Arias
Founded in 1942 in El Salvador by Dr. Francisco Armando Arias,
Arias
is a law firm rooted in humanistic principles and values of honesty, integrity, and professionalism. Renowned for its banking and finance expertise, the firm also excels in M&A and project development. Arias
represents strategic buyers and sellers across various industries in acquisitions and restructurings, as well as borrowers and lenders in banking matters, including loan and credit agreements. Committed to quality legal services, Arias strives to innovate and lead in the legal and business world.
The firm advised on various matters, including complex bond issuances, acquisition structures, and SPACs with significant social and environmental impacts. Notably, they
facilitated an innovative Emissions Reductions Purchase Agreement between
Emergent
and the Republic of Costa Rica. Through the LEAF Coalition, they helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by uniting government and corporate demand for high-quality, verified “REDD+” emissions reductions from tropical forest countries.
Key clients include
Snowflake, TWO- Hennessy Capital Group, Univar, FreeBalance, Bank of America, The Toronto Dominion Bank, Athelia Sustainable Ocean Fund
Enfragen Management Services
“Responsible, understand the business, prompt response, legal knowledge” (M&A)
“They always provide solutions and proposals for alternate ways we can work around different things. Their regional reach in Central America, Colombia, and Argentina has also been great.
Last but not least, their steadfast and quick replies are
very helpful.” (Financial Services Regulatory)
Consortium Legal
Consortium
Legal is a distinguished full-service law firm
operating throughout Central America, renowned for delivering exceptional client service. The firm excels in several key industries, including banking, construction and materials, food and beverage, and tourism.
In the realm of banking and finance, Consortium Legal primarily
advises lenders on loan and credit facilities, with a focus on refinancing and project financing. In mergers and acquisitions (M&A), the firm provides strategic counsel to buyers and sellers involved in asset acquisitions and merger transactions.
Consortium Legal advised
Industrias Martec on the public issuance of bonds, a complex transaction that included drafting the sinking fund administration trust agreement. They also guided El Colono in
purchasing shares,
participating in the negotiation of the SPA, and handling antitrust filings. Their legal
expertise and market impact were
evident in managing this challenging deal, especially given the competitive status of both parties, which together represent approximately one-third of the target’s sales.
Key clients include
Costa Canna, Telecable, Walmart Mexico and Central America,
Soenis Switzerland, Aquiline Capital Partners
“Great depth in the legal knowledge and great service.” (M&A)
EY Law
EY Law is a global powerhouse with over 700 offices in more than 150 countries, including Central America. Committed to delivering top-notch insights and services to their clients, the firm excels in the M&A sphere and other corporate practice areas. Their M&A team primarily focuses on representing acquirers, though they also advocate for sellers. Renowned for their financial, corporate, and project development work, EY Law frequently collaborates across borders with other Central American offices. With extensive experience in M&A, the firm adeptly represents both strategic buyers and sellers in acquisitions and general corporate matters. Additionally, EY Law boasts significant expertise in the infrastructure sector.
The firm advised their clients on a wide variety of confidential
and complex matters that involved multiple
jurisdictions.
Key clients include
Inchape, Grupo
Comeca, Grupo Sur, General Mills, Expeditors International, Roche Services Americas
Nassar Abogados
Nassar Abogados was founded in 1982 and has offices in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. The main office is in Costa Rica.
Focusses / specialisms
The industries that the firm has the most presence in are finance and manufacturing, but it is also active in healthcare, telecommunications, technology and commerce.
In banking and finance, the firm advises credit lenders and financers in a wide variety of industries.
In M&A, the firm mostly advises buyers in asset acquisition and merger transactions, as well as corporate and regulatory matters.
Key clients
Key clients for the firm include Visa, IBM, Prival Bank, PRO Unlimited, Phoenix Tower International and Textron Finance.
Research period review: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
This past research period, the M&A team was actively busy. The team represented both buyers and targets in acquisitions and mergers across several industries including technology and manufacturing.
The team also worked on some banking transactions, namely representing borrowers in financing arrangements.
Deal highlights: 33rd edition (2022/2023)
Phoenix Tower International $2 billion financing
UFP Technologies acquisition of Advant Medical
Client feedback: 33rd edition (2022/2023)
Financial services regulatory
“Direct personal attention and comprehensive knowledge.”
M&A
“Nassar's team is very organized, the team is very proficient in local legislation and in the attention to international clients.”
Tomas Nassar Jr.
“Experience and seniority, deep relationships at high administration and government levels.”
“Tomas is a great leader for the team, his advice is always precise and easy to follow for clients. He provides advice and service beyond what is quoted for clients and promotes for the service of the entire team to be detail oriented.”
Alta Batalla
Batalla is a law firm in Costa Rica that works in collaboration with three other firms in Central America. It was established in 2001.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm advises on corporate work, particularly project development in the energy and public infrastructure sectors.
Key clients
Key clients include China Harbour Engineering Costa Rica, Enel Green Energy, International Development Bank and CEMEX.
Client feedback: 31st edition (2020/2021)
Investment funds: Private equity funds
"They are proactive and keep up-to-date on all topics important to an investor such as our private equity fund. In addition, they are easy to access and quite efficient at getting things done."
Project development
"Extremely passionate. Committed to the task. Effort on understanding the customers' industry."
PPP/PFI
"The Battala firm is very focused on instruction and definitions."
Project development: Energy
"In the project that we are working on, environmental risk assessment is very important - at Batalla they have specialists in environmental law."
BG&A Abogados Corporativos
Founded in 1997,
BG&A Abogados
Corporativos is housed in San
José.
The firm specializes in corporate and M&A matters.
The firm is also involved in the project development space.
In the corporate space, the
firm regularly advises national and international clients in incorporations.
The firm’s M&A practice
includes
acquirer and seller representation.
Key firm clients include Colegio de San Luis Gonzaga, Hotel
Planas, the Municipality of San
José, Office Depot, Universidad Internacional Sek de Ecuador and Plasma Innova.
Client feedback: 32nd edition (2022/2023)
“There are many positive aspects: teamwork, the training of its specialists, the efficiency in the processes, the agility in the immediacy of the information, and the use of new technologies for customer service.”
“Instant answers to our queries”
BLP
BLP
is a Costa Rican firm founded in 2003. It
boasts a large regional footprint with offices in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras, in addition to a Spanish representative office. The firm is a member of the Meritas and
Interlaw networks of law firms. The banking and finance group advises on innovative transactions, attending to local and international deals
on the behalf of private equity
groups and commercial banks. The team advises borrowers and lenders on
among the largest and most complex deals in Costa Rica.
Central Law Costa Rica
Founded in 2003, Central Law
is comprised of a network of
offices across Central America. Its Costa Rica locations are in Cóbano,
Escazú,
Santa Cruz and San José.
The firm is active in the M&A practice, in addition to providing regulatory and corporate governance representation.
Its team boasts specialized knowledge of numerous
sectors, including but not limited to
food and beverage, hospitality,
insurance,
pharmaceuticals and technology.
Deloitte Legal
Deloitte Legal’s Costa Rica office is found in the country’s Heredia province.
Focusses/ specialisms
The firm is noted for its activity in the financial and corporate sphere, namely in the practice areas of M&A and corporate restructuring. The firm’s M&A team holds representation experience on both sides of complex corporate transactions.
Key clients
Key firm clients include Abbott, Alticor, Amway, Belcorp, Maersk, Marriott, McDonald’s, Nutrien AG, Roche and Unilever.
Facio & Cañas
Founded in 1942, Facio & Cañas is a Costa Rican full-service firm located in San José.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm advises local and international clients alike in connection with corporate structuring, M&A and project development deals. In the M&A space, the firm is active on both the acquirer and seller side.
Key clients
Key firm clients include Boston Consulting Group, Conair, GlaxoSmithKline, Nevro Corporation and Vertiv.
Lexincorp
Lexincorp is a regional Central American firm with offices in Costa RIca, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm is active in banking and finance where it advises banks on regional international lending and in real estate where it represents domestic and international companies on acquisitions and development.
Key clients
Key clients include Banco Industrial, BAC Latam and Novelteak.
Oller Abogados
Founded in 2000, Olller Abogados is a San José-based firm.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm advises clients in a variety of industries on corporate and M&A matters. The firm is also active in the project development space, where it emphasizes the representation of contractors and project companies with a focus on the sectors of aviation, energy, pharmaceuticals and technology.
Key clients
Among the firm’s key clients are Acciona Agua, Constructura Navarro y Avilés and Promed Cancer Therapies.
Sfera
Founded in 2012, Sfera Legal boasts a network of offices throughout Central America and beyond, including locations in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and a US outfit in New York. The firm features five offices in Costa Rica alone.
Focusses / specialisms
The firm is active in M&A and project development.
In M&A, the firm represents corporate clients in all roles and across all transaction types.
The project development group principally, though not exclusively, represents developers and concessionaires across several sectors.
Key clients
Key firm clients include Bambu Development, Coopeleche, Grupo Zen and Lucas Ingenieros.
