Corporate and finance in Nicaragua

The powerhouse team at Arias remains a market force, combining expertise in corporate, commercial, M&A, energy, banking and finance matters to meet the needs of its local and international clients. The group’s full service includes advice on due diligence, tax issues, project finance, joint ventures, concessions and credit agreements. The team is spearheaded by managing partner and foreign investment authority Ana Teresa Rizo and regulatory compliance expert Bertha Argüello, and backed by deal structuring specialist Gustavo-Adolfo Vargas, Rodrigo Ibarra, who was promoted to partner in August 2021 and is experienced in M&A, and associate Maryeling Guevara. The group’s client roster covers the telecoms, energy, financial services and food sectors, and includes SBA Torres Nicaragua, IDB Invest and New Fortress Energy.

The team at Consortium Legal remains a leader in the corporate and finance practice areas, offering 'efficiency, immediate responses and a personalised service' to its national and multinational clients. The group provides advice on due diligence, the negotiation and preparation of commercial contracts, franchising, the incorporation of companies, M&A, global asset transfers and the structuring of corporate agreements. The team is headed by securities markets authority Rodrigo Taboada and financial and corporate restructuring expert Olga Barreto, and backed by microfinance specialist Carlos Taboada, former General Secretary of the Ministry of Justice of Nicaragua Martha Lorena Icaza and senior associate Meyling Sampson. The group’s client roster features Suzlon Wind Energy, Nestlé de Nicaragua and Canadian Bank Note Company Limited, and covers the building materials, energy, food, beverages, mining, financial services, tech and infrastructure sectors.

The corporate and finance team at Alvarado y Asociados advises national and multinational corporations and financial institutions engaged in high-value, cross-border matters. The team advises on competition law issues, due diligence, financial restructurings, M&A, franchises, joint ventures, concessions, regulatory compliance, and complex corporate transactions and agreements. The group is headed by founding and managing partner and legal authority Gloria María de Alvarado and Luz Marina Espinoza, an expert in corporate structuring, and supported by senior associates Yuri Cerrato, who specialises in labour law, and Fabiola Urbina, who previously held an in-house role at the Nicaraguan Customs Headquarters. The team’s client portfolio features Grupo Bimbo, Cemex and Delta Airlines, and spans such sectors as aviation, food, logistics, tobacco, tourism, financial services, mining and health.

The business law team at BLP provides key support to local and international corporations and financial institutions involved in high-value, cross-border transactions. Utilising innovative AI tech which allows for contract automation, the group provides a more targeted service on a diverse spectrum of issues, including administrative procedures, due diligence, corporate restructuring, contract negotiation, credit structuring, consumer rights, asset purchases, risk assessments and retail banking. The team is headed by foreign investment expert Ernesto Rizo. Other key contacts include director Federico Barrios, a compliance specialist; senior associate Favio Batres, who advises on due diligence and M&A; and associate Michelle Avilés, who assists with tax matters. The group’s client roster features international clients including American Airlines, and spans the aviation, tobacco, mining, food, financial services, investment, insurance, energy and telecoms sectors.

The corporate and finance team at Lexincorp advises a wide range of local and international businesses and financial institutions engaged in high-value, cross-border transactions. The group’s advice extends to securitisations, debt restructurings, refinancings, M&A, franchising, company incorporation, corporate governance and tax planning. The team is led by Nicaragua managing partner Claudia Vivas, who previously served as a senior legal adviser to the United States Embassy in Nicaragua, and is backed by banking and finance expert Roberto Rodríguez. The group’s client portfolio includes household names such as Sony, and covers sectors including tobacco, financial services, health, food, energy, logistics, investment, apparel and electronics.

Connected to an extensive global network, the 'highly qualified' corporate and finance department at ECIJA Castillo & Fiallos provides a full service to regional and international corporations and financial institutions, which includes advising on project finance, debt restructuring, due diligence, M&A, corporate governance, commercial contracting and regulatory compliance. The team is led by banking law authority Edmundo Castillo and corporate law and commercial arbitration expert María Antonieta Fiallos, who is also a founding member of Grupo Pro Reformas Electorales, which seeks to strengthen Nicaragua’s electoral system. The group’s client roster contains household names, among them DHL Express and Pfizer, and spans the finance, courier services, banking, nutrition and pharmaceuticals sectors.