Mr Luis Diego Castro > Arias > San Jose, Costa Rica > Lawyer Profile
Arias Offices
CLS Business Center
9no piso / 9th floor
Sabana, San José
Costa Rica
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Mr Luis Diego Castro
Work Department
- Biotechnology Law
- Corporate and Commercial law
- Information Technology Law and Data Privacy
- Real Estate
- Intellectual Property and Lifesciences Law
- Technology, Media and Telecommunications
Position
Partner
Career
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Luis Diego Castro is a partner at the firm, practicing in the areas of Intellectual Property, Technology, and Corporate Law.
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He is currently regarded as one of the most experienced attorneys on Patent Law in Costa Rica and Central America. He has been a frequent invited lecturer and speaker on intellectual property topics at universities and trade associations in Costa Rica and abroad. Has spoken about biotech patents and patent eligibility in Central America at several AIPLA events and webinars. Has written about patents in Costa Rica for several publishing companies, including the Chambers and Partners. Mr. Castro was head legal counsel for the plaintiff in the two landmark patent cases before the Costa Rican courts. He filed and prosecuted the first plant variety to be registered in Costa Rica and has obtained patent protection for multiple pharma and agrochemical biotech inventions filed on behalf of multinational companies.
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He has been a consultant for Nathan Associates on the project for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) “Support for Trade Capacity Building in Central America – E-Commerce”.
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Mr. Castro constantly advises local and foreign technology-based companies investing in Costa Rica on setting up their operation; negotiating joint technology development projects, licensing, know-how and trade secrets.
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He founded and directed for 25 years the law firm Castro y Pal Abogados, which merged with Arias in 2019.
Languages
- Spanish
- English
Memberships
- Costa Rican Bar Association
- American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
- Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle (AIPPI)
- Innovation Committee at the Costa Rican Chamber of Industries (CICR)
- International Trademark Association (INTA)
- Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI)
- ItechLaw – International Technology Law
- APPICR – Costa Rican Intellectual Property Professionals
- Costa Rican Chamber of Information and Communication Technologies (CAMTIC)
- International Bar Association (IBA)
Education
- Law Degree from the University of Costa Rica (UCR)
- Notary Public
- Program for Instruction for Lawyers at Harvard Law School (1999)
Lawyer Rankings
Costa Rica > Intellectual property
The powerhouse intellectual property group at Arias
remains a market leader, coordinating with seven offices in six countries across Central America to employ regional strength when managing and safeguarding the intellectual property portfolios of household-name global corporates (including Bayer), across sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, consumer goods and chemicals to entertainment, hospitality and the automotive industry. The practice’s comprehensive service covers litigation and enforcement, licensing, brand management and the development of registration strategies for copyrights, trade marks, trade names, slogans and patents. The practice is jointly led by IP authority María Del Pilar López
, who brings expertise to regulatory affairs, personal data protection, and judicial and administrative processes; veteran patent prosecutor Simón Valverde; and biotech patent expert Luis Diego Castro. Key support is provided by senior associate Ariana Lizano, who develops strategies for Costa Rica market entrants in the food and consumer products industries, and associate Valeria Grant, who handles patent registration procedures. Associate María Laura Torres joined in October 2022 from trade mark boutique RJM Abogados.
Costa Rica > Real estate
The real estate practice at regional firm Arias employs a multidisciplinary approach, coordinating with its tax and free trade zone teams to advise private investors, developers, and national and multinational corporates across the tech, government, retail, consumer goods, manufacturing, hospitality and pharmaceuticals sectors on high-value transactions involving the expansion of their facilities in Costa Rica. The practice’s comprehensive service extends to the negotiation and drafting of share purchases, construction contracts, lease and services agreements, concession rights, mortgages, and due diligence and title verification. The team is led by former consul for the Costa Rican Consulate General in New York Carlos Camacho, who brings expertise to developments and acquisition projects, along with experienced regulatory adviser Vicente Lines and Luis Diego Castro. The group is supported by senior counsel Vicente Lines.