One of the first law firms to build a region-wide practice, Aguilar Castillo Love has established an extensive platform not only in Central America but also further afield; in addition to its offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, the firm now has a presence in Ecuador, Paraguay and, most recently, Bolivia, where it opened branches in Santa Cruz and La Paz in 2022. Thanks to its in-depth experience of advising international clients (and the strong international profiles of many of its lawyers), the firm is well versed in cross-border financial and corporate transactions, including project finance, debt restructurings, bond issuances and M&A. In the Costa Rica offices (located in central San José and Escazú), the key contacts are banking and finance head Marco Solano Gómez and John Aguilar-Quesada, who leads the corporate team. Juan Carlos Castillo Chacón, a market leader in energy-related deals, and up-and-coming partner Natalia Callejas Aquino oversee the Guatemala practice, while Esteban Agüero Guier and Flor De María Cortez, who has significant experience in foreign investments and free trade zone law, are the names to note in El Salvador, where the firm is commended for its fintech expertise. In Honduras, Enrique Rodríguez-Burchard and Juan José Alcerro Milla lead the corporate and finance teams, where the latter brings complementary strengths in antitrust and fintech issues. M&A expert Thelma Carrión Blandón and finance specialist Violeta Núñez head the corporate and banking departments in Nicaragua.

Formed following the split of pioneering Central American firm Arias & Munoz, Arias has a well-established network of seven offices in the region, spread across Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras (where it has branches in both Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. The firm has a long history of handling high-profile local and international M&A and financial transactions, acting for an impressive roster of multinationals, global financial institutions and leading regional banks. Diego Gallegos, who has expertise in asset and project finance, and Vicente Lines, an expert in the infrastructure and telecoms spaces, lead the finance practice in Costa Rica and are also key figures in the corporate team, where energy specialist Melania Dittel is also noted. In El Salvador, Mario Lozano is sought after for his advice on fintech and cryptocurrency issues, while Lilian Arias, the M&A-focused Roberta Gallardo and Luisa Rivas are among the key contacts for corporate matters. In Guatemala, Luis Pedro del Valle, who has a strong track record in cross-border M&A, took over leadership of the corporate and finance practices in April 2023. The highly experienced Evangelina Lardizábal steers the corporate and finance teams in Honduras alongside Mario Agüero, while in Nicaragua Ana Teresa Rizo, a go-to partner for foreign investments, Bertha Argüello, Gustavo-Adolfo Vargas and Rodrigo Ibarra, a specialist in the energy sector, are the names to note. María Cristina Fábrega takes the lead on M&A and financial transactions in Panama.

BLP has continued to expand its presence in Central America, launching its fourth Costa Rica office, which focuses on real estate transactions, in Marina Flamingo in January 2023, as well as providing environmental and immigration advisory services through two innovative companies: Zone and Moval. The firm houses comprehensive corporate and finance practices in the region, with standout expertise in infrastructure and energy-related transactions, and is widely recognised for its representation of Fortune 500 companies. Its strength in international transactions is reinforced by its representative office in Madrid, where David Gutiérrez is the key name. Gutiérrez, an expert in M&A and infrastructure financing, also heads the corporate practice in Costa Rica (where the firm has additional branches in San José, Marina Los Sueños and Las Catalinas), while Vivian Liberman and Andrés López lead the banking team. In Guatemala, the firm strengthened its practice with the hire of former Arias senior partner Jorge Luis Arenales, who has a wealth of experience in corporate and finance transactions, in June 2023; he joins the well-regarded duo of Luis Ruiz, who is also a skilled IP lawyer, and María Inés Arenales. Zygmunt Brett, an authority in financing, capital markets and M&A matters, is the name to note in El Salvador, and Ernesto Rizo, an expert in the mining and agribusiness spheres, leads the corporate and finance team in Nicaragua. In Honduras - where the firm has branches in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula - José Miguel Álvarez and energy specialist Karla Aguilar are the key contacts.

Consortium Legal maintains a formidable offering across Central America, with a presence in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras (in both Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), Nicaragua and Costa Rica (where it has branches in San José and Escazú, as well as two offices in Guanacaste, taking advantage of the province’s thriving tourism sector). The firm plays a prominent role in both domestic and cross-border financial transactions, and routinely advises foreign investors on projects in the region. In Costa Rica, Mario Quesada-Bianchini, who has three decades of experience in financial transactions and banking M&A (and also coordinates the firm’s regional finance practice), and fintech lead Randall Barquero are among the key contacts for financial matters, while Rolando Laclé Zúñiga, an expert in M&A and foreign investment, and Juan Manuel Godoy are names to note in the corporate team. Oscar Samour, a go-to specialist in multi-jurisdictional transactions, heads the banking practice in El Salvador, and steers the corporate team alongside Maria Alejandra Tulipano, who has a focus on international commerce, and Diego Martín. Olga Barreto, whose expertise spans the corporate, finance and aviation spheres, leads the team in Nicaragua. In Guatemala, the highly regarded Álvaro Castellanos heads the finance practice, while Alfredo Rodríguez, who has complementary tax expertise, and Rafael Alvarado Riedel lead the corporate team. An experienced quartet of partners – José Ramón Paz Morales, José Ramón Paz Padilla, Gustavo León-Gómez and José Rafael Rivera – handles corporate and finance matters in Honduras.

Since its formation in May 2021, Alta has proven itself to be a force to be reckoned with in Central America. The regional outfit – made up of firms in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica – has been highly active in cross-border transactions, drawing on the strong international backgrounds of its lawyers, with robust capabilities in syndicated loans, project finance, M&A and notes issuances. In Guatemala, the firm fields a sizeable finance team headed by Marcos Ibargüen; Alejandro Cofiño, an expert in energy financing and capital markets; José Quiñones, who has complementary strengths in tax and compliance matters; and Andrés Lowenthal, a key contact for international transactions. Ibargüen also heads the corporate practice alongside María Isabel Luján; both are experienced transactional lawyers. Oscar Melara is the name to note in Honduras, handling the full spectrum of corporate and finance matters in addition to IP and litigation. In Costa Rica, Sergio Amador, who has expertise in corporate, real estate and M&A matters, and Rodrigo Zelaya, a high-profile name for private equity transactions, are the leading practitioners.

The first Nicaraguan firm to expand into Central America, García & Bodán now fields teams in Honduras (from branches in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), El Salvador, Guatemala and Costa Rica; it has also grown its presence in Nicaragua with offices in San Juan del Sur and Tola (led by Eduardo Cabrales, who focuses on real estate and tourism-related transactions in the area) in addition to its original headquarters in Managua. Under the leadership of regional managing partner Terencio García in Nicaragua, the firm is well versed in advising investors into Central America on cross-border acquisitions, while its financing expertise extends to syndicated loans and project finance. Federico Gurdián, who was appointed as regional director of the corporate and transactional practice in May 2022, is also a key contact in Nicaragua. In Honduras, where the firm is noted for its strength in sovereign bond issuances, Vanessa Oquelí handles the full range of corporate and finance matters. Oscar Torres, who also directs the regional labour practice, takes the lead on transactional mandates in El Salvador.

Originally founded 20 years ago by partners in Guatemala and El Salvador, Lexincorp has built a strong presence in Central America, with further offices in Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Counting a host of leading international and regional banks, financial institutions and corporations among its clients, the firm routinely advises on multi-jurisdictional M&A, syndicated loans and refinancings, with a growing offering in the fintech space. In El Salvador, Antonio Guirola, a specialist in international transactions; Adriana Portillo, who also handles related tax and competition issues; and Enrique Escobar, a standout name in the energy and financial fields, are the key figures. Roberto Rodríguez, who has a notable track record in advising international clients in the banking sector, takes the lead on corporate and finance matters in Nicaragua, while Julio Aparicio, who has a niche in advising restaurant clients on franchising agreements in Central America, is the go-to contact in Guatemala. Engels Zelaya, a specialist in the energy and public sectors, heads the corporate team in Honduras, where the firm has offices in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

Mayora & Mayora, S.C. has had a presence in the Guatemalan market for over 50 years, and since then has established itself as a strong choice to advise international companies and financial institutions on cross-border transactions in the ‘Northern Triangle’ region of Central America, with offices in El Salvador and Honduras (located in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula). Clients in all three countries can also take advantage of the IP and domain name services provided by its sister firms, Mayora IP and Mayora Domains, S.A. In Guatemala, where the firm has significant expertise in the capital markets space, counting the national stock exchange among its clients, Claudia Pereira, a specialist in financial transactions, Sandra Castillo, who handles M&A and restructurings, and highly regarded regional managing partner Eduardo Mayora are the primary contacts. Manuel Telles, whose experience spans M&A, company incorporations, project finance and international bond issuances, leads the corporate and finance practices in El Salvador. Odín Guillén Leiva, who is well versed in corporate and commercial matters as well as handling litigation, is the name to note in Honduras.

With 11 offices in the region, extending to Panama and the Dominican Republic, CENTRAL LAW provides comprehensive services in the region, routinely advising large multinationals on their day-to-day operations as well as multi-jurisdictional M&A. The firm also offers region-wide practices focused on start-ups and new technologies, privacy and data protection. Piero Rusconi Bolaños, whose areas of expertise include the energy and infrastructure sectors, is among the key contacts in El Salvador, while Rafael Quiros Bustamante is a prominent name in Costa Rica (where the firm boasts four branches). Juan Pablo Carrasco de Groote, who focuses on M&A and foreign investment, leads the corporate practice in Guatemala, and J. Humberto Medina Alva heads the Honduras team (based in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula).

As the Central American branch of global firm Dentons, Dentons is one of the few firms in the region to have an international presence, making it well equipped to handle multi-jurisdictional transactions. In Costa Rica (where the firm has two offices), real estate and hospitality specialist Eduardo Zúñiga leads the corporate team with Tatiana Reuben. Luis Abundio Maldonado, who also co-chairs the infrastructure practice for Latin America and the Caribbean, is the name to note in Guatemala, while in Honduras Arturo Zacapa heads the team. In Nicaragua, Edgard Torres handles corporate and finance matters, and Daniel Martinez, who has a strong track record in international deals, leads the El Salvador practice. The highly experienced Gisela Álvarez de Porras is the key contact in Panama.

Spanish firm ECIJA has continued apace with its expansion in Latin America, launching an office in Uruguay in April 2023, and has already established a strong platform in Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Clients in the region can also benefit from the firm’s recent alliance with Taylor Wessing LLP. Commercial and M&A specialist Guillermo Zúñiga leads the corporate team in Costa Rica (which is based across two offices), while Alfredo Navas Duarte is the key contact for corporate and finance matters in El Salvador. Rosalinda Cruz Sequeira and Roberto Williams steer the corporate practice from the firm’s two Honduras offices. Marcos Palma is the key figure in Guatemala and Daniel Shamah heads the corporate team in Panama.

As the legal arm of the Big Four accounting firm, EY Law Central America stands out for its advice on corporate (and related tax) matters throughout the region, as well as in Panama and the Dominican Republic. In Costa Rica, where the firm has offices in San José and Guanacaste (the latter of which focuses on real estate and tourism matters), Arturo Apéstegui, who has extensive experience in advising local and international banks, is the name to note in the finance practice. On the corporate side, Hernán Pacheco, the managing partner of the firm’s Latin America North practice, and Fernando Vargas are the key contacts; the pair also oversee the firm’s operations in Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Made up of firms in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, the regional Latamlex network is in a strong position to advise clients on investments in Central America, with robust experience in cross-border financial and corporate transactions. In the Costa Rican team (which is based in Escazú and Guanacaste), regional managing partner Adriana Ramos, José Antonio Hidalgo and Daniel Guillén are well versed in complex M&A and financings. Ana Patricia Portillo, Carlos Quintanilla and Oscar Hurtado are the key contacts for corporate and finance matters in El Salvador, while Dennis Matamoros Batson, who is also widely recognised for his tax expertise, heads the corporate practice in Honduras. Alfredo Skinner-Klée remains a key practitioner in the Guatemala office.

LatinAlliance fields teams in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Honduras to advise on M&A, foreign investments and financings in the region, with an emphasis on acting for global pharmaceutical companies. José Adolfo Torres, who has extensive experience in M&A in the banking and insurance sectors, and Michelle Sutter, the director of the regional corporate practice, are the key names for corporate and finance matters in El Salvador, and also oversee the firm’s operations in other jurisdictions. Nicaragua-based partner Olga Torres, who directs the regional life sciences practice, is also a name to note.

The alliance of Alegalis (in Guatemala), CALA Attorneys & Counselors at Law (in Nicaragua), Bufete Valdivieso Berdugo Valdivieso y Asociados (in El Salvador) and Ulloa & Asociados (in Honduras), LEGIC Group provides services across Central America and has also established operations in Hong Kong in order to cater to a growing number of Asian investors into the region. Juan Antonio Mazariegos, whose expertise spans the corporate, real estate, energy and litigation fields, heads the office in Guatemala, while Marielena Ulloa, who is highly regarded for her strength in labour law, is the name to note in Honduras.

Nassar Abogados originally opened its doors in Costa Rica over 40 years ago, and has since set up offices in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala in order to provide clients (most notably from the maritime and aviation sectors) with a regional service. The sizeable corporate team in Costa Rica is headed by Tomás Nassar P., a highly regarded figure in the market who particularly stands out for his representation of leading international airlines, and Tomás Nassar J., whose practice takes in corporate, M&A and finance matters, while Henry Rodríguez coordinates the firm’s operations in Honduras and Guatemala.

Sfera Legal has a significant presence in Central America, with 11 offices across the region as well as a branch in New York, enabling the firm to assist clients with a wide range of multi-jurisdictional corporate and financial transactions. Eric Scharf is a prominent name in the practice in Costa Rica – where the firm has six offices in the key locations of Escazú, Puntarenas and Guanacaste – while Rafael Cañas (who is also based part time in Costa Rica) is the primary contact in the US. Christian Michelangeli Toriello and Gabriel Pallarés are the main practitioners in Guatemala.