Next Generation Partners

Rising Stars

Compliance in Costa Rica

Aguilar Castillo Love

With offices in nine countries across Latin America, the powerhouse compliance and investigations team at Aguilar Castillo Love continues to be a market leader, taking a multidisciplinary approach to advising public figures (including former Costa Rican presidents Carlos Alvarado Quesada and Oscar Arias Sánchez) and major global corporates in the automotive, tech, medical device, food, logistics and pharmaceutical industries, such as BMW, Hewlett Packard, Synthes, Dos Pinos and DHL. The practice provides a comprehensive service, assisting clients with compliance, anti-money laundering, anti-bribery and corruption investigations, risk management and corporate crime defence strategy. Veteran criminal litigator Rodolfo Brenes Vargas leads the team, along with Tatiana Rojas Hernández, an expert in corporate compliance. Support is provided by white-collar crime specialist Sergio Herra Rodríguez, who serves as the president of the Costa Rican chapter of the World Compliance Association.

Responsables de la pratique:

Rodolfo Brenes Vargas; Tatiana Rojas Hernández

Principaux clients

Synthes (Johnson & Johnson)

Cooperativa de Productores de Leche

DHL Aviation

DHL Costa Rica

Latin Trading

Quimicas Mundiales

Corteva Agriscience

CBRE

Oceanica

Televisora de Costa Rica (Teletica)

Fragomen Costa Rica Inmigration Services

Hewlett Packard

Colegio Santa María

Conferencia Espiscopal Nacional Costa Rica

Carlos Alvarado Quesada

Oscar Arias Sánchez

Stryker

BMW

Siemens

Principaux dossiers

  • Delivered compliance advise to BMW in relation to import contracts negotiation with local distributors across all of Latin America and the Caribbean, in order to ensure compliance with local anti-corruption legislation.
  • Representing Synthes (a Johnson & Johnson company) in its defence of an alleged crime of fraud committed by former employees, related to the sale of osteosynthesis materials for surgeries.
  • Successfully represented Dos Pinos in its criminal litigation defence related to an alleged tax offence.

BLP

The team at BLP remains a force in the marketplace, developing comprehensive regulatory compliance programmes and risk management strategies to advise local corporates and global household names, including Microsoft, Pfizer and Colgate-Palmolive, on day-to-day operations and transactional matters. Team head Juan Carlos Tristán has extensive experience in the drafting and implementation of ethics and anti-corruption training throughout Mexico and Central America. Uri Weinstok, a former member of the Costa Rican antitrust authority (COPROCOM), specialises in conducting audits for clients in regulated industries like media, food and beverages, tobacco, advertising and pharmaceuticals. Support is provided by special counsel Alejandro Rojas, whose focus is dispute resolution, and San José office director and data privacy expert León Weinstok.

Responsables de la pratique:

Juan Carlos Tristán; Uri Weinstok

Principaux clients

Microsoft

Pfizer

Bosch

Aspen

Globalvia

Isthmus

Florida Ice & Farm

Cuestamoras

Siemens

Liga Agricola

Industrial de la Caña (LAICA)

Colgate-Palmolive

Laticrete

Principaux dossiers

  • Assisted Microsoft with day-to-day advice in compliance matters on  local operations, mainly related to interactions with government officials.
  • Acting as global counsel to Laticrete, providing day-to-day advice in compliance matters, including anti-corruption, anti-boycott and antitrust matters.
  • Conducting annual compliance reviews for Aspen Pharma in connection with its operation in Costa Rica.

Arias

At the San José office of regional firm Arias, an experienced team designs complex compliance programmes for multinational corporates like Coca-Cola FEMSA, Dos Pinos and Essay, across such sectors as tech, food, personal care products, chemicals and software. Headed by two special counsels – litigation practice leader German Rojas and judicial and arbitration procedure specialist Abraham Balzer – the group’s comprehensive services range from risk identification, risk mitigation and drafting of regulatory compliance policies, to preparation of compliance assessments, staff training and advice on anti-money laundering and anti-corruption policies. In addition, associate Natalia Granados brings industrial development expertise to the team, assisting with regulatory follow-ups, approvals and modifications.

Responsables de la pratique:

German Rojas; Abraham Balzer

Principaux clients

Dos Pinos

Coca Cola – FEMSA

Essity

Colegio de Contadores Privados

Principaux dossiers

  • Advised Dos Pinos on the first stage of risk analysis of the current state of the company in order to coordinate the actions to be implemented and policies to be developed.
  • Assisting Coca-Cola FEMSA to improve its compliance strategy in the country.

Dentons Muñoz

Co-ordinating with offices in Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, the compliance team at Dentons Muñoz utilises its regional presence to develop corporate governance programmes and risk assessment strategies for multinationals operating in the logistics, pharmaceuticals, health, tourism and telecoms industries. Tatiana Reuben leads the practice, with experience in the building and implementation of ethics compliance training and communication plans. Associate Jose Manuel Guerra  (who joined in June 2021 from ARA Law Abogados) provides regulatory guidance to corporates, investors and start-ups seeking to establish a national foothold.

Responsables de la pratique:

Tatiana Reuben

Les références

‘Provides a combination of technology and sound advice.’

‘Tatiana Reuben not only has the knowledge but also the experience of working in compliance. She is also willing to spend time to give advice and mentor people working in compliance.’

Principaux clients

Latam Logistics Properties

Cuestamoras Costa Rica

Principaux dossiers

  • Assisted with drafting the corporate governance policies for Latam Logistic Properties as part of its process to list with the Colombia Stock Exchange and launch an IPO.
  • Provided risk management advice to doTerra on how to navigate legal regulations and strong enforcement by local authorities.