With offices in 17 countries spanning Central America, Europe and Asia, the dispute resolution practice at ECIJA combines global bench strength with the experience of its team to provide a comprehensive service to national and multinational corporates, including major pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Sanofi. Providing full support on matters ranging from employment discrimination lawsuits, data privacy and collective bargaining to terminations and employment contract regulation, the firm’s active client base also spans the hospitality, logistics, agrochemicals, manufacturing, direct sales, government, education and NGO sectors. The department is led by labour and human rights expert Daniel Valverde, who advises clients on the creation of compensation schemes, review of workdays and work shifts, and sexual harassment claims, among other issues.

The experience team at BLP harnesses the combined bench strength of offices in San José, Puntarenas and Guanacaste, in addition to branches across Latin America and Europe, to assist household-name multinationals including Microsoft, Uber and Pepsi on a comprehensive range of labour and employment matters. With an active client base across areas ranging from e-commerce, hospitality, food and beverages, and education to the automotive industry, aviation and building materials, the firm’s full service extends to labour litigation, preventative advice, due diligence, immigration matters, telework implementation, start-up guidance, employment structure reviews and the handling of extrajudicial negotiations. The team is led by veteran litigator Randall González, who brings over 28 years of experience in the practice space. Other key figures include senior associate Carla Sánchez, a specialist in judicial and administrative processes, and associates Juan José Montero, who provides expertise in audits and compliance reviews, and Alexandra Aguilar, an experienced mediator who advises clients on risk prevention, benefits for executive staff and internal regulations.

With ten offices in nine countries throughout Latin America, the experienced practice at Aguilar Castillo Love leverages regional bench strength to assist major multinational corporates with day-to-day employment issues, regulatory matters and complex labour litigation. Active across such sectors as medical devices, food and beverages, logistics and financial services sectors, the practice’s full service extends to such issues as discrimination, sexual harassment and teleworking issues. Alvaro Aguilar, Eric Romero and associate Gloriana Lara Ramos are the key contacts.

Coordinating with seven offices in six countries across Central America, the labour team at Arias provides regional corporates, major multinationals, financial institutions and private universities with support in their day-to-day operations and representation in complex, high-stakes litigation. With an active client base spanning sectors ranging from consumer goods, telecoms and education to healthcare, hospitality, and food and beverages, the practice’s comprehensive service extends to advice on HR management procedures and the labour aspects of M&A, internal investigations, the establishment of training programmes, due diligence, risk assessment and administrative claims. The team is led by Carolina Soto, who is experienced in proceedings before the Supreme Court of Justice.

With offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, the team at Consortium Legal combines deep regional bench strength with the experience of its team to advise financial institutions and multinational corporates on a broad spectrum of matters across the labour and employment space. With a client base spanning such sectors as financial services, construction, tourism and hospitality, the firm assists clients with the labour aspects of M&A, administrative proceedings, litigation, immigration issues and social security regulatory compliance. Corporate labour law expert Osvaldo Madriz, who advises clients on salary and compensation schemes and internal regulation systems, co-leads the team with Mario Quesada Bianchini. Another key figure is experienced labour litigator Gerardo Delgado, who was promoted to senior associate in April 2022.

The Costa Rican labour and employment team at Dentons utilises the combined bench strength of offices in Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala, to provide a comprehensive service to global household names including Dole, Starbucks, Amazon and Merck across sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals, tech, hospitality and software to real estate, manufacturing, telecoms, retail and energy. The team is led by Anna Karina Jiménez, who brings expertise to assisting with matters ranging from compliance audits, the negotiation and drafting of employment contracts, collective bargaining matters and employee benefits programmes to labour litigation, contract terminations and the employment aspects of M&A. Other key figures include senior associate and preventative risk management specialist Silvia Hernández and associate Daniela López Salas, who advises on human resources matters and social security matters, and who arrived from BDS Asesores in October 2022.

The labour and employment practice at Facio & Cañas (which in March 2023 opened two new offices in Puntarenas and Guanacaste) brings strength to advising household-name multinationals including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and IBM on the full range of labour and employment matters. The practice is powered by two teams – one led by experienced litigator Luis Sanchez Montero and the other headed by senior associate Graciela Soto, who joined from Deloitte Legal in September 2022, and who utilises a labour and immigration skill set to advise clients in such sectors as life sciences, energy, manufacturing, financial services, tech and agribusiness. Montero is supported by Mauricio Bolaños, who provides clients with expertise in alternative dispute resolution, compensation packages and termination agreements. With an active client portfolio also spanning the sports, telecoms, logistics and aviation sectors, the team’s full service extends to payroll restructuring, due diligence and human resources queries. Other key figures include associates Katherine Zamora, who advises on workplace risk management and compliance with social security regulations, and Javier Guerrero, who handles both litigation and day-to-day matters.

With eight offices in seven countries (including the March 2022 opening of a Pacific Coast office in the Guanacaste province), the labour and employment team at regional firm EY Law Central America draws on its deep bench strength to advise national corporates and household-name multinationals such as Kimberly Clark and Microsoft on a wide range of matters across the practice area. With an active client roster spanning the hospitality, software, tobacco, education, manufacturing, chemical, automotive and IT sectors, the group’s full service extends to due diligence, risk management, compensation scheme and employee policy review, and representation in administrative proceedings. The team is headed by Fernando Vargas and Laura Navarrete, who directs the firm’s employment practices in Central America, Panama and the Caribbean. At senior associate level, Karina Piedra was promoted in April 2022, while Guillermo Vargas joined from BDS Asesores in June 2022.