Arias > Guatemala, Guatemala > Firm Profile

Arias > The Legal 500 Rankings

Guatemala > Banking and finance Tier 1

Central American firm Arias handles a mix of transactional and regulatory banking and finance matters in Guatemala, with a strong track record in leading the firm’s regional teams on cross-border mandates. The practice is especially adept at advising international lenders, including banks, multilateral institutions and private funds, on granting loans to domestic borrowers, although the team has experience on both sides of transactions. On the regulatory front, the team has marked expertise in fintech matters, and also assists with securities and insurance regulatory issues. Following the departure of former department head Jorge Luis Arenales in March 2023, Luis Pedro del Valle now leads the team, bringing wide-ranging experience in domestic and cross-border transactions to the table. Among the strong cohort of junior team members, key names include senior associate Cindy Arrivillaga (who is noted for international matters) and associates Francisco Zuluaga, Andrés Marroquín and Florencio Gramajo (who recently returned from the foreign lawyer trainee programme at Holland & Knight LLP‘s Miami office).

Guatemala > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

Arias has a comprehensive corporate and M&A practice in Guatemala, as well as providing region-wide services to clients investing in Central America, with a network of seven offices (including a presence in Panama) to draw upon for support. The team advises a diverse roster of multinational companies across the energy, real estate, telecoms, pharmaceutical and banking sectors, to name a few, and has also expanded its base of domestic clients, recently acting for a number of prominent local businesses. Strengths include domestic and cross-border M&A, corporate restructurings, the incorporation of local operations, corporate governance and commercial issues. Luis Pedro del Valle took over leadership of the department in March 2023 following the departure of Jorge Luis Arenales; del Valle is noted for his broad expertise, covering M&A, corporate restructurings and venture capital transactions. The team also benefits from a deep bench of talented junior members, including senior associates Cindy Arrivillaga (who is experienced in cross-border transactions) and the recently promoted Jorge Ordóñez. Since the conclusion of research, the team has been strengthened further with the August 2023 hire of former PepsiCo legal manager for Central America and the Caribbean Luis Pedro Jegerlehner, as of counsel; an experienced corporate all-rounder, he brings additional expertise in matters including ESG, compliance, FCPA and conflict management.

Guatemala > Dispute resolution Tier 1

Highlighted for its willingness to ‘take the time to individually analyse each case‘, Arias houses a broad dispute resolution practice with signature strengths in civil, administrative and labour litigation and arbitration. The team represents major local companies and multinationals, and continues to expand the scope of its practice to act for individuals in sensitive family law and human rights cases. Other growing areas of focus include tax litigation and public procurement disputes. Mario René Archila, who also acts as an arbitrator, leads the team; between them, Archila and senior counsel Luis Fernando Zelada bring almost six decades of experience to the practice, handling a vast array of civil, commercial, constitutional and criminal cases. The strong cohort of junior lawyers includes senior associate Mónica Medrano (who focuses on anti-corruption, money laundering and white-collar criminal cases, drawing on her previous experience as a district attorney), and associates Alvaro Reyes (who mainly handles civil litigation) and Karla Gómez (a specialist in labour disputes).

Guatemala > Labour Tier 1

Arias houses a comprehensive labour practice, which is singled out for its ‘extensive experience and knowledge of the law‘ and ‘impeccable service‘. Often working alongside the firm’s top-flight corporate department, as well as leveraging its extensive regional network, the team is widely recognised for its advice to major multinationals on the labour aspects of carve-outs and restructurings, with notable expertise in collective dismissals and the relocation of employees. On the contentious side, the practice is particularly experienced in conducting sensitive internal investigations and representing employers in litigation over the dismissal of employees. Office managing partner Liz Gordillo, whose broad practice covers all aspects of labour matters, leads the team with the ‘excellent‘ Rosa María Arenales. Since publication, former senior associate María Elena Barrientos has left the firm, effective as of November 2023.

Guatemala > Tax Tier 1

Arias has a full-service offering and network of offices across Central America, making it a strong choice to advise foreign investors in the region on the gamut of tax issues. The team acts as local counsel to an array of prominent multinationals on cross-border M&A transactions, as well as assisting with restructurings and compliance, and it is also a standout in customs matters. The firm is equally active in tax litigation, leaning on the vast expertise of dispute resolution head Mario René Archila to handle complex contentious-administrative cases against the SAT. At the helm of the practice, Ximena Tercero is well versed in transfer pricing, tax structuring and litigation. She is supported by a capable pool of junior lawyers, including senior associates Elisa Lacs, a specialist in customs tax, and the recently promoted Claudia Vega, and associate Estaymer Mendoza, who joined the firm from an in-house role at Grupo CFE in June 2022.

Guatemala > Intellectual property Tier 2

The IP practice at Arias leverages the firm’s full-service model and wide regional network to offer clients comprehensive advice on trademarks, patents, geographical indications, domain names and copyright, both in Guatemala and internationally. Frequently acting alongside its counterparts in Central America, the team advises on trademark and patent prosecutions and coordinates the management of IP portfolios for an impressive roster of multinational clients, with a focus on the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and automotive sectors. Other notable areas of expertise include advertising, software licensing and royalties. Drawing on the skill of experienced litigator Mario René Archila, the practice is also well equipped to handle civil and criminal litigation, including anti-piracy claims. Senior counsel Ivón Hernández, who has extensive experience in contentious and non-contentious IP matters, leads the team with office managing partner Liz Gordillo.

Guatemala > Real estate Tier 3

Arias‘ has a broad regional presence and full-service offering, which are clear assets for its multinational clients, which frequently turn to the firm for advice on the sale, acquisition and leasing of real estate, as well as related tax, regulatory and litigation matters. The team also counts land development projects among its core areas of expertise, assisting with drafting construction contracts and obtaining permits in different municipalities. Luis Pedro del Valle took over leadership of the practice following the departure of Jorge Luis Arenales in March 2023 and draws on extensive corporate and finance experience to advise on real estate transactions, ably assisted by senior associate Jorge Ordóñez.

Central America > Corporate and finance

Formed following the split of pioneering Central American firm Arias & Munoz, Arias has a well-established network of seven offices in the region, spread across Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras (where it has branches in both Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. The firm has a long history of handling high-profile local and international M&A and financial transactions, acting for an impressive roster of multinationals, global financial institutions and leading regional banks. Diego Gallegos, who has expertise in asset and project finance, and Vicente Lines, an expert in the infrastructure and telecoms spaces, lead the finance practice in Costa Rica and are also key figures in the corporate team, where energy specialist Melania Dittel is also noted. In El Salvador, Mario Lozano is sought after for his advice on fintech and cryptocurrency issues, while Lilian Arias, the M&A-focused Roberta Gallardo and Luisa Rivas are among the key contacts for corporate matters. In Guatemala, Luis Pedro del Valle, who has a strong track record in cross-border M&A, took over leadership of the corporate and finance practices in April 2023. The highly experienced Evangelina Lardizábal steers the corporate and finance teams in Honduras alongside Mario Agüero, while in Nicaragua Ana Teresa Rizo, a go-to partner for foreign investments, Bertha Argüello, Gustavo-Adolfo Vargas and Rodrigo Ibarra, a specialist in the energy sector, are the names to note. María Cristina Fábrega takes the lead on M&A and financial transactions in Panama.