Mr José Miguel Álvarez > BLP > Tegugigalpa, Honduras > Lawyer Profile

BLP‘s banking and finance practice draws on firm-wide expertise in the energy sector to advise on an array of financial transactions in this space, particularly with regard to project finance, including securing loans from multilateral development agencies for the construction and renovation of energy facilities. As a regional firm, it is also well placed to advise international development finance institutions on sustainability-linked loans to Honduran companies. José Miguel Álvarez coordinates the practice and has a notable background in the financing and development of energy and infrastructure projects, with an emphasis on the renewable energy sector. The deep bench of junior lawyers includes senior associate Rafael Chicas and associates Ivis Alvarado and Alí Ordóñez.

BLP‘s star continues to rise in Honduras, with its corporate practice rapidly establishing an impressive track record in advising Fortune 500 companies and handling high-profile, cross-border M&A, drawing on the firm’s region-wide network and two offices in the jurisdiction for support. Singled out as ‘the gold standard‘ for ‘the communication, ability of the team and understanding of the client’s business‘, the team is also experienced in joint ventures and corporate restructurings, and is highly active in the energy sector, reflecting the wider firm’s expertise in this space. José Miguel Álvarez, who is hailed as a ‘titan of corporate law‘, oversees the practice alongside Karla Aguilar, a renowned specialist in the energy and environmental spheres. The talented cohort of junior lawyers includes director Roy Zavala, who has a focus on antitrust matters; senior associate Rafael Chicas, an expert in the energy sector; and associate Ivis Alvarado. The firm has also introduced an Innovation Commission with the aim of implementing new technologies to support clients.

As a regional firm, BLP is well equipped to advise a host of multinational and domestic clients – including an extensive roster of Honduran renewable energy generators – on transactional and regulatory matters in the energy and projects sphere. The team has wide-ranging expertise in financings in the energy sector, covering project finance, green bonds and sustainability-linked financings, and also handles the negotiation of PPAs. In addition, the thriving environmental practice routinely advises on obtaining the required licences and permits. At the senior level, José Miguel Álvarez, who has broad experience in project finance and development in the energy and infrastructure spaces, and Karla Aguilar, a renowned specialist in the full spectrum of project-related regulatory and environmental issues, are the names to note. Senior associate Rafael Chicas is also a key contact, with particular expertise in public-private partnership (PPP) contracts.

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.