The powerhouse IP team at Romero Pineda remains a market leader, assisting such household-name multinationals as Disney, Kraft-Heinz and Pfizer with the maintenance and defence of their global IP portfolios. The team is led by managing partner José Roberto Romero, an authority in the IP field whose expertise spans a broad range of industries, including telecoms, real estate, entertainment, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverages, and litigation practice director Carlos Castillo, who brings over 30 years' experience to his handling of IP enforcement and anti-counterfeiting disputes. The team was bolstered at senior level in March 2023 by the elevation to the partnership of Elsy Duran, the founder of the firm’s foreign IP matters division, who advises clients on searches, new filings, assignments, mergers and prosecution. Capable support is provided by associates Nadya León, who has notable strength in opposition actions, objections and refusals, as well as extra-judicial negotiations related to the protection and enforcement of trade marks, and Susana Navarro, who assists clients with the registration of their industrial designs, patents, utility models and domain names.

The experienced team at Arias leverages the bench strength of seven offices throughout the region to advise prominent multinationals such as Procter & Gamble, Philip Morris and Chevron on the safeguarding and management of their international IP portfolios. With a client base spanning the food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, retail, tech, and manufacturing sectors, the group assists with the full spectrum of trade mark and patent matters, including high-stakes infringement actions, registrations, renewals and post-registration changes. In addition, the team has notable expertise in handling the IP due diligence for major M&A transactions. Morena Zavaleta, who brings 25 years' experience in the IP space to the group and serves as the firm’s regional director of IP and life sciences, steers the team. She is supported by senior associate Marcela Canjura, whose skill set extends to cover clearance searches, trade mark registration proceedings, oppositions, trade mark assignments, licensing agreements and voluntary cancellations.

The intellectual property group at Espino Nieto & Asociados provides a comprehensive service to clients, advising on trade mark searches and audits, filings, renewals, changes of name, patent prosecution and the IP aspects of franchise agreements, in addition to handling IP litigation. Danilo Rodríguez is the key contact.

The intellectual property group at García & Bodán maintains a strong regional presence, coordinating with the firm's other offices in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica to advise global brands such as PepsiCo, Mattel and Kraft Heinz on the safeguarding and management of their international trade mark, copyright and patent portfolios. The practice’s broad spread of sector specialisms ranges from food and beverages, aviation and telecoms to fashion, hospitality, pharmaceuticals and apparel. In addition to providing a comprehensive service in administrative and judicial IP litigation and enforcement strategies, the practice handles patent matters for entities engaged in scientific research and development, including advising the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, through the Direction of Educational Technology and the National Centre for Scientific Research of El Salvador (CICES). Experienced litigator Julio Vargas heads the team; he also has expertise in health registrations and domain names matters. Other key figures include senior associate Fermina Bolaños Meardi, who brings to the table strength in patent and trade mark management and regulatory issues related to chemical, veterinary and hygienic products, and associate Rodrigo Benítez Nassar, who manages complex data protection issues.

The experienced team at Consortium Legal works closely with the firm’s other regional offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to manage and safeguard the intellectual property of domestic, regional and multinational corporations across such sectors as pharmaceuticals, banking, healthcare, food and beverages, and cosmetics. The firm’s comprehensive service extends to matters involving copyright, patents and trade marks, sanitary and pharmaceutical registrations, and litigation. The practice is headed by Suzane De Tablas, who has over 22 years’ experience in the practice area, advising on border actions, trade mark nullification and cancellation for non-use, copyright infringement, licensing, franchise contracts and IP due diligence on corporate transactions. The team is supported by senior associate Francisco Medrano, who specialises in trade mark proceedings before the Trademark Department of the Intellectual Property Registry of El Salvador and assists clients with matters related to unfair competition and anti-piracy through advising on border measures and the cancellation and nullity of trade marks.

Counting major multinationals from the aerospace, fashion and automotive sectors, among its clients, CENTRAL LAW El Salvador harnesses the combined bench strength of seven offices across the region (in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic) to advise on the management, registration and safeguarding of intellectual property portfolios. The practice is headed by Sandra Cabezas, who specialises in IP disputes in the medical devices sector and matters involving patents, copyrights, health regulations, franchising, licensing and consumer rights; experienced IP litigator and arbitrator José Manuel Argüello, who routinely assists companies in the food, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries; and associate Fernando Argumedo.

The intellectual property group at ECIJA benefits from the firm's extensive regional and international presence (made up of 33 offices in 16 countries across Central America, Europe and Asia and strengthened by the firm’s March 2023 alliance with Anglo-German firm Taylor Wessing LLP) to develop brand protection strategies for major multinationals. With a client base spanning such sectors as consumer goods, manufacturing, and food and beverages, the team offers a comprehensive service covering brand litigation, trade mark oppositions and appeals, copyright matters, and trade mark registrations and management. Drawing on firm-wide expertise in the TMT space, the team also handles the transfer of economic rights, source code and software protection, and confidentiality and non-compete agreements in this area. The group is headed by experienced managing partner Alfredo Navas, a specialist in the legaltech and industrial and audiovisual media areas; Carlos Gil, who has strength in a wide range of TMT-related matters; and associate Alejandra Gómez, who is well versed in blockchain matters.

Following the the launch of its Salvadoran office with the October 2020 arrival of IP head Edy Guadalupe Portal and her team from Portal & Asociados, IP specialist E-Proint (which has a network across Central America and the Caribbean) continues to advise on the management, expansion and protection of the trade mark portfolios of major multinationals such as Moderna, GlaxoSmithKline and Red Bull. The team has notable strength in the pharmaceuticals, beverages, sports and fashion sectors. The firm provides a comprehensive service which ranges from advising on copyright, patent, trade mark and industrial design matters to handling IP litigation and assisting with due diligence and cybersecurity issues. The team is supported by senior associate Helen Menjivar, who assists clients with patent prosecution and anti-counterfeiting matters.

Coordinating with offices in Nicaragua, Guatemala and Costa Rica, the experienced team at LatinAlliance El Salvador benefits from a regional presence when advising on the management and protection of the intellectual property portfolios of domestic and regional companies across such sectors as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and retail. The firm's expertise ranges from trade mark oppositions, transfer contracts and licensing agreements to patent matters, cease and desist letters, and trade mark litigation related to cancellation for non-use. The group is headed by regional IP director Fabiola Torres, who also leads the firm’s innovation and development practice. Associate Daniela Noyolas, who advises on trade mark registrations and post-registration procedures, joined from Arias in August 2022.

The team at Mayora IP (the specialist IP arm of Mayora & Mayora, S.C.) advises financial institutions and prominent multinationals in sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals, hospitality and food to banking, fashion, real estate and chemicals. The firm handles a steady stream of opposition actions, registrations and copyright licensing agreements. The team is headed by Edna López, the firm’s country manager for El Salvador, who has 15 years' experience in the practice area, with notable expertise in administrative litigation and matters involving anti-counterfeiting, copyright and patents.