Mr Mauricio Salas > BLP > San Jose, Costa Rica > Lawyer Profile

BLP
BLP BUILDING, VÍA LINDORA BUSINESS CENTER
SANTA ANA
SAN JOSÉ
Costa Rica

Work Department

Dispute Resolution, Environment, Health & Safety, International Trade

Position

Partner

Career

Mauricio is a BLP Partner in the San José office in Costa Rica. He has more than 25 years of experience in the legal profession, specializing in the practice areas of dispute resolution, international trade and environmental law.

He directs the firm’s regional practice of Dispute Resolution, and is the managing director of ZONE, part of BLP Group dedicated to environmental consulting. He is on the list of arbitrators appointed by the member states pursuant to the free trade agreements with the United States (CAFTA), Mexico and the Dominican Republic. He is an active litigant in the courts of Costa Rica. He serves as President of the Administrative Council of the International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (CICA-AMCHAM) and is a member of the arbitration committee of the national chapter of the ICC. After his postgraduate studies, he interned at the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization. Mauricio has also been included in the list of expert arbitrators of the Ibero-American Arbitration Center (CIAR).

To the area of Environment, Health & Safety, he brings a background in natural sciences and has advised the country’s main environmental NGOs on regulatory matters. Additionally, he is an active litigant in cases related to natural resources, compliance, and application of sanctions, permits, and remediation, and provides representation and supervision before regulatory entities. He is also the comptroller of the Costa Rica por Siempre Association.

Clients praise his experience and ability to reach solutions quickly, as well as his great vision from the technical perspective. In addition, he is considered a great academic and a careful and dedicated lawyer.

Mauricio has been recognized in his practice areas by renowned publications such as IFLR 1000, Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation, Who’s Who Legal and Latin Lawyer, which consider him a leading lawyer in Costa Rica and the region in Dispute Resolution, International Trade, and Environmental Law. Latin Lawyer rated him among the 40 lawyers under 40 years of age in Central America in 2005, and since then he has repeatedly been described as an outstanding lawyer in the legal practice of Costa Rica.

He has been a professor of international treaty administration courses, trade in goods and international law at the University of Costa Rica. He is currently a professor of international dispute resolution and international law at Lead University, San José.

In 2011 he received the Rodolfo Piza Award from the Costa Rican Association of International Law, for his contribution to the teaching on the subject. He has been a participant, coach, and judge of university students in the Jessup competitions, ELSA Moot Court Competition on World Trade Organization law, and the Eduardo Jiménez de Aréchaga Moot Court Competition (JSCA) of which he was a founder.

He is a member of the editorial bodies of the REDEM Business Law journals and the Costa Rican Association of International Law.

Languages

Spanish, English

Memberships

  • IberoAmerican Arbitration Center (CIAR): Expert Arbitrator
  • International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (CICAAMCHAM): President of the Administrative Council
  • International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Chapter Costa Rica: Member of the International Arbitration Commission
  • Spanish Arbitration Club: Member
  • Costa Rican Association of International Law: Member
  • Costa Rican Association of International Law Review: Board of Editors

Education

  • Master in Law, Georgetown University, 1999.
  • Law degree, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica, 1994.

Lawyer Rankings

Costa Rica > Dispute resolution

(Leading individuals)

Mauricio SalasBLP

Employing the combined bench strength of offices in San José, Puntarenas and Guanacaste, in addition to branches across Latin America and Europe, BLP remains a market leader, representing such household-name multinationals as Pfizer, Kraft Heinz and Uber involved in complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes. With an active client base spanning sectors ranging from food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and telecoms to e-commerce, hospitality, medical devices and tech, the team’s full service covers international litigation and arbitration related to administrative concession rights, as well as claims involving distribution, unfair competition, fraud and real estate and construction matters. The team is led by seasoned litigator Mauricio Salas, who brings over 25 years of experience in the legal profession. Other key figures include experienced arbitrator Luis Ortiz; criminal expert Alejandro Rojas, who was promoted to partner in April 2023; and senior associate Robert Morales, who proves expertise in administrative law matters.

Costa Rica > Environment

(Leading individuals)

Mauricio SalasBLP

The powerhouse environment law team at BLP remains a market leader, utilising a multidisciplinary approach to advise household-name multinationals, such as Kraft Heinz, Uber, WeWork and PepsiCo, across a diverse range of sectors. The practice’s comprehensive service covers compliance auditing and consulting, environmental dispute resolution, the proposing and drafting of new regulations, environmental planning related to tourist developments, laws and initiatives on conservation and green finance. In addition, the group acts for both public and private sector plaintiffs and defendants in environmental cases before the civil, criminal and administrative courts. The practice is headed by Mauricio Salas, who brings 25 years of experience to the team and who, in additional to environmental law, specialises in dispute resolution, and Andrea González. Key support is provided by associate Luis Palacios, who assists clients with litigation and with obtaining permits related to mining extraction and water concessions.