Mr Ernesto Rizo > BLP > Managua, Nicaragua > Lawyer Profile

The business law team at BLP harnesses the full bench strength of its offices in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala to advise multinational corporates, financial institutions and international development banks on everything from day-to-day corporate and financial matters to complex, high-value, multi-jurisdictional transactions. The team’s full-service offering covers M&A, corporate restructurings, distribution agreements, administrative matters, consumer rights issues, credit restructuring and retail banking transactions, with a diverse client base which spans such sectors as tobacco, finance, mining, motor vehicles and textiles. The practice is led by Ernesto Rizo, who brings over 20 years’ experience to the practice space, and director Federico Barrios, who specialises in executing business cooperation agreements and handling the purchase and sale of shares or assets.

BLP has continued to expand its presence in Central America, launching its fourth Costa Rica office, which focuses on real estate transactions, in Marina Flamingo in January 2023, as well as providing environmental and immigration advisory services through two innovative companies: Zone and Moval. The firm houses comprehensive corporate and finance practices in the region, with standout expertise in infrastructure and energy-related transactions, and is widely recognised for its representation of Fortune 500 companies. Its strength in international transactions is reinforced by its representative office in Madrid, where David Gutiérrez is the key name. Gutiérrez, an expert in M&A and infrastructure financing, also heads the corporate practice in Costa Rica (where the firm has additional branches in San José, Marina Los Sueños and Las Catalinas), while Vivian Liberman and Andrés López lead the banking team. In Guatemala, the firm strengthened its practice with the hire of former Arias senior partner Jorge Luis Arenales, who has a wealth of experience in corporate and finance transactions, in June 2023; he joins the well-regarded duo of Luis Ruiz, who is also a skilled IP lawyer, and María Inés Arenales. Zygmunt Brett, an authority in financing, capital markets and M&A matters, is the name to note in El Salvador, and Ernesto Rizo, an expert in the mining and agribusiness spheres, leads the corporate and finance team in Nicaragua. In Honduras – where the firm has branches in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula – José Miguel Álvarez and energy specialist Karla Aguilar are the key contacts.