CENTRAL LAW

Chairman: Rafael Quirós

Executive Director: Guadalupe Martinez Casas

Number of partners worldwide: 27

Number of other lawyers worldwide: 100+Firm Overview: 

CENTRAL LAW is a full-service law firm advising local and multinational clients in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Dominican Republic. The firm offers the highest quality standards achieved by a team of lawyers whose experience goes beyond 30 years in regional and global markets.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Corporate: 

Advises local and foreign clients in corporate commercial and corporate M&A assisting them from the start of their business through their company’s daily operations and expansion in the region.

Energy & Environmental: 

Extensive experience advising local and international clients in the region’s energy and environmental laws and regulations, as well as in the oil & gas and mining sectors across the region.

Infrastructure & PPPs: 

Advises local and international clients participating in infrastructure projects supporting them during and after the bid process. Experience of the team includes tender processes for the construction and improvement of current airports, roads and ports infrastructure, and for the construction of public buildings, power plants made out of natural resources, projects structured under private agreements and PPP agreements.

Tourism – Construction & Real Estate: 

Provides full assistance in the development of major new projects in the region as well as advising hospitality industry investors and operators specially with the review of existing and new agreements.

Agriculture & Agribusiness: 

Agreements and permits to operate, import and export as well as Free Trade Zones and special regimes.

Arbitration & Litigation: 

Assists and represents clients in civil, commercial, labour, tax dispute resolutions, including complex litigation, multijurisdictional conflicts and international arbitration. The firm was the first to initiate ICSID arbitration proceeding against one of the region’s governments, based on the DR-CAFTA.

Insurance & Reinsurance: 

Advises domestic and global insurance Companies in their daily business operations in the region.

Tax:

Comprehensive advice for local and international companies to be tax compliant.

Telecommunications, Data Protection, Privacy and Technology:  

Advises startups and companies in the permits to operate and agreements with providers, new technologies, data protection and regulatory framework across the region.

Labour & Employment: 

Daily business operations and BPO and Payroll services are part of the comprehensive legal services provided to local and international companies.

Intellectual Property:  

Advises clients in the registration of trademarks and patents through a strong team on IP litigation, health registrations and franchises.

Compliance and regulatory: 

Advises individuals and companies to be compliant with legal, administrative and tax matters.

International Work:  

Advises international clients in the establishment and development of their business in Central America, Panama and Dominican Republic according to current legal framework, free trade treaties, including DR-CAFTA, EU association with Central America and specific laws of free zones and regimes. Collaborates with prominent international law firms providing comprehensive legal and tax advice.

Languages: Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese.

Clients:  

CENTRAL LAW advises domestic and international clients in all areas of law. Some clients BT; Ed. Santillana; MABE; Microsoft; PriceSmart; Roche, Sencinet.