Mr Luis Pedro Del Valle > Arias > Guatemala, Guatemala > Lawyer Profile

Central American firm Arias handles a mix of transactional and regulatory banking and finance matters in Guatemala, with a strong track record in leading the firm’s regional teams on cross-border mandates. The practice is especially adept at advising international lenders, including banks, multilateral institutions and private funds, on granting loans to domestic borrowers, although the team has experience on both sides of transactions. On the regulatory front, the team has marked expertise in fintech matters, and also assists with securities and insurance regulatory issues. Following the departure of former department head Jorge Luis Arenales in March 2023, Luis Pedro del Valle now leads the team, bringing wide-ranging experience in domestic and cross-border transactions to the table. Among the strong cohort of junior team members, key names include senior associate Cindy Arrivillaga (who is noted for international matters) and associates Francisco Zuluaga, Andrés Marroquín and Florencio Gramajo (who recently returned from the foreign lawyer trainee programme at Holland & Knight LLP‘s Miami office).

Arias has a comprehensive corporate and M&A practice in Guatemala, as well as providing region-wide services to clients investing in Central America, with a network of seven offices (including a presence in Panama) to draw upon for support. The team advises a diverse roster of multinational companies across the energy, real estate, telecoms, pharmaceutical and banking sectors, to name a few, and has also expanded its base of domestic clients, recently acting for a number of prominent local businesses. Strengths include domestic and cross-border M&A, corporate restructurings, the incorporation of local operations, corporate governance and commercial issues. Luis Pedro del Valle took over leadership of the department in March 2023 following the departure of Jorge Luis Arenales; del Valle is noted for his broad expertise, covering M&A, corporate restructurings and venture capital transactions. The team also benefits from a deep bench of talented junior members, including senior associates Cindy Arrivillaga (who is experienced in cross-border transactions) and the recently promoted Jorge Ordóñez. Since the conclusion of research, the team has been strengthened further with the August 2023 hire of former PepsiCo legal manager for Central America and the Caribbean Luis Pedro Jegerlehner, as of counsel; an experienced corporate all-rounder, he brings additional expertise in matters including ESG, compliance, FCPA and conflict management.

Arias‘ has a broad regional presence and full-service offering, which are clear assets for its multinational clients, which frequently turn to the firm for advice on the sale, acquisition and leasing of real estate, as well as related tax, regulatory and litigation matters. The team also counts land development projects among its core areas of expertise, assisting with drafting construction contracts and obtaining permits in different municipalities. Luis Pedro del Valle took over leadership of the practice following the departure of Jorge Luis Arenales in March 2023 and draws on extensive corporate and finance experience to advise on real estate transactions, ably assisted by senior associate Jorge Ordóñez.

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.