Consortium Legal > La Libertad, El Salvador > Firm Profile

Consortium Legal > The Legal 500 Rankings

El Salvador > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

‘A young, dynamic team with extensive experience and an innovative vision‘, the market-leading corporate practice at Consortium Legal utilises the deep bench strength of its teams across El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to advise national and international corporates, insurers and financial institutions involved in high-value, cross-border transactions. M&A expert Oscar Samour leads the team along with Diego Martin, who specialises in international trade and insurance law, and Maria Alejandra Tulipano, who advises private and public companies on public tenders and concession contracts. The team is supported by recently promoted senior associates Fidel Márquez, who handles competition law matters, and Felipe Aragón, who focuses on project finance, along with associates Gustavo Vega, who manages complex distribution agreements, and Francisco Mendoza. The group maintains an active client base spanning the retail, construction, automotive, telecoms, aviation and food sectors, including such key market players as Cemex and Payless. The full-service practice also extends to asset purchase agreements, company incorporations, licensing, due diligence processes and corporate governance.

El Salvador > Banking and finance Tier 2

Highlighted for its ‘vast knowledge in the banking and financial area’, Consortium Legal employs deep regional bench strength (with offices across Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua) to assist government agencies and major multinational banks and financial institutions, including Credit Suisse and the Bank of Nova Scotia, with high-value, cross-border transactions. Headed by financial sector authority Oscar Samour, the team advises on due diligence processes, asset securitisation, derivatives, leasing issues and loan agreements. Project finance expert Felipe Aragón, who was promoted to senior associate in April 2022, provides support, along with associates Daniel Leiva , a specialist in fintech, insurance and reinsurance matters, and Annette Herrera , who arrived from Holland & Knight LLP in August 2021, with a background in capital markets matters. The team’s active client base fuels transactions across the telecoms, automotive, infrastructure and real estate sectors.

El Salvador > Tax Tier 2

The team at Consortium Legal leverages the bench strength of its network in Central America (with offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua) to advise regional and multinational corporates, financial institutions, individuals and entrepreneurs on a diverse spectrum of tax issues over the entire business life cycle. Headed by Diego Martín-Menjívar, who has expertise in tax and customs litigation at the administrative and judicial levels, the practice has a full-service offering which covers the tax aspects of M&A, company incorporations and licensing agency contracts, in addition to assistance with audits and inspections and estate planning. Tax assessment specialist William Escobar, who was promoted to senior associate in April 2022, adds experience in the processing of tax consultations before the General Directorate of Internal Taxes. The team remains active in the renewables, consumer products, food and finance sectors.

El Salvador > Dispute resolution Tier 3

Standing out for its ‘commitment and agility in responding’, Consortium Legal employs deep regional bench strength (with offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua) to assist national, regional and multinational corporates and financial institutions involved in high-value, cross-border disputes. César Ramos leads the team, with 30 years’ experience spanning arbitration, alternative dispute resolution matters, and civil, commercial and labour litigation, including disputes in the financial, industrial and construction sectors. Key support at associate level is provided by constitutional law expert Diego Rivera.

El Salvador > Intellectual property Tier 3

Coordinating with the firm's regional offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, the Salvadoran intellectual property group at Consortium Legal combines deep bench strength with the experience of its team to manage and safeguard the portfolios of national, regional and multinational corporates from the pharmaceutical, food, telecoms, cosmetics, and banking and finance sectors, among others. The team handles copyright infringement litigation, trade mark nullification and cancellation for non-use, anti-piracy actions, and the IP aspects of franchise contracts and medical supply bidding issues, in addition to licensing and due diligence. Suzanne De Tablas, who brings over 20 years of experience to the practice, heads the group, with key support from recently promoted senior associate Francisco Medrano, who handles complex proceedings before the Intellectual Property Registry of El Salvador.

Central America > Corporate and finance

Consortium Legal further expanded its presence in Central America in December 2021 with the opening of a third Costa Rican office in the northeastern region of Guanacaste, seeking to take advantage of the development of tourist and residential projects in the area; real estate partners Juan Manuel Cordero and David Reuben are the key contacts. The firm also has branches in Guatemala, Honduras (in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), El Salvador and Nicaragua, allowing it to advise major multinationals on a wide range of international transactions, including M&A, syndicated loans and bond issuances. It also has a region-wide fintech practice. In Costa Rica (where the firm also has offices in Escazú and San José), Rolando Laclé Zúñiga, who has extensive experience in cross-border M&A and foreign investment, project finance expert Randall Barquero and Mario Quesada-Bianchini are among the names to note. Firm president Álvaro Castellanos handles finance matters in Guatemala, while Alfredo Rodríguez and Rafael Alvarado Riedel focus on corporate transactions. In El Salvador, Óscar Samour (who also leads the finance practice), Diego Martín and Maria Alejandra Tulipano jointly lead the corporate team; while Rodrigo Taboada, an authority in foreign investment matters, and Olga Barreto, are the key names in Nicaragua. In Honduras, office managing partner José Ramón Paz Padilla, along with José Ramón Paz Morales, Gustavo León-Gómez and José Rafael Rivera, handle the full spectrum of corporate and finance matters.

Nicaragua > Real estate

‘Particularly adept at handling multi-jurisdictional issues’, the real estate and registry team at Consortium Legal employs the deep bench strength of its offices in El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to assist regional and multinational corporations such as Del Monte and Colgate with a diverse range of matters across the practice area. Helmed by Carlos Taboada, who brings 19 years of experience to the real estate area, and senior associate Brenda Martinez, a specialist in the purchase and registration of urban and rural properties, the group advises on tax matters, asset protection, regulatory compliance, due diligence and free trade zone transactions. The practice displays particular strength in the retail, tourism and apparel sectors.