Ms Evangelina Lardizábal > Arias > Tegucigalpa, Honduras > Lawyer Profile

Thanks to its status as a full-service regional firm, Arias is well equipped to advise both domestic and international clients on the full spectrum of banking and finance matters, across all industry segments, although it is best known for its expertise in financings in the energy sector. The team also stands out for its advice to international lenders, with a strong recent track record in advising multilateral development agencies on cross-border loans to domestic companies, banks and microfinance institutions. At the head of the practice, office managing partner Evangelina Lardizábal is widely recognised for her experience in project finance in Honduras – as well as in Central America more widely – and Mario Agüero is particularly active in multi-jurisdictional transactions, with an emphasis on highly regulated sectors. Associate Rodolfo Salgado provides key support in financial transactions and banking regulatory matters.

With offices in Tegucigalpa and the industrial hub of San Pedro Sula, Arias has a strong platform in Honduras, which combines with its broad regional network to allow the firm to advise both domestic and multinational clients on the full spectrum of corporate work. The team of ‘excellent advisers‘ routinely handles cross-border matters, including M&A, with notable recent activity in the renewable energy and mining sectors, and also has a busy antitrust practice, where senior associate Antonio Montes is the key contact for pre-merger notification processes. Honduras managing partner Evangelina Lardizábal is frequently sought after for her experience in multi-jurisdictional M&A, as well as related tax issues; she leads the team with Mario Agüero, a go-to specialist in the structuring of local business operations for international companies. Associate Rodolfo Salgado also provides capable support. Since publication, Montes has left the firm.

Drawing on firm-wide strength in the corporate and finance areas, as well as an extensive regional network, Arias is experienced in advising both domestic and multinational companies on an array of mining, renewable energy and reforestation-related matters. The team has seen strong recent activity in M&A in the energy sector, but is also skilled in advising on project finance and development and concession contracts. Honduras managing partner Evangelina Lardizábal is well versed in the structuring, financing and sale of projects (particularly in the renewable energy sphere), while Mario Agüero is noted for his expertise in corporate, regulatory and financing matters in the mining and oil and gas sectors.

Arias‘ active tax practice focuses on advising multinationals with local subsidiaries on the tax exemptions available under Honduras’ free trade zone regimes (as well as on ongoing reforms in this space), and has considerable strength in sector-specific tax issues in the export manufacturing, renewable energy and mining industries. The team also assists clients with the tax aspects of their day-to-day operations, including compliance with local regulations, customs issues, the application of transfer pricing laws, and challenges to decisions made by the tax authority. Honduras managing partner Evangelina Lardizábal, an expert in local and international tax matters, foreign investments and free trade zones, leads the team, supported by associate Fabricio Flores, who joined the firm from EY Law Central America in June 2022.

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.