) and a law degree from the Central American University (UCA), Nicaragua (1998).
She speaks Spanish and English. Martha is a partner and executive director at Consortium Legal – Nicaragua, with 45 years of experience in the agroindustry, banking and financial services, real estate, energy, government and public companies, infrastructure, insurance, transportation and tourism sectors. She has extensive experience in banking, corporate law, foreign investment, regulated sector, insurance and reinsurance. She has received multiple accolades and recognitions, from the likes of Ram Power Corp and Blue Power & Energy, for her excellent advice and quality of services, in the structuring and documentation of financing for the development of their projects.
During her career, she held positions in the public administration as civil prosecutor, general secretary of the Ministry of Justice of Nicaragua, general director of the Registries and notary of the State, and director of legislative advice of the Presidency of the Republic attached to the Ministry of Justice, as well as external legal adviser of the Ministries of Economy and Tourism.
Martha Lorena actively contributes to the World Bank publication, Doing Business, a series of annual reports that measure the regulations that favor or restrict business activity. Her contributions have been essential to ensure the quality and accuracy of Doing Business’ information every year.
She holds a law degree from the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), Nicaragua (1974). José Evenor Taboada is founder and managing partner of Nicaragua's office. In addition, he is currently the honorary British consul and honorary Swedish consul in Nicaragua and board member of different organisations including Operation Smile Nicaragua (an NGO chapter of Operation Smile International) and Funides (a think tank focused on economic and social development); president of the board at Teletón (NGO focused on the treatment of handicap children) and also president of the board at Unirse (an NGO focused on promoting the social responsibility among the private sector). He continues to teach law at the Tomas Moro University.
Mr Taboada has more than 45 years of legal practice. His experience includes legal services to the government of Nicaragua in the negotiations on the external debt with major commercial banks, the IDB, the World Bank and the IMF, as well as the Paris Club. In private practice he has been local counsel for major companies including large local and international companies such as: Wal-Mart, General Electric, Sony, Caterpillar, Citi, GE Finance and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE), among others, as well as many of the largest local companies, including banks, electricity and generating companies, telecommunications and mining.
He has been president of the Central Bank of Nicaragua and Financial Investments; he has also been member of the board of directors of the Superintendence of Banks and Financial Institutions. Mr Taboada obtained his law degree at the Law School of the University of Chile and his doctorate in the science of law (JSD) from Cornell University, New York.
Del antiguo Hospital Militar 1 cuadra al Norte Managua Tel: +505 2254 5454 mlicaza@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Del antiguo Hospital Militar 1 cuadra al Norte Managua Tel: +505 2254 5454 jetaboada@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Olga Maria Barreto Gutierrez has over two decades of experience handling complex corporate restructuring, high-value transactions and corporate regulatory and compliance processes. WWL says: Martha Lorena Icaza has extensive experience of corporate transactions relating to banking, foreign investment, and the insurance sector. WWL says: José Evenor Taboada's impresses market commentators with his top-notch practice spanning foreign investment and cross-border M&A.
Jaime Alemán
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Eloy Alfaro B
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Ricardo M Arango
Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega
0Jaime Alemán joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee as a founding partner in 1985. His professional practice concentrates on offshore services, trusts and estate planning and corporate M&A.
Dr Alemán served as legal adviser at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, DC from 1978 to 1981 and as special adviser to Dr Nicolás Barletta, former President of Panama, in 1984 and 1985. Dr. Alemán was the minister of government and justice in 1988 and Panamanian ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2011.
Dr Alemán is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Panama Bar Association, the International Tax Planning Association and the International Fiscal Association. He is also a member of the boards of directors of Banistmo, PKB Bank (Panama) and Travelex (Panama) SA and of the board of visitors of Duke University School of Law.
Dr Alemán has a Juris Doctor from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Notre Dame. He is fluent in Spanish, English and French.
Eloy Alfaro B joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee as an associate in 2004 and became a partner in 2011. His professional practice concentrates on banking, finance and capital markets, corporate and M&A, public bids and concession contracts, and real estate law.
Mr Alfaro has been active in assisting local and international clients in mergers and acquisitions, such as Citibank NA, the Bank of Nova Scotia and BBVA in banking acquisitions, mergers and dispositions in Panama, in addition to assisting many international banks and companies in local and cross-border financing transactions. Mr Alfaro has also helped advise Panamanian and international clients in important public bid projects, including: the contractor Grupo Unidos por el Canal in the construction of the Third Set of Locks for the Panama Canal Expansion; London & Regional Panama, SA in the master development of the former Howard Air Force Base; and Vinci Construction Grands Projets in the construction of a third suspension bridge over the Panama Canal on the Atlantic side of the country.
Mr Alfaro has served as secretary of the board of directors of London & Regional Panama, SA since 2007 and as member of the board of directors of GNB Sudameris Bank, SA since 2011. Mr Alfaro has been a member of the board of directors of the Panama Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture since 2016 and Cemento Chagres, SA since 2019. Mr Alfaro has a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Columbia University in the City of New York.
Mr Alfaro has been recognised by Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and by IFLR1000 as a leading lawyer. He is a member of the National Bar Association of Panama. He is fluent in Spanish and English.
Ricardo M Arango joined Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega in 1987 and became a partner in 1995. He is co-managing partner and a member of the firm's executive committee. He also heads the firm's capital markets and banking practice group, and the mergers and acquisitions practice group.
Recognised as one of Panama's preeminent capital markets expert, Mr Arango has been commended for his leading role in landmark transactions as the Republic of Panama's Brady Bonds offer; the first securitisations of credit cards receivables, toll road payments, DPRs and residential mortgages in Panama; and the IPOs of several Panamanian companies on the NYSE.
He has been instrumental in creating many of the financial structures that are now common in Panama. From 1997 to 1999 he spearheaded the Presidential Commissions that drafted Panama's current securities act and later on drafted the rules of operation of LatinClear, Panama's clearing and settlement agency.
Mr Arango is director of the Panama Canal Authority, and of Banco General, the largest Panamanian bank. He is a former chairman, director and secretary of the Panama Stock Exchange; former secretary of the board of directors of BLADEX, a NYSE-listed company; and former director of Corporación La Prensa, the highest-circulation paper in Panama.
Mr Arango completed his LLB at Panama University, (1983); an LLM at Harvard Law School (1984); and an LLM at Yale Law School (1985). He was a Fulbright scholar.
WWL says: Jaime Aleman receives a plethora of endorsements from sources impressed with his first-rate practice in estate planning and international corporate transactions. WWL says: Eloy Alfaro B is a widely respected figure in the Panama market and is endorsed for his astute assistance to clients on the gamut of banking matters. WWL says: Ricardo Arango is a well respected practitioner for his corporate law practice, spanning complex and large M&A experience and capital markets expertise.
Carlos G Cordero
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Alejandro Ferrer
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Anibal Galindo
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
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.
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 (19941995); 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).
Aníbal Galindo joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee in 1985 as one of its founding partners. Before this, he worked at law firm Rosas & Rosas (1982–1985) and Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones SA (Bladex) (1978–1982). Since joining Alcogal, Mr Galindo’s professional practice has concentrated on corporate and M&A, real estate, banking, finance and capital markets, maritime and port facilities and tax law. Mr Galindo has advised Panamanian and international clients with their most pressing corporate needs, including: Ideal Living, Corp in connection with the master plan and development of Panama City’s largest and most exclusive mixed golf and residential development; First Quantum Minerals Ltd on its estimated US$5.1 billion acquisition of Toronto-based Inmet Mining Corp, which owns Minera Panama SA; Ingenieros Civiles Asociados (ICA) with all matters related to the construction of a ring road around Panama City; and Evergreen International in regards to all its shipping and ports needs in Panama.
Mr Galindo has served in the board of directors of the National Banking Commission and the National Savings Bank.
Mr Galindo has a Master of Laws (LLM) from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana (1979), and a Bachelor of Law and Political Science from the University of Panama (1978). He is a member of the National Bar Association of Panama, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and the Banking Law Institute. He is fluent in Spanish and English
WWL says: Carlos Cordero stands out as a top-tier practitioner for a wide range of complex corporate matters. His clients span a wide range of sectors, including data and telecoms. WWL says: Alejandro Ferrer is a renowned lawyer who cuts a distinguished figure across the gamut of contentious and non-contentious law. WWL says: Anibal Galindo holds an excellent reputation among peers who applaud his first-class corporate and real estate practice.
Arturo Gerbaud
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Mr Gerbaud joined Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee as an associate in 1990 and became partner in 1992. Currently, Mr Gerbaud is the managing partner of the firm and head of the banking and finance, capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions departments.
Mr Gerbaud has represented many leading local and international financial institutions including Citibank NA, the Bank of Nova Scotia, Banco General SA, HSBC, BBVA and Banco Santander SA, among others. Mr Gerbaud has participated in some of the largest and most complex financial transactions that have taken place in Panama. Moreover, Mr Gerbaud was part of the High Level Presidential Commission for the Modernisation for the Capital Markets Commission, and was one of the drafters of the Panama Securities Act. He also served for 16 years as a member of the board of directors of the Superintendency of Banks of Panama. He is director and president of Central Latinoamericana de Valores, SA, Latinex Holdings, Inc., and Bolsa de Valores de Panamá, SA. He is a member of the Panama Bar Association and director of Soluciones de Microfinanzas S.A. (Microserfín).
Mr Gerbaud has been recognised by the prestigious legal publications Chambers and Partners, the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) and The Legal 500 as one of Panama’s leading lawyers for banking and finance, capital markets, and corporate/M&A. Mr Gerbaud has a master’s degree in law (LLM) from Duke University; and a bachelor’s degree in law and political sciences from Universidad Santa María La Antigua. He is fluent in English and Spanish.
WWL says: Arturo Gerbaud comes highly recommended for his incisive handling of corporate matters spanning the shipping, construction and real estate sectors.
Andrés N Rubinoff
Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega
Andrés N Rubinoff joined the firm in 2009 and became partner in 2017.
Mr. Rubinoff has broad experience in both mergers and acquisitions and banking and finance, and has led some of the most important M&A transactions carried out recently in the country, including the sale of Cable Onda to Millicom (main telecom provider), the public tender offer of Grupo Rey (leading supermarket chain) in its sale to Corporación Favorita, the asset sale of Assicurazioni Generali (Panama Branch) to leading local insurer ASSA, among others.
He has a solid and accredited experience advising buyers and sellers, and private equity funds and family offices, in sectors as diverse as the automotive, aeronautical, food, chemical, television and communications media, insurance sectors, among others.
Mr Rubinoff completed his JD at University of Miami School of Law (2006) and his BS at Georgetown University (2001). During 2004, he served as judicial intern for the Honorable Judge David L Levy. Between 2006 and 2009, he worked as an associate with Greenberg Traurig, PA in Miami. Between 2001 and 2003 he also worked as senior research associate for the Corporate Executive Board Company, Washington, DC. He is admitted to practise in Panama and Florida.
WWL says: Andres Rubinoff receives acclaim for his vast experience in M&A, banking and finance matters for corporate, commercial, insurance and telecoms clients. 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.
Bolivia
Rodrigo Moreno Gutierrez Moreno Baldivieso Estudio de Abogados rmorenog@gabrielip.com.bo
Costa Rica
John Aguilar-Quesada Aguilar Castillo Love jaq@aguilarcastillolove.com Arnoldo André Lexincorp Central American Law Firm andre@lexincorp.com Arturo Apéstegui Barzuna EY Law arturo.apestegui@cr.ey.com Daniel Araya* FORZA LEGAL daraya@forza.legal Eduardo Calderón BLP ecalderon@blpabogados.com David Arturo Campos* Consortium Legal dacampos@consortiumlegal.com Adriana Castro BLP acastro@blplegal.com Luis M Castro BLP lcastro@blplegal.com Carolina Flores Arias carolina.flores@ariaslaw.com Víctor MI Garita Arias victor.garita@ariaslaw.com Neftalí Garro BLP ngarro@blplegal.com Juan Manuel Godoy Pérez* Consortium Legal jgodoy@consortiumlegal.com Manuel González Facio & Cañas mgonzalez@fayca.com David Gutiérrez BLP dgutierrez@blpabogados.com Jorge Guzman Lex Counsel jguzman@lexcounsel.com Ronald Lachner BLP rlachner@blpabogados.com
Rolando Laclé Castro* Consortium Legal rlaclec@consortiumlegal.com Rolando Laclé Zúñiga* Consortium Legal rlacle@consortiumlegal.com Roberto Leiva Facio & Cañas rleiva@fayca.com Vicente Lines Arias vicente.lines@ariaslaw.com Manuel Enrique Lizano Lizano Pacheco Abogados info@lizanopacheco.com José Antonio Muñoz Dentons joseantonio.munoz@dentons.com Carlos Oreamuno Facio & Cañas coreamuno@fayca.com José María Pacheco Sfera legal jmp@sferalegal.com Hernán Pacheco O EY Law hernan.pacheco@cr.ey.com Jessica Salas Arroyo Vector Legal jsalas@vectorlegal.co.cr Eric Scharf Taitelbaum Sfera legal est@sferalegal.com Marco Solano Gómez Aguilar Castillo Love msg@aguilarcastillolove.com Sergio Solera Facio & Cañas ssolera@fayca.com Fernando Vargas EY Law fernando.vargas.winiker@cr.ey.com Adelín Villalobos BLP avillalobos@blplegal.com Harry J Zurcher Zurcher IP HZurcher@ZurcherIP.com Robert van der Putten Sfera legal rvdp@sferalegal.com
Dominican Republic
Juan Alcalde Fernández OMG j.alcalde@omg.com.do Mary Fernández Rodríguez Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez mfernandez@hrafdom.com Leonel Melo Guerrero OMG l.melo@omg.com.do Luis R Pellerano Pellerano Nadal Law & Consulting lpellerano@pellerano.com Mariángela Pellerano Pellerano & Herrera m.pellerano@phlaw.com Ricardo Pellerano Pellerano & Herrera r.pellerano@phlaw.com Carolina Silié Ruiz Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernandez csilie@headrick.com.do Armando Arias Arias armando.arias@ariaslaw.com Lilian Arias Arias lilian.arias@ariaslaw.com Zygmunt Brett BLP zbrett@blplegal.com Ricardo A Cevallos Ricardo Cevallos y Asociados rc@cevalloscortez.com Roberta Gallardo Arias roberta.gallardo@ariaslaw.com Diego Martin Menjivar* Consortium Legal dmartin@consortiumlegal.com Ana Patricia Portillo Reyes Guandique Segovia Quintanilla - LatamLex pportillo@latamlex.com Carlos Quintanilla Schmidt Guandique Segovia Quintanilla - LatamLex cquintanilla@latamlex.com Roberto Romero Pineda Romero Pineda & Asociados roberto@romeropineda.com Oscar Samour* Consortium Legal osamour@consortiumlegal.com Benjamin Valdez Iraheta Benjamín Valdez & Asociados bvaldez@bvaldezlaw.com
Guatemala
Rodolfo Alegria T Carrillo & Asociados rodolfo.alegria@carrillolaw.com Rafael Alvarado Riedel* Consortium Legal ralvarado@consortiumlegal.com Jorge Luis Arenales de la Roca Arias jorgeluis.arenales@ariaslaw.com Ruby Asturias Deloitte rasturias@deloitte.com Lorena Barrios BMT Law lbarrios@bonilla.com.gt Rafael Briz Mayora & Mayora, SC rbriz@mayora-mayora.com Emanuel Callejas A Carrillo & Asociados emanuel.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 Alejandro Cofiño QIL+4 Abogados acofino@qil4.com Marcos Ibargüen Segovia QIL+4 Abogados mibarguen@qil4.com María Isabel Luján Zilbermann QIL+4 Abogados mlujan@qil4.com Eduardo A Mayora Mayora & Mayora, SC emayora@mayora-mayora.com Enrique Möller S Moller Law enrique.moller@mollerlaw.com Claudia Pereira Mayora & Mayora, SC cpereira@mayora-mayora.com José E Quiñones QIL+4 Abogados jquinones@qilsc.com Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad* Consortium Legal arodriguez@consortiumlegal.com Luis F Ruiz BLP lruiz@blplegal.com Alfredo Skinner-Klee Skinner-Klee & Asociados - LatamLex skinner-klee@latamlex.com Luis Pedro del Valle Arias luispedro.delvalle@ariaslaw.com
Honduras
Mario Agüero Arias mario.aguero@ariaslaw.com Juan José Alcerro-Milla Aguilar Castillo Love jja@aguilarcastillolove.com Evangelina Lardizabal Arias evangelina.lardizabal@ariaslaw.com Gustavo León-Gómez* Consortium Legal gleongomez@consortiumlegal.com Dennis Matamoros Batson Matamoros Batson & Asociados dennis.matamoros@matamorosbatson.com Oscar Armando Melara Facussé Melara & Asociados omelara@melarayasociados.com J. Vanessa Oquelí De Riera Garcia & Bodan vanessa.oqueli@garciabodan.com José Ramón Paz* Consortium Legal jrpaz@consortiumlegal.com José Rafael Rivera Ferrari Consortium Legal jrivera@consortiumlegal.com Enrique Rodríguez-Burchard Aguilar Castillo Love erb@aguilarcastillolove.com José Miguel Álvarez BLP jalvarez@blplegal.com
Nicaragua
Bertha Argüello Arias bertha.arguello@ariaslaw.com Olga María Barreto Gutiérrez* Consortium Legal obarreto@consortiumlegal.com Terencio J García Montenegro Garcia & Bodan terencio.garcia@garciabodan.com
Martha Lorena Icaza Ochoa* Consortium Legal mlicaza@consortiumlegal.com Ana Teresa Rizo Arias ana.rizo@ariaslaw.com José Evenor Taboada* Consortium Legal jetaboada@consortiumlegal.com
Panama
Jaime Alemán* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee jaleman@alcogal.com Eloy Alfaro B* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee ealfaro@alcogal.com Ricardo M Arango* Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega rarango@arifa.com Francisco Arias Morgan & Morgan francisco.arias@morimor.com Ramón Ricardo Arias Porras Galindo Arias y López rrarias@gala.com.pa Carlos G Cordero* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee ccordero@alcogal.com Juan Pablo Fabrega Fábrega Molino juanpa@fmm.com.pa Alejandro Ferrer* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee aferrer@alcogal.com Inocencio Galindo Morgan & Morgan inocencio.galindo@morimor.com Anibal Galindo* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee agalindo@alcogal.com Arturo Gerbaud* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee agerbaud@alcogal.com Carlos Ernesto González Ramírez Morgan & Morgan carlos.gonzalez@morimor.com Diego Herrera Dutari Galindo Arias y López dherrera@gala.com.pa Elizabeth Heurtematte Kochman LOVILL elizabeth.heurtematte@lovill.com Luis R López Alfaro Alfaro Ferrer & Ramírez lopezalfaro@afra.com Luis G Manzanares Morgan & Morgan luis.manzanares@morimor.com Ivette Martinez Ivette Martinez Attorney-at-Law imartinez@ims.legal Juan F Pardini Pardini & Asociados pardini@padela.com Alfredo Ramírez Jr Alfaro Ferrer & Ramírez aramirez@afra.com Andrés N Rubinoff* Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega arubinoff@arifa.com Jose Luis Sosa Galindo Arias y López jsosa@gala.com.pa
CORPORATE TAX
This year, 29 leading practitioners are recognised for their expertise in corporate tax, including advising domestic and international clients on advisory and contentious matters.
Amanda Barraza
Morgan & Morgan Panama City
Most Highly Regarded
José Maria Oreamuno
Facio & Cañas San José
Adrián Torrealba
Facio & Cañas San José
Belize
Rodwell Williams of Barrow & Williams is held in high regard by market sources, who applaud his deep knowledge and experience in the complex multi-jurisdictional proceedings.
Costa Rica
José Maria Oreamuno of Facio & Cañas is a well-regarded practitioner who has garnered a stellar reputation for his expertise in contentious tax and transfer pricing issues.
Adrián Torrealba is looked upon with enormous favour in the market thanks to his well-established practice, which handles the gamut of tax-related matters.
From BLP, Jorge Brizuela draws on decades of experience to advise domestic and international clients on all aspects of tax law and compliance matters.
Luis Chacón comes highly recommended by peers for his outstanding practice and wealth of experience in tax litigation, compliance and consulting.
Dominican Republic
Leonel Melo Guerrero of OMG comes highly recommended for his impressive track record in complex tax litigation.
Guatemala
José E Quiñones of QIL+4 Abogados ranks highly among peers thanks to his extensive experience in tax planning and tax implications of cross-border transactions.
Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad with Consortium Legal is a go-to practitioner in the Guatemalan market when it comes to tax issues relating to private equity investments and foreign investment.
Honduras
Armando Manzanares at Consortium Legal is singled out for his tremendous knowl edge and understanding of corporate tax law across the region.
Nicaragua
Melvin Antonio Estrada Canizales at Garcia & Boda heads the firm’s tax practice and is regarded as a market leader in the Central American corporate tax space.
Panama
Amanda Barraza at Morgan & Morgan is a well-established practitioner who is renowned for her sweeping knowledge of tax structuring matters.
Rodrigo Moreno with Alfaro Ferrer & Ramírez is revered for his high-level tax expertise and holds a strong reputation for advising clients in a variety of industries.
Diego Salto
Consortium Legal
Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad
Consortium Legal
Armando Manzanares
Consortium Legal
Diego is a partner at Consortium Legal – Costa Rica, and a specialist in financial and tax sectors. He has extensive experience in tax consulting, litigation, mergers, acquisitions and tax planning, mainly of multinational companies, as well as local. Currently he leads the tax consulting practice in the areas of analysis and business consulting.
Diego is considered one of the five most highly recommended tax advisers in Central America by the Latin Lawyer published by Law Business Research in the UK. He has worked as an external consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank in the development and implementation of training programmes for public officials and currently serves as columnist for the economic weekly El Financiero. He currently works in the area of teaching at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and heads his tax chair. On the other hand, he is president of the International Fiscal Association –Costa Rica chapter and a member of the Costa Rican Institute of Tax Studies. He has a doctorate in financial and tax law from the University of Seville, Spain (2001), a postgraduate degree in law of the European Union from the University of Seville, Spain (1999) and a law degree from the Escuela Libre de Derecho, Costa Rica (1997).
He speaks Spanish and English. Alfredo Rodríguez Mahuad is a partner at Consortium Legal – Guatemala. He specialises in tax law, international trade, M&A and corporate law.
In his career, he has served as a legal adviser to the minister of foreign affairs in Guatemala; as counsel in charge of reviewing the CAFTA-USDominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement; as a legal adviser to the Minister of Economy for the final negotiations of the Free Trade Agreement between Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico; as a faculty member at Francisco Marroquín University and Rafael Landívar University in Guatemala; as an advisory member of the committee for agricultural, commercial, industrial and financial activities (CACIF), for the technical discussion and analysis of the creation and modification of tax laws in Guatemala.
He is a member of the Guatemala Bar Association, Guatemalan Tax Association (ATG), (founding member), the Guatemalan Institute of Tax Law, the Guatemalan Institute of Notarial Law and the International Fiscal Association (IFA). Mr Rodriguez attended Georgetown University, where he received his Master of Law in 1982. Mr Rodríguez has published many articles such as “Taxes and Land”, a study for the International Development Association (IDA) and “Value Added Tax Harmonisation in Central America”, a study for the Secretariat for Economic Integration (SIECA).
He speaks Spanish and English. Armando is a partner at Consortium Legal – Honduras. With over 27 years of experience; he is a specialist in commercial and tax law. He also has an extensive experience in administrative law, intellectual property, arbitration, foreign investment and regulated sector. He is currently the director of the tax and administrative law practice. He is an adviser to important national and international companies and he has been featured in national and international publications for his knowledge and capacity in tax matters, corporate, civil and procedural law, but above all for his comprehensive management of the right in large financing projects, concessions, mergers and acquisitions of mercantile companies.
He holds a juris doctor in commercial and tax law from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, a master’s in business law from Suffolk Law School, Boston, United States, a postgraduate degree in international business from Georgetown, Washington, DC and INCAE Business School and a degree in Law from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Honduras (1992).
He speaks Spanish and English.
150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2204 8080 dsalto@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Diagonal 6 10-01 zona 10 Centro Gerencial Las Margaritas Torre II Oficina 1402 Ciudad Guatemala City, 01010 Tel: +502 2324 3939 arodriguez@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Primera Calle # 304 Torre Consortium I. Colonia La Estancia Final del Bulevar Morazán. Tegucigalpa Tel: +504 2221 1002 amanzanares@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Diego Salto is a leading light in the tax market, thanks to his extensive experience advising on transfer pricing, audit procedures and tax planning. WWL says: Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad is a go-to expert in Central American when it comes to tax issues in the arenas of private equity investments and foreign investment. WWL says: Armando Manzanares is singled out among peers thanks to his tremendous understanding and knowledge of corporate tax practice across the region.
Estif Aparicio
Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega
Estif Aparicio joined Arias, Fabrega & Fabrega (ARIFA) in 2000 and became a partner in 2011.
Estif Aparicio is a skilled corporate lawyer, currently specialising in complex financing of private and public major construction and infrastructure projects, with a focus on energy, public transportation, airports, ports, health and other social infrastructure.
Mr Aparicio has outstanding deal management and broad expertise setting up a variety of financial structures, having represented creditors in the biggest and perhaps most complex transactions in Panama in recent years, including the expansion of the Tocumen International Airport; the first and second line of the Panama City Metro; Cinta Costera phases I, II and III; and Metro Bus, Panama City new public transportation system.
He possesses a unique insight to the power generation industry and the Panamanian government “green energy” policy favouring wind, solar, gas, and hydroelectric generation, having represented the lenders that have provided financing to close 35 per cent of the total generation capacity of the country.
From 2004 to 2006, Mr Aparicio worked for the Panamanian government as chief trade negotiator of all bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements. In this role, Mr Aparicio coordinated Panama’s participation in the Doha Round of the World Trade Organization, successfully negotiating free trade agreements with the US, Singapore and Chile. Before joining ARIFA, Mr Aparicio worked for Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York, participating in capital markets, M&A and project finance transactions.
Mr Aparicio has a Master of Laws from the University of Houston Law Center and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Panama.
He is admitted to practise in Panama and New York.
ARIFA Building, 10th Floor, West Boulevard Santa María Business District, PO Box 0816-01098 Panama City Tel: +507 205 7000 eaparicio@arifa.com www.arifa.com
WWL says: Estif Aparicio at Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega stands out for his regular involvement in complex, high-profile corporate tax issues in Panama. An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages.
Belize
Rodwell Williams Barrow & Williams LLP rodwell@barrowandwilliams.com
Costa Rica
Arnoldo André Lexincorp Central American Law Firm andre@lexincorp.com Jorge Brizuela BLP jbrizuela@blplegal.com Luis Chacon BLP lchacon@blplegal.com Carolina Flores Arias carolina.flores@ariaslaw.com José Maria Oreamuno Facio & Cañas joreamuno@fayca.com José María Pacheco Sfera legal jmp@sferalegal.com Hernán Pacheco O EY Law hernan.pacheco@cr.ey.com Diego Salto* Consortium Legal dsalto@consortiumlegal.com Adrián Torrealba Facio & Cañas atorrealba@fayca.com
Dominican Republic
Leonel Melo Guerrero OMG l.melo@omg.com.do
Guatemala
Ruby Asturias Deloitte rasturias@deloitte.com José E Quiñones QIL+4 Abogados jquinones@qilsc.com Alfredo Rodriguez Mahuad* Consortium Legal arodriguez@consortiumlegal.com
Honduras
Paul Handal Montoya Matamoros Batson & Asociados phandal@latamlex.com Lilian López BLP llopez@blplegal.com Armando Manzanares* Consortium Legal amanzanares@consortiumlegal.com
Nicaragua
Minerva Bellorin R ACZALAW Nicaragua minerva.bellorin@aczalaw.com Melvin Antonio Estrada Canizales Garcia & Bodan melvin.estrada@garciabodan.com Ana Teresa Rizo Arias ana.rizo@ariaslaw.com
Panama
Alejandro Alemán Alfaro Ferrer & Ramírez aaleman@afra.com Ramón A Anzola R Anzola Robles & Asociados info@anzolaw.net Estif Aparicio* Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega eaparicio@arifa.com Ramón Ricardo Arias Porras Galindo Arias y López rrarias@gala.com.pa Amanda Barraza Morgan & Morgan amanda.barraza@morimor.com Edgar Herrera Galindo Arias y López eherrera@gala.com.pa Rodrigo A Moreno Alfaro Ferrer & Ramírez moreno@afra.com Gisela Porras Dentons gisela.porras@dentons.com Jose Javier Rivera Jimenez Rivera, Bolivar y Castañedas jj.rivera@rbc.com.pa
DATA, TELECOMS & MEDIA
In this chapter, we recognise 13 top-tier specialists in data, telecoms and media who come highly recommended for their exceptional work across regulatory, transactional and contentious matters.
Most Highly Regarded
Juan José Alcerro-Milla
Aguilar Castillo Love Tegucigalpa
Eduardo Calderón
BLP San José
Costa Rica
Eduardo Calderón from BLP is recommended by sources for his extensive experience in telecom and media regulations, financing and dispute resolution.
Elias Soley Gutierrez at Soley, Saborío & Asociados possesses over 33 years of experience in the telecom market.
Erick Jiménez-Gonzalez is renowned for his top-tier advice to clients on public procurement, media bidding processes and telecom regulations.
Juan Manuel Campos from Ciber Regulación is a go-to regulatory lawyer for domestic and international companies operating in the telecom sector.
Guatemala
Luis Pedro del Valle with Arias has a prestigious reputation thanks to his deep knowledge of telecom-related matters and IT law.
Honduras
Juan José Alcerro-Milla at Aguilar Castillo Love is “an extraordinary business-oriented counsel” who is “very proactive, focused and has great technical knowledge”.
Mario Agüero from Arias earns plaudits for his broad practice in corporate, aviation and telecom-related law, as well as his expert handling of administrative procedures.
Consortium Legal’s José Rafael Rivera Ferrari ranks prominently among peers in the Honduras market, thanks to his leading work on data matters for banking, financial services and corporate clients.
Panama
Siaska SSS Lorenzo at Arias has over 20 years of experience in telecom, competition and labour law, where she excels assisting clients in privitisation and litigations.
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee’s Carlos Cordero is a key name in Central American market and is widely endorsed for representing and advising large-scale clients in the telecoms sector.
Ignacio Andrade Aycinena
Sfera
Carlos G Cordero
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee
Ignacio Andrade is managing partner of Sfera in Guatemala. With over 30 years of professional experience he has participated in important transactions, working with well-known companies such as BellSouth, Banco Industrial, Banco G&T Continental, SBA Communications and Tigo. Mr. Andrade specializes in regulatory, transactional, corporate and commercial, financial, tax, labour and alternative dispute resolution issues for local and foreign companies, particularly in telecommunications, banking and energy.
In the telecommunication sector, he has successfully negotiated more than 15 interconnection agreements and foreign carrier services agreements, some of which are worth more than US$300 million. He has more than 15 years in dealing with issues with the telecommunications regulator and settlement and litigation of disputes with other operators. He successfully challenged a tax law for telecommunications services in Guatemala. Community relations dispute in the installation of telecommunications equipment is among of his other areas of action.
His experience in the banking sector includes consulting in the constitution of trusts and various financial and banking products, as well as their participation in opinions and consultancies in relation to the hiring of international bank loans with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) and Banco de los Trabajadores.
He is an arbitrator-designate for the dispute resolution committee of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala (CRECIG) and has served as counsel or co-counsel in arbitrations with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
His experience in litigation and arbitration is related to disputes in distribution agreements, telecommunications and a variety of energy sectors.
Avenida Reforma 12-54 zona 9 Edificio Grand Reforma 10, Nivel 6, Oficina 601 , 01009 Tel: +502 2317 1515 iaa@sferalegal.gt www.sferalegal.com
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.
Humboldt Tower, 2nd Floor East 53rd Street Panama City, PO Box 0819-09132 Tel: +507 269 2620 ccordero@alcogal.com www.alcogal.com An asterisk denotes practitioners who have profiles in the preceding pages.
Costa Rica
Eduardo Calderón BLP ecalderon@blpabogados.com Juan Manuel Campos Ciber Regulación info@ciber-regulacion.co.cr Erick Jiménez-Gonzalez Soley, Saborío & Asociados ejimenez@soley-saborio.com Carlos Oreamuno Facio & Cañas coreamuno@fayca.com Elias Soley Gutierrez Soley, Saborío & Asociados esoley@soley-saborio.com
Dominican Republic
Jaime Angeles Angeles Pons jangeles@angelespons.com
Guatemala
Ignacio Andrade Aycinena* Sfera iaa@sferalegal.gt Luis Pedro del Valle Arias luispedro.delvalle@ariaslaw.com
Honduras
Mario Agüero Arias mario.aguero@ariaslaw.com Juan José Alcerro-Milla Aguilar Castillo Love jja@aguilarcastillolove.com José Rafael Rivera Ferrari Consortium Legal jrivera@consortiumlegal.com
Panama
Carlos G Cordero* Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee ccordero@alcogal.com Siaska SSS Lorenzo Arias siaska.lorenzo@ariaslaw.com
WWL says: Ignacio Andrade Aycinena is widely endorsed for his top-tier practice advising and representing international clients in a range of high-profile telecom cases. WWL says: Carlos Cordero is a key name in Central American market and is widely endorsed for representing and advising large-scale clients in the telecoms sector.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Eighty practitioners are listed in this chapter for their prolific experience in a range of dispute resolution procedures, spanning litigation, arbitration and mediation.
Alejandro Batalla
Batalla San José
Andrea Hulbert
Hulbert Volio Montero San José
Marcos Peña Rodriguez
Jiménez Peña Santo Domingo
Most Highly Regarded
Katherine González Arrocha
Independent Arbitrator Panama City
Jorge Federico Lee
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee Panama City
Mauricio Salas
BLP San José
Róger Guevara
Batalla San José
Esteban López Moreno
KATZ & LOPEZ Panama City
Belize
Ashanti Arthurs Martin from Balderamos Arthur garners high praise from peers impressed with her prolific experience representing a wide range of clients in labour and real estate disputes.
Eamon Harrison Courtenay SC at Courtenay Coye is a highly experienced and respected lawyer, with over 30 years of experience in Belizean dispute resolution.
Costa Rica
Andrea Hulbert from Hulbert Volio Montero is heralded as “an excellent practitioner” in complex commercial arbitration, litigation and mediation proceedings.
Róger Guevara at Batalla earns plaudits from sources as “a first-rate lawyer with years of valuable dispute resolution experience”.
Alejandro Batalla impresses market sources with his “excellent and highly successful track record in dispute resolution”.
Mauricio Salas from BLP comes highly recommended for his ”impressive technical skills”, “excellent command of the law” and “common sense approach to litigation”.
Víctor Garita from Arias is “highly experienced and knowledgeable” in domestic and international arbitration and litigation.
Alejandro Pignataro of Pignataro Abogados is heralded by peers as “a highly reliable lawyer” and “an outstanding commercial litigator”. Carlos Oreamuno Facio & Cañas is admired by peers for his “wealth of experience” advising regional and multinational clients on cross-border cases.
Dominican Republic
Marcos Peña Rodriguez at Jiménez Peña is valued by market sources as “one of the top practitioners” for ADR.
Rosa (Lisa) Diaz comes highly recommended by peers as “a standout lawyer, who handles her cases with extreme care”.
Fabiola Medina Garnes from Medina Garrigó Abogados is regarded as “an excellent professional” with extensive experience in private practice, public administration and disputes.
Pellerano & Herrera’s Yolemny Cruz has over 15 years of experience representing high-profile clients in civil, criminal, commercial and labour dispute resolution.
El Salvador
Ricardo A Cevallos at Ricardo Cevallos y Asociados is renowned for advising and representing multinational clients in contentious banking and competition matters.
Mario Enrique Sáenz from Sáenz & Asociados is lauded by market sources for his “extensive knowledge” and “considerable experience” as litigator, counsel and arbitrator.
Humberto Sáenz Marinero from Novis Estudio Legal is praised by peers for being “experienced, smart and common sensed” in his approach, as well as “an absolute pleasure to work with”. José Roberto Romero at Romero Pineda & Asociados is commended by respondents as “an experienced professional” who “excels in all dispute resolution matters”.
Guatemala
Alvaro Rodrigo Castellanos Howell from Consortium Legal is a top name in Guatemala for complex commercial dispute resolution, where he is singled out for his “excellent and leading practice”.
Alejandro Arenales Farner at BLP possesses over 35 years of experience in banking, finance and dispute resolution proceedings.
Rodolfo Salazar is a go-to litigation lawyer for public and private sector clients engaged in disputes across a wide range of sector, including energy and infrastructure projects.
Mario Archila from Arias is a leading figure for administrative litigation, with sources further heralding his deep tax expertise.
Honduras
Ulises Mejía León Gómez from Consortium Legal is distinguished by market commentators as “a leading professional in alternative dispute resolution”.
Benito Arturo Zelaya Cálix from Lexincorp Central American Law Firm gains high praise from market sources as “a pleasure to work with” and “an excellent practitioner” for complex commercial disputes.
Nicaragua
Gerardo Hernández from Consortium Legal impresses as “a leading professional” when it comes to handling conflict resolution in civil and commercial litigation.
Panama
Alemán Cordero Galindo & Lee sees four leading lawyers listed.
Jorge Federico Lee is widely endorsed as “an extremely knowledgeable and experienced arbitrator and counsel” in the market.
Alejandro Ferrer is “a top-notch dispute resolution lawyer” for energy, natural resources, corporate and M&A matters.
Carlos Cordero is a highly endorsed lawyer with an extensive practice spanning banking, finance, capital markets and dispute resolution issues.
Eduardo Gomez A ranks prominently among peers in the Central American market, thanks to his leading work in dispute resolution for domestic and international clients.
Independent arbitrator Katherine González Arrocha is considered “a world leading professional” by her peers for her excellent domestic and international practice.
Esteban López Moreno from KATZ & LOPEZ is very well regarded in the Central American market for commercial and civil dispute resolution.
Morgan and Morgan’s José Carrizo has a first-rate practice that spans litigation, arbitration, insolvency matters and asset recovery.
Eric Britton from Britton & Iglesias is described as “a leading professional in Panama” by market sources. His prolific dispute resolution practice encompasses construction, energy, and public concessions issues.
Alberto Fernández Lopez
BTA Legal
Rolando Laclé Zúñiga
Consortium Legal
Cesar Ramos
Consortium Legal
Alberto Fernández López a seasoned practitioner as corporate companies’ lawyer in activities such as construction, civil liability, real estates, marketing of commodities, agroindustry and exportation of raw materials, international distribution and transportation of merchandise, agency and representation agreements, devoting himself with special emphasis to the negotiation and structuring of complex contracts. Also, he has focused his professional practice on litigation in sophisticated civil and commercial judicial and arbitration proceedings and is lawyer expert in the alternate resolution of conflicts (mediator and arbitrator). His professional activity is complemented with frequent designations as arbitrator and president in arbitral tribunals where he has participated more than 90 national arbitration proceedings.
In the field of international arbitration, he stands out as having been arbitrator in an ICC’s international commercial arbitration. He is frequently called to integrate legal teams in complex international commercial arbitration in construction, distribution agreements, and others commercial cases and has extensive experience as a mediator resolving complex banking conflicts, construction, bankruptcies, and insolvencies.
He is a member of the principal Arbitration Center of Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Venezuela.
As member of the board of directors of the conciliation and arbitration centre of Costa Rica’s Chamber of Commerce, he was director of the work team that drafted the international arbitration by-laws of that centre.
He was a university professor in international trade and litigation strategies courses.
He is the author of publications in commercial arbitration and regular lecturer in courses and specialised conferences in that discipline.
Ofiplaza del Este, Edificio B, Piso 1 Barrio Dent San José Tel: +506 2234 8413 alberto.fernandez@btalegal.com www.btalegal.com/
Rolando is a partner at Consortium Legal – Costa Rica. With 29 years of experience, he specialises in mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment, international trade, real estate, civil and commercial litigation. He participated in multiple local and international transactions related mergers and acquisitions, securitisations, and real estate complex transactions. He has also acted as legal counsel in major litigation cases mainly in civil and commercial matters. During his career, he served as president of the International Centre for Conciliation and Arbitration (2009–2011); and he was an adviser to former president of Costa Rica, Abel Pacheco (2002–2004). He was nominated by Latin Lawyer magazine as one of the 40 best attorneys under the age of 40 in Central America (2006) and by Chambers Global as one of the leading lawyers in Costa Rica.
He has a master’s degree in law from Georgetown University, United States (1994), and an advance degree in commercial law (1993) and a law degree from the University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica (1990).
He speaks Spanish and English. César is a partner in Consortium Legal - El Salvador. Has extensive experience in conflict resolution, arbitration, civil and commercial. He has participated in many cases of civil, labour and commercial law in different companies. He has been part of the largest cases nationally in El Salvador and has acted additionally as an adviser in both domestic and foreign trials.
He has a degree in legal sciences from José Simeón Cañas Central American University, El Salvador, and is attorney and notary authorised by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of El Salvador.
He speaks Spanish.
150mts oeste de la entrada principal de Oficentro El Cedral, Escazú Edificio Banco General 6º piso San José Tel: +506 2257 3553 rlacle@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Calle Llama del Bosque Poniente Urb Madre Selva III Edificio Avante Local 3-13 Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad San Salvador Tel: +503 2209 1623 cramos@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Alberto Fernández Lopez is heralded by peers for being “an excellent practitioner” and “always being willing to serve and understand others, with great oral defence before court”. WWL says: Rolando Laclé Zúñiga is renowned as “a highly experienced and professional lawyer” for high-profile litigation and arbitration cases. WWL says: Cesar Ramos is lauded for his 30 years of experience handling contentious proceedings across the financial, construction and labour industries, including alternative dispute resolution.
Humberto Sáenz Marinero
Novis Estudio Legal
Milton Argueta
Avanz Legal
Elías José Arriaza Sáenz
Consortium Legal
Mr Sáenz is a partner at Novis Estudio Legal. He has a JS.D. in private law from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Cum Laude); Master of Laws from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Cum Laude); postgraduate in Business International Transactions of the Anahuac University of the South of Mexico; Master of Business Administration with specialisation in finance at ISEADE-FEPADE in El Salvador (Cum Laude). He graduated from University Dr. José Matías Delgado in El Salvador, 1997 (Cum Laude). Mr Sáenz has participated as a counsel in more than 60 national and international arbitrations proceedings, and has been nominated as an arbitrator in more than 30 local and international arbitrations proceedings, both institutional and ad hoc, on topics related to telecommunications, construction industry, banking, distribution contracts, energy, electricity, cartography, insurance, mining and intellectual property.
His arbitration practice has been developed in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Perú, Mexico and the United States. He has represented the State of El Salvador in 2 ICSID arbitration proceedings: a) ICSID case No. ARB/09/12. Subject of the dispute: mining; and b) ICSID case No. ARB/13/18. Matter of the dispute: electricity generation. Has been appointed as part of the ad-hoc Committee in the ICSID proceeding NextEra vs España, No. ARB714/11. He was appointed as an arbitrator by the State of El Salvador before ICSID (2015-2021). Has been an external legal consultant for FOMILENIO I (Millenium Challenge Corporation in El Salvador) and an external legal consultant for FOMILENIO II. As an advisor to FOMILENIO, he has participated in various Dispute Board Resolution panels in different construction contracts. He is member of the Court of the ICC.
Century Tower, 5th Floor B Zona Rosa San Salvador Tel: +(503) 2535-188 hsaenz@novislegal.com www.novislegal.com
Milton Estuardo Argueta has more than thirty years of professional practice in his own law firm and is currently a partner at “Avanz Legal” Law Firm. Throughout his professional practice, he has worked as an in-house lawyer in business groups, was a member of the board of directors of a bank, appointed as a substitute magistrate of the appealing court and has worked as an arbitrator and international consultant. His professional practice is specialized in the corporative field, mainly focused on commercial contracts, taxation and legal structuration of businesses and projects. In the field of arbitration, he has worked as Legal Consultant on commercial international arbitrations, and he is also known for being named as both, a sole arbitrator and a member of arbitral tribunals. He has been named President of the arbitral tribunal in numerous national arbitrations at the Arbitration and Conciliation Center of the Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala -CENAC-, and of the Dispute Resolution Commission of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala -CRECIG-, the two arbitration centers in Guatemala; as well as ad hoc arbitrations, under UNCITRAL arbitration rules. Lastly, he has been named as member of ad hoc Committees in ICSID annulment procedures. In the academic field, he is the Professor of the Corporations and Debt Securities of Negotiable Instruments courses at the Law School of Universidad Francisco Marroquín, of which he is currently Dean.
meargueta@avanzlegal.com
Elias is a practice partner in the litigation department of Consortium Legal – Guatemala. He has 14 years of experience in civil, commercial, arbitration, administrative, tax and intellectual property litigation. In recent years, he has been in charge of complex and strategic cases: institutional arbitration for breach of technology contract, commercial lawsuits for termination of distribution contract, ad hoc arbitration for breach of bonds, civil claims for damages caused by a crime in private property, ad hoc arbitration for breach of administrative contracts with the State, civil lawsuits for property disputes in which a hydroelectric is located, institutional arbitration for breach of engineering contract, mercantile trials of exclusion of shareholders, civil trial regarding a contract lease with a term of 30 years.
He is professor of civil and commercial procedural law at the Universidad Rafael Landívar. He was Professor of Company Law in the master’s degree in the Faculty of Economic Sciences at the Rafael Landívar University (2011-2014) and professor of civil and commercial procedural law at the Universidad del Istmo (2015-2019). He has collaborated with the Association of Lawyers and Notaries of Guatemala as a professor
He is a member of the College of Lawyers and Notaries of Guatemala and founding member of the Guatemalan Institute of Procedural Law; President, Board of Directors (2017-2018).
WWL says: Humberto Sáenz Marinero is praised by peers for being “experienced, smart and common sensed” in his approach, as well as “an absolute pleasure to work with”. WWL says: Milton Argueta is a highly respected practitioner, regarded as “an excellent professional and academic” for his work in conflict resolution, including arbitration. WWL says: Elías José Arriaza Sáenzis highly recommended for his deep knowledge and expert handling of civil and commercial litigation proceedings.
Alvaro Rodrigo Castellanos Howell
Consortium Legal
Álvaro is a partner at Consortium Legal – Guatemala. With 33 years of experience in the banking sector; he has experience in arbitration, foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions and banking legislation. He recently participated in the acquisition by Promerica Financial Corporation of Banco Citibank of Guatemala, SA, Cititarjetas, Limitada and other related companies in an operation that will reach US$1,474 million in assets and nearly 100 bank branches.
During his career, he has served as chairman of the board of directors of the conflict resolution commission of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala; he participated as judge of an ad hoc case Tiu Tojín vs State of Guatemala of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; he was a member of Guatemala before the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (2006–2018); member of the editorial board of IURISTEC (an edited compilation of judicial judgement publications), university professor, columnist in El Periodico and as former dean of the Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences of the Rafael Landívar University.
He is a candidate for Doctorate in Law from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, he holds a Master of Laws (LLM) with a specialisation in comparative and international law (FulbrightLaspau Scholar) from the Law School Columbia University, United States (1990) and a degree in legal and social sciences from the Rafael Landivar University, Guatemala (1986).
He speaks English and Spanish.
Ulises Mejía León Gómez
Consortium Legal
Ulises is a partner at Consortium Legal – Honduras. With 25 years of experience; he is an expert in litigation and arbitration, in civil, commercial and administrative matters, both in ordinary jurisdiction and arbitration, with special emphasis on litigation related to construction contracts for public and private works, investment, public-private partnerships, insurance, professional services, telecommunications and representation, distribution and agency.
During his career, he has practicsed as an ad-hoc arbitrator, institutional arbitrator, secretary, and as a private lawyer in numerous arbitration proceedings under Honduran national regulations and international regulations (ICC, Uncitral). Currently, he is in the list of arbitrators for Honduras within the framework of the Free Trade Agreement between El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras with Colombia, as within the framework of the Mechanism for Settlement of Commercial Disputes between Central America of the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat SIECA. He is the arbitrator proposed by Honduras for the integration of the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission (CIAC). In addition, he has extensive knowledge in the recently implemented Civil Procedure Code and is part of the list of trainers of the Centre of Conciliation and Arbitration of the CCIT and of the Judicial School “Salomon Jiménez Castro”, dependence of the Judicial Branch.
He has a master’s in civil procedural law from the Technological University of Honduras (UTH), in coordination with the Spanish Universities Carlos III de Madrid, Jaime I de Castellón and Pablo de Olavide de Seville, (in the present), a master’s in commercial law, directorate of the postgraduate studies system from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (2002), postgraduate studies in law specialising in international business from the School of Law, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA and the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE) and a law degree with orientation in criminal and commercial law from the National Autonomous University of Hondura, Tegucigalpa, (1995).
He speaks Spanish and English.
Diagonal 6 10-01 zona 10 Centro Gerencial Las Margaritas Torre II Oficina 1402 Ciudad Guatemala City, 01010 Tel: +502 2279 3939 acastellanos@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com Primera Calle # 304 Torre Consortium I. Colonia La Estancia Final del Bulevar Morazán. Tegucigalpa Tel: +504 2221 1002 umejia@consortiumlegal.com www.consortiumlegal.com
WWL says: Alvaro Rodrigo Castellanos Howell is a top name in Guatemala for complex commercial dispute resolution, where he is singled out for his “excellent and leading practice”. WWL says: Ulises Mejía León Gómez is distinguished by market commentators as “a leading professional in alternative dispute resolution”.
