Ms Roberta Gallardo > Arias > San Salvador, El Salvador > Lawyer Profile

The banking and finance team at regional firm Arias continues to be a leader in the Salvadoran marketplace, leveraging deep bench strength to advise major domestic and multinational banks and financial institutions (including Scotiabank, IDB Invest and Bank of America) involved in high-value, cross-border transactions. Displaying expertise in sectors ranging from food, banking, and oil and gas to logistics, cryptocurrency and energy, the practice’s comprehensive service covers asset securitisations, debt restructurings, loan agreements and project finance. The sizeable leadership group is made up of banking and finance authority Armando Arias; Lilian Arias, who draws on over 25 years of experience advising multinationals and financial institutions on the structuring of loans and guarantees; Roberta Gallardo, who brings extensive expertise to advising on credit and financing deals; Ana Mercedes López, a specialist in major project financings in sectors such as energy and aviation; Mario Lozano, a specialist in the fintech and cryptocurrency fields; Luisa Rivas, who handles the financing of major infrastructure projects and transactions in regulated industries; and free trade zone regime expert Carolina Lazo. Other key figures include senior counsels Ernesto Sánchez, who assists clients with credit agreements and stock and asset purchase agreements, and Adán Araujo, whose practice covers syndicated loans, securities and venture capital agreements, and senior associates Rafael Burgos, whose clients include major restaurant chains, and Julissa Castro, who displays strength in multi-jurisdictional financing operations.

The corporate team at regional powerhouse Arias remains a market leader, bringing expertise to advising financial institutions and major multinationals involved in high-value, multi-jurisdictional transactions. The practice’s broad client base spans sectors ranging from telecoms, software, construction and insurance to tech, finance, manufacturing and chemicals. The team is jointly headed by chairman Armando Arias; El Salvador co-managing partners Lilian Arias, who draws on over 30 years of experience in the corporate space, and M&A authority Roberta Gallardo, who brings strength to such day-to-day matters as corporate governance and regulatory issues; Ana Mercedes López, who provides expertise in major transactions and restructurings; energy sector specialists Luisa Rivas and Carolina Lazo; finance law expert Mario Lozano; and seasoned litigator and arbitrator Fernando Montano. Key support is provided by senior counsels Adán Araujo, who handles project development, finance, M&A and risk mitigation, and Ernesto Sánchez, who manages matters in such sectors as banking, retail and aviation, and senior associates Rafael Burgos, who handles deal negotiations, contract drafting and the structuring of collaterals, and Julissa Castro, who conducts due diligence and corporate investigations.

Formed after the separation of Arias & Muñoz, the first Central American law firm, Arias fields a 39-partner-strong offering across seven offices located in Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Panama. The firm is renowned for its advice to major global and regional banks, multilateral development institutions and household-name multinationals regarding complex, region-wide transactions, along with syndicated loans, project and acquisition finance, and local and cross-border M&A. Fintech specialist Mario Lozano, managing partner Lilian Arias, M&A expert Roberta Gallardo and Luisa Rivas are among the key names from the sizeable corporate and finance teams in El Salvador. In Costa Rica, Diego Gallegos and Vicente Lines lead the banking practice; Linares, who frequently advises clients on market entry, also heads up the corporate team alongside Andrey Dorado and Melania Dittel. Foreign investment expert Ana Teresa Rizo, Bertha Arguello, Gustavo-Adolfo Vargas (who is a key adviser to multilaterals), and Rodrigo Ibarra are the names to note in Nicaragua. In Guatemala, Luis Pedro Del Valle is the “go-to” figure for corporate and finance matters; Evangelina Lardizábal and Mario Agüero head the practice in Honduras (where the firm has offices in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula); and Yuri Moreno and M&A specialist María Cristina Fábrega lead the team in Panama.