Mr Benito Zelaya > Lexincorp > Tegucigalpa, Honduras > Lawyer Profile
Lexincorp Offices
COLONIA LOMAS DEL GUIJARRO SUR
CALLE ROMA, AVENIDA BERLIN
#3 TEGUCIGALPA
Honduras
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Mr Benito Zelaya
Work Department
Corporate Law, Regulatory Law, Dispute Resolution; Industries: Infrastructure, Commercial, Banking, Energy, Telecommunications, Concessions, and Public-Private Partnerships.
Position
Managing Partner
Career
Benito primarily specializes in providing legal counsel to businesses, as well as in structuring projects, acquiring companies, arranging financings, structuring trusts, structuring vehicles for specific purposes, establishing corporate governance, compliance, and competition plans. He offers legal advice to companies across various industries.
Benito has extensive experience in dispute resolution. He has been involved in various complex high-value disputes related to commercial contracts, banking, infrastructure projects, energy, real estate development, roads, public-private partnerships, concessions, condominium regimes, distribution contracts, insurance contracts, shareholder conflicts, among others. He acts as legal counsel for companies, as a party’s lawyer in arbitration and jurisdictional courts, as well as an arbitrator, conciliator, and secretary.
Benito Zelaya typically serves as a lawyer, national and international arbitrator, and adjudicator. He has held various prominent roles in his legal career. He was a member of the Arbitration Court of the International Chamber of Commerce from 2017 to 2022. Currently, he serves as a delegate to the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce since 2022 and is also the representative for Honduras of the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation since January 2022. Additionally, he was the founder and president of the Honduran Chapter of the Spanish Arbitration Club from 2015 to the present day. Benito has demonstrated leadership and commitment to promoting alternative dispute resolution methods. He is a board member of the Latin American International Arbitration (LIA), the Latin American Arbitration Association (ALARB), among others, highlighting his involvement in international organizations related to alternative dispute resolution methods.
Languages
Spanish
Memberships
Colegio de Abogados de Honduras: Honduran Bar Association
International Bar Association: International Bar Association
Federación Iberoamericana de Abogados (FIA): Ibero-American Federation of Lawyers (FIA)
Cámara de Comercio Internacional: International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
Latin American and Iberian Chapter of the ICC Institute of World Business Law: Latin American and Iberian Chapter of the ICC Institute of World Business Law
Grupo latinoamericano de Árbitros de la Cámara de Comercio Internacional (CCI): Latin American Group of Arbitrators of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
Asociación Latinoamericana de Árbitros (ALARB): Latin American Arbitration Association (ALARB)
Latin American International Arbitration (LIA): Latin American International Arbitration (LIA)
Club Español de Arbitraje – Capítulo Hondureño: Spanish Arbitration Club – Honduran Chapter
Dispute Resolution Board Foundation: Dispute Resolution Board Foundation
Asociación Latinoamericana de Derecho de la Construcción: Latin American Construction Law Association
Education
Postgraduate Degree in Civil Procedural Law, Mediation, and Arbitration – University of Salamanca
Candidate for Doctorate in Law – University of San Carlos – Guatemala (Currently preparing for thesis defense)
Master’s Degree in Continuing Education in Commercial and Investment Arbitration – University of Alcala (Currently enrolled)
Master’s Degree in Business Law (LLM) – Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Master’s Degree in Business Management – Central American Technological University, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Sciences – Dr. José Matías Delgado University, San Salvador, El Salvador.
Personal
Benito Zelaya is a passionate Honduran lawyer dedicated to excellence in the legal field. His commitment to legal practice and active involvement in the legal community have made him a respected leader both domestically and internationally. In addition to his professional work, Benito also devotes himself to teaching commercial law at the Autonomous University of Honduras, where he shares his experience and knowledge with future generations of lawyers.
Leisure
He supports the development of entrepreneurial ventures and social projects
Lawyer Rankings
Honduras > Corporate and M&A
The corporate team at regional firm Lexincorp draws on the wider firm’s signature strength in public-private partnership law and the energy and infrastructure spaces to handle a steady stream of corporate and commercial mandates relating to the construction of major projects. In addition, the department is routinely active in the establishment of companies in Honduras, benefitting from a presence in both Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. Engels Zelaya, who is skilled in corporate matters in the public and energy sectors, leads the experienced team, which also includes Honduras managing partner Benito Zelaya; Nora Amaya, whose practice spans company incorporations, corporate governance and commercial contracts; and San Pedro Sula office head Sylvia Zelaya.
Honduras > Dispute resolution
(Leading individuals)Central American firm Lexincorp has a thriving arbitration practice in Honduras, with an emphasis on projects and concessions-related disputes, stemming from firm-wide expertise in this space. The team is also noted for its strength in mediation and litigation, including representing municipal authorities and major regional groups in the recovery of unpaid debt and taxes. Honduras managing partner Benito Zelaya leads the practice and enjoys a strong profile in arbitration; he previously shared leadership duties with senior associate Fabian Villeda, who left the firm in May 2023. The capable pool of junior lawyers includes senior associate Max Canelas, who has an emphasis on criminal and financial enforcement litigation, and experienced associate Juan Carlos Benítez, a key contact for the full spectrum of litigation.
Honduras > Energy and projects
Thanks to its considerable expertise in PPP law, Lexincorp is frequently sought out by government bodies and investors for advice on the structuring of consortiums for project development and the operation of concession contracts and environmental licences. The firm also advises on corporate, financing and regulatory issues relating to the development of energy, transportation and recycling infrastructure, including the construction of highways and airports. Taking advantage of the firm’s regional structure, Honduras managing partner Benito Zelaya is experienced in advising on projects matters throughout Central America; he leads the practice alongside Engels Zelaya, who is renowned for his expertise in government procurement and PPPs in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Honduras > Tax
Highlighted by clients for its ‘customised approach‘, the tax team at Lexincorp is well versed in assisting regional and international companies with the tax structuring of their Honduran operations and disputes with the SAR, frequently joining forces with the corporate and litigation departments. The firm’s focus on the projects space has also opened up a core source of tax mandates, including advising on tax exemptions for foreign investors in the transport and infrastructure sectors. Honduras managing partner Benito Zelaya and Sylvia Zelaya, who heads the San Pedro Sula office, lead the team. Associate Nicole Fugón provides support, drawing on notable in-house experience at the SAR.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals Honduras > Dispute resolution
- Dispute resolution Honduras
- Energy and projects Honduras
- Tax Honduras
- Corporate and M&A Honduras