Aguilar Castillo Love > Guatemala, Guatemala > Firm Profile

Aguilar Castillo Love > The Legal 500 Rankings

Guatemala > Energy and natural resources/projects Tier 1

Widely recognised for the breadth and depth of its offering in the energy and natural resources sector, Aguilar Castillo Love has a particularly strong reputation in the electricity space, counting all three of Guatemala’s electricity distributors among its clients, in addition to advising generators. The team, which is highlighted for its ‘empathy‘ and ‘close client relationships‘, also handles matters in the oil and gas sector, with an emphasis on cross-border mandates. Its comprehensive practice encompasses regulatory matters, project development and finance, foreign investment and M&A, commercial issues and disputes. Juan Carlos Castillo Chacón, who has extensive experience across the full spectrum of energy matters (particularly electricity-related), leads the team with Natalia Callejas Aquino, a specialist in regulatory and compliance issues. René Vicente Rodríguez focuses on energy sector disputes. Associate Rudy Villatoro, who is currently on secondment at leading Mexican firm Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, S.C., is also noted.

Guatemala > Banking and finance Tier 2

International mandates are a mainstay of the banking and finance practice at Aguilar Castillo Love, which benefits from the firm’s growing footprint in Latin America when advising international lenders, particularly banks and investment funds, on cross-border transactions. The firm has a thriving practice in the regulatory (particularly fintech) and capital markets spaces, with a strong record of handling bond issuances, and is also developing significant expertise in ESG-related financings. In addition, the team is experienced in advising domestic borrowers, particularly on the financing of energy projects, drawing on firm-wide expertise in the sector. At the head of the practice, Juan Carlos Castillo Chacón is widely sought after for his advice on regulatory issues, securities and project finance, and Natalia Callejas Aquino stands out for her strength in fintech matters, with an emphasis on cryptocurrencies. Associate Rudy Villatoro is currently on secondment at leading Mexican firm Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, S.C.

Guatemala > Corporate and M&A Tier 2

Aguilar Castillo Love‘s corporate practice is widely recognised for its representation of multinationals with a longstanding presence in Guatemala, and has recently won a number of new international clients, leveraging the firm’s full-service regional offering as well as its expanding presence in Latin America (with offices in Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay and Bolivia). The team has been consistently active in M&A involving Guatemalan targets and also advises on joint ventures, spin-offs, corporate restructurings, compliance and contractual issues. The practice is jointly led by Juan Carlos Castillo Chacón, who has a strong track record in advising international clients on M&A, and Natalia Callejas Aquino, a key name for cross-border mandates, corporate compliance and investigations. Associate Rudy Villatoro is currently on secondment at top-flight Mexican firm Creel, García-Cuéllar, Aiza y Enríquez, S.C. The firm also continues to promote gender diversity in the legal sector through its Proyecto ACL Mujeres initiative.

Guatemala > Dispute resolution Tier 2

Arbitration is the cornerstone of the dispute resolution practice at Aguilar Castillo Love, which is particularly prominent in the energy sector, drawing on the wider firm’s strength in the industry to represent major companies, including all three Guatemalan electricity distributors, in high-profile proceedings. The firm also has an active litigation practice, with a track record that includes acting for a growing base of domestic and international clients in commercial, administrative, criminal and constitutional cases. Practice head René Vicente Rodríguez handles a mix of litigation and arbitration, bringing expertise in disputes in the automotive, construction and consumer products sectors to the table. Guatemala managing partner Juan Carlos Castillo Chacón, who is widely considered a leader in energy disputes, is a mainstay on the firm’s arbitration cases. Natalia Callejas Aquino also lends support to the team.

Guatemala > Labour Tier 3

Aguilar Castillo Love‘s labour practice works hand-in-hand with the firm’s busy corporate department to advise an impressive array of multinationals. The team frequently handles labour due diligence on transactions, including M&A and reorganisations, and also has strengths in adapting global employment policies to comply with local regulations. On the contentious side of the practice, the team has considerable expertise in disputes over employee dismissals and resignations, particularly in cases involving senior employees. Natalia Callejas Aquino focuses on advisory work, while René Vicente Rodríguez takes the lead in labour litigation; the two jointly head the practice.

Central America > Corporate and finance

One of the first law firms to build a region-wide practice, Aguilar Castillo Love has established an extensive platform not only in Central America but also further afield; in addition to its offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, the firm now has a presence in Ecuador, Paraguay and, most recently, Bolivia, where it opened branches in Santa Cruz and La Paz in 2022. Thanks to its in-depth experience of advising international clients (and the strong international profiles of many of its lawyers), the firm is well versed in cross-border financial and corporate transactions, including project finance, debt restructurings, bond issuances and M&A. In the Costa Rica offices (located in central San José and Escazú), the key contacts are banking and finance head Marco Solano Gómez and John Aguilar-Quesada, who leads the corporate team. Juan Carlos Castillo Chacón, a market leader in energy-related deals, and up-and-coming partner Natalia Callejas Aquino oversee the Guatemala practice, while Esteban Agüero Guier and Flor De María Cortez, who has significant experience in foreign investments and free trade zone law, are the names to note in El Salvador, where the firm is commended for its fintech expertise. In Honduras, Enrique Rodríguez-Burchard and Juan José Alcerro Milla lead the corporate and finance teams, where the latter brings complementary strengths in antitrust and fintech issues. M&A expert Thelma Carrión Blandón and finance specialist Violeta Núñez head the corporate and banking departments in Nicaragua.