Firm Profile > Mayora & Mayora, S.C. > Guatemala, Guatemala
Mayora & Mayora, S.C. Offices
15 CALLE, 1-04 ZONA 10, 3RD FLOOR
OFFICE 301
GUATEMALA CITY, CA 01010
Guatemala
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Mayora & Mayora, S.C. > The Legal 500 Rankings
Banking and finance Tier 1
Mayora & Mayora, S.C.'s blue-chip client base includes a range of international financial institutions - among them Citibank, the International Finance Corporation and JPMorgan Chase - and local and regional banks such as Banco Industrial and Banco Azteca. The team advises on loan financing, financial transactions, structured finance, project finance and foreign investment, regularly advising companies seeking to invest in Guatemala, and is also noted for its capital markets expertise. Claudia Pereira and Sandra Castillo, who has expertise in security trusts, lead the team; Pereira and senior associate María Fernanda Morales Pellecer advised Sucden Americas on the grant of a $25m promissory note to various Guatemalan sugar mills. The team also includes senior partner Eduardo A Mayora, who continues to serve as legal counsel to the Guatemalan national stock exchange, Bolsa de Valores Nacional.
Corporate/M&A Tier 1
Mayora & Mayora, S.C. counts a large number of international companies among its clients, advising GBM, Productos Roche, Chevron and Obrascón Huarte Lain, among others, on day-to-day corporate matters and governance. The team also advises on incorporations, corporate contracts, M&A, due diligence, restructurings and joint ventures. Areas of expertise include the automotive, chemical, energy, financial and healthcare sectors. The practice is led by Claudia Pereira, who specialises in domestic and cross-border M&A and corporate restructurings, and acts for numerous major Guatemalan and multinational companies. Sandra Castillo has expertise in business entity formation, M&A and corporate regulation, and senior associate María de la Concepción Villeda regularly advises on corporate governance. Eduardo A Mayora is also a highly regarded member of the team.
Energy and natural resources Tier 1
Mayora & Mayora, S.C.'s areas of expertise include advising on the structuring of energy transactions, the development and infrastructure of energy plants, regulation and project finance, as well as acting in energy-related litigation and arbitration. Highlights included practice head Rafael Briz and senior associate Juan Carlos Foncea advising Grupo Cobra and Obrascón Huarte Lain, separately, on the construction of hydroelectric generation plants. The team is also representing Energuate in a high-profile arbitration case against the Guatemalan government concerning compensation for an energy infrastructure project. The firm is expanding its renewable energy practice with the support of senior associate Rafael Pinto; clients include Grupo Gransolar, a specialist construction company focusing on renewable energy projects, and hydroelectric power generation company IC Power.
Intellectual property Tier 1
The team at Mayora & Mayora, S.C. handles the full range of IP services: patent (and industrial design), trade mark and copyright filings; the protection of IP rights, particularly in the Northern Triangle region; and IP portfolio management. The team is also active in IP litigation and has specialist knowledge of the transfer of technology licences. Highlights included practice head Santiago Mayora and senior associate Hugo Rivas filing a series of criminal complaints relating to copyright issues for a luxury fashion brand, and Eduardo A Mayora acting for Grupo Eco in a nullity action on the grounds of bad faith.
Tax Tier 1
Mayora & Mayora, S.C. has 'unparalleled knowledge' of tax law, advising on import and export taxation, foreign tax planning, corporate taxation and tax regulation. Its client base includes a number of large local and international companies, such as Cofiño Stahl (the distributor of Toyota vehicles in Guatemala), GBM, Energuate and Cementos Progreso. The firm has also been increasingly active in transfer pricing matters, in which Juan Carlos Casellas has particular expertise, and represents clients in tax litigation. Eduardo A Mayora, who has 'an outstanding reputation' in the area, leads the team, which also includes senior associate Juan Carlos Foncea. At the time of writing, the firm is in the process of forming a cross-border tax practice across its offices in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
Dispute resolution Tier 2
Mayora & Mayora, S.C. stands out for 'the personal attention of the partners to the issues of the client's company and the professional quality of the associates', as well as the 'integrity' of the team. Key clients include a number of major regional companies, such as Telecomunicaciones de Guatemala, Cobra Infraestructuras Hidráulicas and Energuate. The team is particularly active in commercial disputes, administrative and constitutional cases, and arbitration. Paola Galich leads the practice, with the support of senior associates Luis Fernando Juárez, José Ramos and Byron Deulofeu, who have expertise in labour and energy, consumer, and IP matters, respectively. Senior partner Rafael Briz is also a key contact.
Labour Tier 2
Mayora & Mayora, S.C.'s 'expert' labour practice advises on employment contracts, terminations, collective bargaining agreements, compliance with Guatemalan labour regulations, occupational health and safety, and internal HR policies. The team also regularly represents clients in labour disputes. Clients include a number of large international companies and their Guatemalan subsidiaries, including GBM, Amway and Productos Roche Guatemala. Rafael Briz leads the team, which also includes senior associates Suzel Obiols and Carmen Escobar, who focuses on advising on immigration matters such as residency and work permits for foreign employees.
Mayora & Mayora, S.C. > Firm Profile
Mayora & Mayora, S.C. is a leading law firm in Central America that has existed for more than five decades with offices in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Most recently, in 2019, the firm opened an office in San Pedro Sula, its second in Honduras and fourth overall. With a team of over 35 lawyers to assist clients in a wide-spectrum of legal matters, the firm uses a client-centric approach, assigning specialists to each matter so that the client receives the best possible solution. Mayora & Mayora was founded in the 1960s in Guatemala by Eduardo Mayora Dawe as one of the first institutionalized law firms in the country. It is the exclusive member for Guatemala of Lex Mundi, the world’s largest network of private law firms.
Main areas of practice
Banking and Finance: the firm boasts Claudia Pereira, Manuel Telles, María Fernanda Morales Pellecer and Jennifer Rodríguez on its roster, who have all been recognized as some of the area’s most sought-after lawyers in banking and finance. The firm handles all areas of bank and finance law including loan financing, insurance and reinsurance, financial transactions and guaranties, structured finance, project finance, and financial regulation.
Civil: the firm handles all types of cases dealing with contract law, torts, estates and trusts and real estate.
Commercial and Securities: the firm handles commercial contracts, unfair competition, and other commercial matters. It also advises clients on the law regarding investment funds, securities and derivatives. It assists investment firms to structure and license their operations, and has been outside counsel for the national securities exchange since its creation.
Corporate and M&A: the firm is renowned as one of the best corporate firms in the region. It provides legal services for a variety of corporate matters including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate governance, and corporate restructurings.
Energy and Telecommunications: the firm has one of the most celebrated lawyers in this practice area: Rafael Briz. The firm represents some of the region’s largest energy and telecommunications companies. For example, the firm was integral in the privatization of the national telecommunications providers and electricity distributors in Guatemala.
Administrative: the firm is constantly handling bids for government contracts and also deals with many administrative cases in front of different ministries and their counterparts.
Intellectual Property: this practice area is exclusively handled by its sister firm, Mayora IP, S.A. They specialize in the registration and protection of marks, patents, and other intellectual property rights. It is complemented by Mayora Domains, which has focused its services on domain name registration, management, and recovery of the client’s domain name.
Labor and Immigration: the firm practices frequently in labor-related matters including but not limited to, labor contracts, labor permits, filing documents with the labor authorities, collective bargaining agreements, and preparing internal procedure manuals. The firm also provides immigration legal services such as filing temporary and permanent residency applications and applying for work permits. The firm also has Jenniffer Mejía, one of the few experts in the region for occupational safety.
Litigation and Arbitration: the firm is responsible for some of the most important commercial suits and arbitrations in the region in this practice area led by partner Paola Galich. The team has experience litigating in national courts and arbitrating both locally and abroad.
Taxation and Trade: the firm is renowned for its tax work in planning, negotiating with the authorities, and representing clients in front of the tax authorities and courts. Many of its lawyers have specialized training in tax or have worked for the national tax authority.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banking and Finance | Claudia Pereira | cpereira@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Banking and Finance | Sandra Castillo | scastillo@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Corporate and M&A | Sandra Castillo | scastillo@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Corporate and M&A | Claudia Pereira | cpereira@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Administrative and Energy | Rafael Briz | rbriz@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Labor and Immigration | Rafael Briz | rbriz@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Litigation and Arbitration | Paola Galich | pgalich@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Taxation and Trade | Eduardo A. Mayora | emayora@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Civil | Sandra Castillo | scastillo@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Commercial | Eduardo A. Mayora | emayora@mayora-mayora.com | +502 2223-6868 |
| Intellectual Property | Santiago Mayora | smayora@mayoraip.biz | +502 2366-2643 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Norka Aragón | View Profile | |
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Rafael Briz | View Profile | |
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Juan Carlos Casellas | View Profile | |
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Sandra Castillo | View Profile | |
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Byron Deulofeu | View Profile | |
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Carmen Escobar | View Profile | |
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Juan Carlos Foncea | View Profile | |
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Paola Galich | View Profile | |
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Ana Cristina Garita | View Profile | |
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Juan Pablo Gramajo | View Profile | |
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Luis Fernando Juárez | View Profile | |
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Eduardo A. Mayora | View Profile | |
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María Fernanda Morales Pellecer | View Profile | |
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María José Nájera | View Profile | |
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Suzel Obiols | View Profile | |
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Carlos Roberto Ortega | View Profile | |
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Claudia Pereira | View Profile | |
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Rafael Pinto | View Profile | |
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José Ramos | View Profile | |
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Ana Raquel Villeda | View Profile | |
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María de la Concepción Villeda | View Profile | |
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Clarissa Zelaya | View Profile |