García & Bodán > San Salvador, El Salvador > Firm Profile

García & Bodán > The Legal 500 Rankings

El Salvador > Dispute resolution Tier 2

The litigation and arbitration practice at García & Bodán, which specialises in IP enforcement, harnesses the bench strength of offices in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to represent major international banks and corporations (including household names such as Sky and Mattel) across sectors ranging from entertainment and media to energy and hospitality. The team is led by office managing partner and regional IP head Julio Vargas, the former president of the Salvadoran Intellectual Property Association, who handles complex administrative and judicial IP cases, and a broad range of anti-piracy, data privacy, e-commerce and tech-related disputes, and Oscar Torres, who heads the Salvadoran litigation department, and has notable expertise in corporate, commercial and labour cases. The practice now benefits from the expertise of three partners, following the promotion in January 2023 of experienced tax litigator and practice director Mauricio Orellana.

El Salvador > Intellectual property Tier 2

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.

El Salvador > Corporate and M&A Tier 3

With offices in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, the team at García & Bodán benefits from a regional presence when advising domestic and multinational companies from a range of sectors, including aviation, manufacturing, education, retail, telecoms, food and beverages, healthcare and financial services. The team's experience ranges from day-to-day corporate matters to the incorporation of companies in El Salvador, the expansion of operations, and M&A. The team is overseen by Oscar Torres, who was appointed as the firm’s regional director of labour in April 2022 and has considerable expertise in the labour aspects of corporate matters, in addition to tax, energy and aviation issues. Key support in major transactions is provided by senior associate David Claros Flores and associate Rodrigo Benítez Nassar, who specialises in assisting with the constitution, dissolution and liquidation of companies.

Central America > Corporate and finance Tier 2

The first Nicaraguan firm to expand into Central America, García & Bodán now fields teams in Honduras (from branches in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), El Salvador, Guatemala and Costa Rica; it has also grown its presence in Nicaragua with offices in San Juan del Sur and Tola (led by Eduardo Cabrales, who focuses on real estate and tourism-related transactions in the area) in addition to its original headquarters in Managua. Under the leadership of regional managing partner Terencio García in Nicaragua, the firm is well versed in advising investors into Central America on cross-border acquisitions, while its financing expertise extends to syndicated loans and project finance. Federico Gurdián, who was appointed as regional director of the corporate and transactional practice in May 2022, is also a key contact in Nicaragua. In Honduras, where the firm is noted for its strength in sovereign bond issuances, Vanessa Oquelí handles the full range of corporate and finance matters. Oscar Torres, who also directs the regional labour practice, takes the lead on transactional mandates in El Salvador.

Honduras > Intellectual property

Garnering praise for its ‘availability, coordination and responsibility‘, the Honduras IP team of García & Bodán routinely joins up with its counterparts in the firm’s offices across Central America to assist clients with the management of their regional IP and health registration portfolios. Acting for a host of major multinationals in the media, food and beverages, retail and pharmaceutical sectors – to name but a few – the firm demonstrates strength in trade mark, patent and copyright matters, including administrative and criminal litigation. The ‘knowledgeable, responsible and reliable‘ Graciela Cruz heads the team in Honduras, while Julio Vargas, who is based in the El Salvador office, leads the regional IP practice.

Nicaragua > Intellectual property

Drawing on the bench strength of eight locations throughout the region, García & Bodán manages the intellectual property portfolios and health registrations of major global brands such as Novo Nordisk across sectors ranging from energy, financial services, food and beverages, and chemicals to retail, pharmaceuticals and telecoms. The team guides clients through administrative and judicial proceedings, and also covers the surveillance of trade marks, patents, industrial designs and utility models, as well as assistance with licensing and franchising matters and due diligence procedures. The team is led by associate Ileana Montenegro, who coordinates with other regional offices to advise the firm’s multinational client base, and regional IP director Julio Vargas, who is based in El Salvador. Another key figure is senior associate Lía Incer Flores, a former director of copyright and related rights at the General Directorate of the Intellectual Property Registry.