The powerhouse team at labour boutique BDS Asesores remains a market leader, advising local corporates and major multinationals on a comprehensive spectrum of matters across the practice area. Headed by employment law authority Marco Durante and firm co-founder Francisco Salas (who has expertise in preventive and corrective labour advice), the practice assists private and public sector clients with compensation schemes, disciplinary procedures, due diligence and internal restructuring, in addition to providing training seminars and full support in traditional labour litigation and complex administrative proceedings. Supported by associate Lucía Solórzano Salazar , who also specialises in immigration services, the team maintains an active client portfolio across such sectors as tech, medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

With offices in 17 countries across Central America, Europe and Asia, the labour practice at ECIJA pairs deep bench strength with the experience of its team to provide a comprehensive service to national and multinational corporates, including major pharmaceutical companies Upjohn, Pfizer and Sanofi. Daniel Valverde leads the department, advising on a full range of matters, from compliance with data privacy laws and employee discrimination suits to collective bargaining and union negotiations. The team also remains active in such sectors as insurance, hospitality, direct sales and agro-chemicals.

Employing the combined bench strength of three Costa Rican offices in San José, Puntarenas and Guanacaste, and six other offices across Latin America and Europe, the experienced team at BLP assists household-name multinationals (including Amazon, Uber and Microsoft) with a comprehensive range of matters across the practice area. Led by veteran litigator Randall González, the group’s full service covers representation in labour litigation, preventative advice, employment structure reviews and the handling of extrajudicial negotiations. With support at the associate level from Carla Sánchez (who handles administrative processes), Juan José Montero (who has expertise in audits and compliance reviews) and training programme specialist Alexandra Aguilar, the team’s client base spans such sectors as e-commerce, tech, hospitality, food and pharmaceuticals.

The experienced labour and employment team at Lang & Asociados specialises in advising major multinational corporates seeking to establish operations in Costa Rica. The practice is headed by managing partner Henry Lang and immigration specialist Monica Romero, who has expertise in contractual issues, investigations and terminations, in addition to labour litigation, mediation and proceedings before the Ministry of Labour and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund. Senior associate Alejandro Garro provides support to clients in the tech, manufacturing and medical devices sectors. Representing household names including Mastercard and Microsoft, the team’s full service extends to regulatory registrations, the outsourcing of employees and the structuring of bonuses and incentives.

With ten offices in nine countries throughout Latin America, the experienced practice at Aguilar Castillo Love employs its regional bench strength to assist major multinational corporates with day-to-day employment issues, regulatory matters and on complex labour litigation. Alvaro Aguilar leads the team, bringing expertise in investigations, labour due diligence processes and compliance verifications. Other key figures include veteran litigator Eric Romero, corporate reputation specialist María Lucía Fischel and associate Gloriana Lara Ramos . Acting for household names including Coca-Cola and DHL, and active across the medical devices, food and beverages, logistics and financial services sectors, the practice’s full service extends to such issues as discrimination, sexual harassment and mobbing claims and teleworking issues.

Headed by Carolina Soto, who is experienced in proceedings before the Supreme Court of Justice, the team at regional firm Arias provides regional corporates, major multinationals, financial institutions and private universities with day-to-day support on labour matters and representation in high-stakes litigation. With an active client base spanning the aviation, automotive, education, telecoms and tech sectors, the practice’s full service extends to advice on HR management procedures and the labour aspects of M&A, internal investigations, the establishment of training programmes and administrative claims.

The team at boutique labour and employment firm Bufete Godinez y Asociados has expertise in advising national and multinational corporates, insurers, financial institutions and public sector clients on day-to-day matters and representing them in complex litigation. The practice’s services are divided into five key areas, covering litigation, advisory, collective bargaining, social research and corporate responsibility. Headed by firm founder Alexander Godinez Vargas, a former alternate magistrate of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, and, at the associate level, by counseling and advisory coordinator Isabel Jaramillo and litigation practice director José Miguel Granados, the team acts for high-profile clients in the telecoms, real estate, aviation and hospitality industries, as well as displaying particular strength in the retail sector. In addition, the group assists with social audits, the structuring of internal policies, administrative processes and human resources management.

With a strong regional presence in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, the experienced team at Consortium Legal has expertise in advising financial institutions, local hospitality industry clients and multinational corporates on a broad spectrum of matters across the labour and employment space. Led by Osvaldo Madriz, an expert in corporate labour law, along with Mario Quesada-Bianchini, the group’s full service includes support on the labour aspects of M&A transactions, administrative proceedings, complex litigation, immigration issues and social security regulatory compliance. Gerardo Delgado , who was promoted to senior associate in April 2022, is also noted.

The employment, labour and business immigration group at Dentons Muñoz utilises its regional network of seven offices in six countries and its bespoke Dentons Direct cloud system (which streamlines case tracking) to provide a comprehensive service to such global corporates as Starbucks and Amazon. The team is led by Anna Karina Jiménez, who is experienced in assisting clients with contract terminations, the employment aspects of M&A, compliance audits, the negotiation and drafting of employment contracts, collective bargaining matters, employee benefits programmes, internal work regulations, labour litigation, and the negotiating and drafting employment contracts. With an active client roster spanning the tech, pharmaceuticals, retail and real estate industries, the practice receives support from senior associate and preventative risk management specialist Silvia Hernández (who joined from Arias in April 2021) and associate Johann Montero Brenes  (who arrived from accounting group Centeno y Asociados in August 2021).

Powered by two teams – one led by experienced litigator Luis Sánchez Montero and the other headed by senior associate and administrative proceeding specialist Nelson Loaiza – the practice at Facio & Cañas advises household-name multinationals including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and IBM on a full range of labour and employment matters. Montero is supported by Mauricio Bolaños, who has expertise in alternative dispute resolution, compensation packages and termination agreements. With a client portfolio spanning the sports, food and beverages, automotive and tech sectors, the team’s services extend to payroll restructuring, regulatory compliance and immigration issues.

The labour and employment team at BG&A Abogados Corporativos assists investors, local corporates, multinationals and entrepreneurs with labour dispute resolution, training of personnel in labour and harassment matters, and preventative audits. The team is led by founding partner Benjamín Gutiérrez, who brings over 20 years of litigation experience to the table, with key support at the associate level from education law specialist María Gabriela Monge and Nicole Damha, who prepares and manages judicial and administrative hearings. The team maintains a client base across the telecoms, healthcare, sports and construction sectors, with a strong offering in retail and education.

With eight offices in seven countries (including the March 2022 opening of a Pacific Coast office in the Guanacaste province), the labour and employment group at regional firm EY Law Central America utilises deep bench strength and a multidisciplinary approach, coordinating with its tax and finance teams to advise local corporates and household-name multinationals such as Bayer and Microsoft on a comprehensive range of matters across the practice area. Fernando Vargas leads the team along with senior associate Laura Navarrete, who is responsible for the firm’s employment practices in Central America, Panama and the Caribbean. Maintaining a client base across the automotive, telecoms, tobacco and hospitality sectors, the group’s full service includes compensation scheme and employee policy review, due diligence, risk management, and representation in administrative proceedings.

The labour practice at Oller Abogados provides a broad range of services to corporates at the regional and multinational levels. Led by senior partner and litigation practice head Ricardo Vargas, the group’s services cover employee contracts, the structuring of internal investigations, terminations, the development of training programmes and the negotiation of settlements. Supported by associate Carlos Arias, who has experience in labour arbitrations, conciliations and mediations, the group’s active client base includes household names such as Experian and Western Union and spans the financial services, aviation, tech and construction sectors.

The labour law team at Quatro Legal provides a one-stop shop to national and multinational corporates, dividing its practice into branches: employment (drafting contracts and work policies), conflict resolution and labour disputes (which includes handling judicial and administrative litigation processes), and social security and workshops (covering internal corporate policies and coaching and training programmes). Led by Marcela Acosta, who has experience in recruitment, personnel management and termination matters, the group’s full service extends to workplace labour audits, payroll issues, the structuring of compensation packages, internal disciplinary procedures, collective bargaining agreements and social security compliance. The team’s client base spans the energy, fitness and hospitality sectors.

The experienced team at Sfera Legal coordinates with its corporate department and offices in New York, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador to advise local and multinational corporates including Dell and Sony on the full range of labour law issues. Headed by founding partner Eric Scharf, the practice’s full service includes alternative dispute resolution, the development of internal company policies, labour litigation and due diligence. Supported at the associate level by Erika Barrantes, who has experience in terminations, negotiations and preventative advice, the team remains active in the pharmaceutical, transport, tech and hospitality sectors.