Carlos Ubico

Partner and leader of the Department of Administrative Law and Administrative Contracting.

Carlos works as a professor of Administrative Law at the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. In addition, he is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Professionals in Administrative Contracting (ASPROCA).

Carlos has vast experience in administrative procedures, contentious administrative processes, administrative contracting/public bidding, Public Private Partnerships, public works concession processes with public service, financing of public projects, administrative sanctioning processes, municipal processes, appeals for protection and actions of unconstitutionality in the Constitutional Chamber.

• Arias advised EnfraGen, a developer and owner of renewable energy infrastructure, in the financing for the acquisition in Costa Rica of their first wind power asset. In addition, EnfraGen acquired renewable operating assets in Panama and executed a refinancing of a 2020 facility, which also meant a restructure for the Costa Rican entities.
  The deal included the structuring of local financing documents, including the preservation of the existing trust structure created to secure the target’s bond issuance, the repayment of that bond issuance and repurposing of the trust for the new project financing. Several departments of the firm were involved, including the M&A department, and our public law department led by Carlos Ubico to review obligations under the existing PPA.
• Carlos Ubico guided Thales Group through the public tender process for providing the Supreme Election Court with digital IDs. Analysing the tender documents and strategizing.
• Carlos Ubico and his team acted as legal advisors to the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation in Costa Rica, responsible for the land expropriation process required for the project of Refurbishment of National Routes 1 and 160 in Costa Rica. This project improves infrastructure connecting Cañas, Limonal, Playa Naranjo, and Paquera founded by the Inter-American Development Bank. Ubico´s legal expertise was crucial in securing clearances needed to proceed with construction.
• Throughout the year, Carlos Ubico and his team have provided legal advice to Judesur on the public bidding process for the design and construction of warehouses in Golfito. Our lawyers analyzed the submitted bids to determine if they comply with all contractual and legal requirements. Our team also supported Judesur in appeal processes by non-awarded bidders. The team also advised Judesur to apply penalties due to non-compliance by awarded bidders. The JUDESUR (Bank of Costa Rica trust) was created to manage the bids related to the construction of commercial warehouses in Golfito, Costa Rica's largest duty-free shopping zone. Arias was awarded the contract to provide legal advice during all stages of the bidding process.
• Carlos participated in an Emissions Reductions Purchase Agreement between Emergent and the Republic of Costa Rica. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the LEAF Coalition brings together government and corporate demand for high-quality, verified, and jurisdictional "REDD+" emissions reductions from tropical forest countries. Carlos Ubico was local advisor to Emergent Forest Finance Accelerator, he and his team established the feasibility of the Emissions Reductions Purchase Agreement with the Republic of Costa Rica and the requirements to consider the deal executable in the country through an analysis of finance, public, and environmental law. Now that the contract has been signed, Carlos Ubico has an active part in the negotiation of the final text. The agreement has significant relevance as it has a direct effect on the reduction of greenhouse gases, having a global impact on the ecosystem. It is also considered the first agreement of this kind between sovereign jurisdictions and corporate companies, together with the Leaf Coalition for REDD+, as an innovative purchase agreement for Costa Rica and the world. The deal involved the jurisdictions of United States of America and Costa Rica.

• Competition
• Banking

• Energy
• Technology and telecommunications
• Oil and gas

• International Bar Association (IBA)

• Degree in Law with Honors from the University of Costa Rica and has a degree in Notary Public from the same University.
• Master in Administrative Law from the Carlos III University of Madrid.
• Candidate for Doctor in Public Law, from the Carlos III University of Madrid.