El Salvador

Arias is a Central American firm established in 1942. In addition to El Salvador, it also has offices in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.  The firm frequently works with clients that are global entities in finance and insurance. It is relied on for its local expertise and multi-jurisdictional capabilities. It is especially recognized for its banking and M&A practices which are active in the aviation, energy, banking, hospitality, pharmaceutical and technology sectors. These practices work alongside other departments including Antitrust, Tax, Environmental, Labor, Litigation, IP and compliance. 
 

Highlights  

Consistently active in the insurance sector, the firm advised Suramericana, a Colombian insurance group, in the sale of its subsidiary ASESUISA to Ficohsa, a company in Honduras. This complex transaction required obtaining the authorization of several relevant regulators. 

The firm was also active in project financing, advising Ventus and Grupo Luz on a refinancing designated to the construction and operation of electrical energy generation projects. These deals show the firm’s ability to service clients domestically and abroad. 

Key clients  

Del Sur, Invenergy, Torrecom, Banco Davivienda and Palladium are some of the firm’s key clients.  

Consortium Legal is a full-service firm in Central America with over 200 lawyers at seven offices located in five countries throughout the region. Over 20 of its legal professionals are based in El Salvador. The firm is particularly strong in banking, advising on many lending deals both domestically and cross-border. Its experience working with banks makes it especially strong in business formation and structuring matters. It also has a strong M&A practice.   

Highlights  

The firm’s banking and finance department advised Digicel as borrower in a financing via bridge loan granted by Citibank for the purpose of debt restructuring. The firm was local counsel on this cross-border transaction, advising on the Salvadorian law aspects. 

The firm also leads in cross-border transactions. In one example, it advises Grupo Financiero Ficohsa in the acquisition via share purchase agreement of Asesuisa, the subsidiary of a multinational insurance company. 

Key clients  

Walmart, La Constancia / AB Inbev, Volaris, Energizer Holdings and D’Empaque  

Testimonials 

“They are a very experienced firm with a robust team. Their expertise is evident, and response time are great.” (Banking: lender side client) 

Mayora & Mayora was established in 1966. The firm is a member of the LexMundi international network of law firms. It has four offices located in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The El Salvador office is located in San Salvador. The financial and corporate team at the firm handles M&A and banking and finance matters. The M&A team advises on cross-border transactions, corporate restructurings and share purchase agreements. The banking and finance team assists with loans, securities, debt restructuring and project financing for national and international clients.    
 
 

Highlights  

The firm was involved in great banking and finance work over the course of the research period. It was lead counsel on a cross-border matter in which it represented NORFUND. The matter was related to the formalization of credit facilities and involved several transactions with various banks. Some of those banks included Banco Promerica, Mi Banco, Banco Cuscatlán and Banco de America Central. The credit facilities were governed by English law.  

Key clients  

Prosegur Exchange, Banco Cuscatlán, Banco Davivienda and Norwegian Fund for Developing Countries 

Testimonials 

“We feel supported by their team and trust their judgement and know how.” (Project development client) 

Romero Pineda is an experienced law firm that was founded in 1978 and it has its main office in Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador. The firm is a member of the legal network LexMundi. The firm has a strong project development team that is adept at project finance and focuses on the energy sector. The teams within the firm act cohesively to advise on mergers and acquisitions, acting on the buy side, in addition to representing lenders in various financing arrangements. Real estate, tourism infrastructure and energy are also included in the specialties of the firm.   
   

Highlights  

The firm showed its adeptness in project finance in its advice to several international financial institutions as senior lenders in a significant project financing. These institutions included Overseas Private Investment Corporation, United States International Development Corporation, the International Finance Corporation and Inter-American Development Bank. The financing went toward the Acajutla Project, the construction of a natural gas generator. This project is a joint venture between INVENERGY and Energía del Pacífico, set to have a substantial impact on local and regional markets.

Dentons Muñoz is a law firm based in San Salvador backed by Dentons, a widely recognised global law firm. 

Focusses / specialisms 

The firm has a focus on financial and corporate work. The firm’s practice has a significant presence in the credit risk assessment, technology, private security services, technology, pharmaceuticals and transportation sectors. 

Key clients 

Key clients include United Airlines, Huawei Telecommunications, Volante Technologies, Equifax, AGS Protect, Hyundai Motor Company, Cummins, Nature´s Sunshine Products, Syscorp, Hamburg Süd, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Grupo Arquero, CV Credit, Nikken, Grupo Silkcroft, Medtrition, Preferred Hotel Group, Inversiones Birm, Icards Solutions and Sistemas de Gestión. 

Garcia & Bodán was established in 2000. The firm has locations across Central America, with offices in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The El Salvador office, located in San Salvador, opened in 2005 and is managed by partner Julio C. Vargas Solano.  The El Salvador office has experience in both project development and financial and corporate matters. The financial and corporate team provides day-to-day legal assistance to domestic businesses including registering new companies. It is also active in M&A transactions, acting on both the buy and sell side. The project development team is regarded for its work in public infrastructure and telecommunication deals.  
 
 

Highlights  

The firm advised Aeroméxico for the renewal of its operating permits. This required the expertise of the firm’s specialists in aviation law.  

The firm also advised Financia Credit Group in the process of obtaining authorization to be a credit card issuer. The firm’s knowledge of compliance was paramount in this matter. 

Key clients  

First Cash Financial Services, Global App Services, Grupo Prowork and Aeroméxico 

Testimonials 

“They have great communication skills, they are very accessible when I have questions or need updates on my work, they seek to adapt to the specific problems of our business, they are very client-focused, and they are very transparent about the cost of their services.” (Private Equity client)