Dispute resolution in Costa Rica

The dispute resolution team at Aguilar Castillo Love provides a 'personalised service' to a client roster of household names, advising on a wide spectrum of matters. These range from corporate crime, international arbitration and civil litigation to contentious administrative disputes and cases involving sensitive reputational issues. The group is headed by litigation lead Esteban Agüero Guier, senior partner John Aguilar-Quesada and criminal litigation authority Rodolfo Brenes Vargas, and supported by alternative dispute resolution expert Tatiana Rojas Hernández and associate Laura Rodríguez Amador, who specialises in administrative law. The team represents such clients as DHL, Cargill and AstraZeneca, with expertise over a broad span of sectors including pharmaceuticals, beverages, logistics, food, chemicals and telecoms. New senior associate Sergio Herra Rodríguez, who joined the firm from Nassar Abogados in July 2020, brings additional expertise in white-collar crime cases to the team.

Working to 'high standards of excellence', the powerhouse dispute resolution team at BLP remains a leader in the field, assisting regional and multinational companies engaged in high-value, cross-border disputes. Led by 'extremely dedicated' litigation authority Mauricio Salas, and supported by director Robert Morales, who specialises in administrative proceedings, and special counsel Alejandro Rojas, a civil liability expert, the group represents clients from a broad range of sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, agribusiness, telecoms, hospitality and construction. The team handles the full spectrum of disputes, including product liability cases, criminal proceedings, consumer protection cases and shareholder disputes, with expertise in arbitration and mediation in addition to litigation.

Highlighted for its 'responsiveness, strategic approach and preparedness', the litigation group at EY Law Central America represents clients in a wide spectrum of matters, including complex arbitration and litigation. The team is experienced in collections claims and provides support in distribution cases involving modification, termination or restructuring, and also advises on due diligence and valuation of contingencies. Following the departure of practice co-head María del Mar Herrera in February 2021, the team is led by experienced litigator Allan Hernández, and backed by firm managing partner Hernán Pacheco and manager Daniela Rivas, who specialises in administrative law, the team represents regional and international clients such as Kimberly Clark, Multibank and Infarma, across a diverse range of sectors, from hospitality, telecoms and pharmaceuticals to education, chemicals and real estate.

The experienced litigation team at Facio & Cañas represents regional and multinational corporations involved in high-value disputes. Led by veteran litigator Federico Torrealba, and supported by newly promoted partner Gianna Cersosimo and associates Adelita Olivares, who has expertise in contractual conflicts, and anti-piracy specialist Ana Guillén, the group represents clients including InterContinental Hotels, Smartcell and BICSA over a wide span of sectors, including telecoms, construction, banking, energy, tourism, transportation, education and technology. The team’s expertise extends to criminal and judicial administrative lawsuits, civil and commercial arbitration, insolvency proceedings and conciliation processes.

The litigation and arbitration group at Arias specialises in commercial disputes and white-collar crime cases, as well as distribution-related litigation. Led by litigation directors Víctor Garita and German Rojas, and arbitral and judicial procedure expert Abraham Balzer, the team has an impressive client portfolio of multinational companies, including L'Oreal and Mondelez, from a diverse variety of industries, including cosmetics, automotive, food and beverages, energy, hospitality, health, financial services and real estate. The firm also has experience in civil litigation and debt collection proceedings.

The experienced team at ECIJA acts for businesses at the multinational, local, and regional levels in a range of disputes, including investment-related cases, civil and commercial litigation, administrative proceedings, debt collection, and international and domestic arbitration. Led by ‘excellent’ arbitration expert Mauricio París and the ‘clear, direct, thorough and responsive‘ Mariela Hernández, a specialist in administrative claims, the team represents such household names as Pfizer, Maersk, Shell, Coca-Cola, and Sanofi, with clients drawn from a wide array of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, energy, food and beverages, insurance, hospitality, agriculture, and construction. The team is backed by associate Mauricio Rapso, and was bolstered by the arrival of special counsel Arturo Guerrero, who joined the firm from Sáenz & Asociados in August 2020. Since publication, the practice has been significantly augmented with the hire of penal specialist José Francisco Madrigal, as counsel; formerly at his own eponymous boutique, his brief is to develop the firm's white-collar crime capability.

At 'a high level, both in terms of legal skills and human qualities', the team at BG&A Abogados Corporativos represents local and multinational companies involved in high-value disputes. It handles such matters as administrative, civil and labour litigation, as well as conciliation, negotiation and mediation. Led by founding partner Benjamín Gutiérrez, the group represents a large client roster of multinational companies including Office Depot, Mexichem and Telefonica (Movistar), which spans a broad range of sectors, from construction, sports and tech to education, telecoms and tourism. The team is supported by experienced litigator and senior associate Christopher Rojas.

The litigation and arbitration group at Consortium Legal acts for regional and multinational clients. Led by arbitration authority Rolando Laclé Zúñiga, antitrust expert José Pablo Valverde and experienced litigator Andrés Martínez, the group represents such multinational clients from a broad spectrum of sectors, including hospitality, pharmaceuticals, building materials, food and financial services. The group handles banking and public law litigation, commercial and civil litigation, cases involving extra-contractual civil liability and contractual liability, and arbitration at the local and international level.