Marcos Palma > ECIJA INTEGRUM > Guatemala, Guatemala > Lawyer Profile
ECIJA INTEGRUM Offices
18 Calle 24-69 Zona 10
Empresarial Zona Pradera Torre III, Nivel 12, Oficina 1208
Guatemala 01010
Guatemala
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Marcos Palma
Work Department
Corporate, Tax, EU & Antitrust, Oil & Gas
Position
Managing Partner at ECIJA Guatemala
Career
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- With a broad career as a legal expert for companies and NGOs, Marcos has been specializing in the Oil & Gas industry for more than 25 years, including his role as an external counsel for multinationals such as Shell and Puma Energy, as well as for the trade union of this industry. He acted on behalf of Shell in its acquisition of the operations of Chevron in Guatemala and on behalf of Puma Energy in its acquisition of ExxonMobil in Central America.
- He has focused his practice in international commercial contracts and in tax planning and defense. Moreover, he is a widely recognized expert in Competition Law, being an independent consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank and for the World Bank, as well as for trade unions and parliamentary blocks. He was also a National Consultant for the Government of Guatemala, for which he designed and delivered the Draft Competition Law Bill that is still under discussion in the Congress.
- He has acted both as counsel and arbitrator in several ad-hoc and institutional arbitrations, including ICC, UNCITRAL, CENAC and CRECIG arbitrations that involved shareholder agreements, distribution agreements, joint ventures, and oil & gas-related disputes.
Languages
Speaks Spanish and English.
Memberships
- Listed arbitrator for the Centro de Arbitraje y Conciliación de la Cámara de Comercio de Guatemala –CENAC-, where he has been appointed in energy and public procurement disputes.
- National Arbitrator appointed by the Government of Guatemala under the dispute settlement mechanisms of the CAFTA-DR (Financial Services Chapter) and of the Free Trade Agreement between Chile and Central America.
- President of the Guatemalan Institute of Tax Law and the Institute of Competition Law
Education
- Law Degree – Universidad Rafael Landívar.
- LL.M. in Tax & Finance – Escuela de Negocios – Universidad Francisco Marroquín.
- Minor in Entrepreneurship and Business Venturing – A. B. Freeman School of Business – Tulane University.
- Specialization in Transfer Pricing – International Tax Center – Leiden University.
Lawyer Rankings
Guatemala > Dispute resolution
ECIJA INTEGRUM‘s ‘exceptional‘ team is sought after by both domestic and multinational clients for its expertise in arbitration; the practice covers commercial and investment arbitration, with standout strength in international proceedings. Litigation is also taken on by the department, which has an active presence in civil, commercial, family, administrative and constitutional disputes. Edson López, the firm’s director of arbitration for Central America, is highlighted for his ‘excellent capacity in complex arbitrations‘, and senior partner Marcos Palma is also a key name on that side of the practice. The growing associate team includes international arbitration specialist Emanuel Retana, who joined from Legalsa in April 2022; Andrea Miranda, an expert in tax disputes; and María del Pilar Penagos.
Guatemala > Energy and natural resources/projects
(Firms to watch)As well as advising major players in the oil and gas sector, where practice head Marcos Palma is particularly experienced, ECIJA INTEGRUM also has growing expertise in the fields of renewable energy and environmental law.
Central America > Corporate and finance
Spanish firm ECIJA has continued apace with its expansion in Latin America, launching an office in Uruguay in April 2023, and has already established a strong platform in Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Clients in the region can also benefit from the firm’s recent alliance with Taylor Wessing LLP. Commercial and M&A specialist Guillermo Zúñiga leads the corporate team in Costa Rica (which is based across two offices), while Alfredo Navas Duarte is the key contact for corporate and finance matters in El Salvador. Rosalinda Cruz Sequeira and Roberto Williams steer the corporate practice from the firm’s two Honduras offices. Marcos Palma is the key figure in Guatemala and Daniel Shamah heads the corporate team in Panama.