Mr Oscar Samour > Consortium Legal > La Libertad, El Salvador > Lawyer Profile
Consortium Legal Offices
EDIFICIO AVANTE LOCAL 313, URB. MADRE SELVA III.
CALLE LLAMA DEL BOSQUE PONIENTE
ANTIGUO CUSCATLAN, LA LIBERTAD
El Salvador
- Firm Profile
- Go to...
Mr Oscar Samour
Work Department
Banking & Finance
Position
Partner
Career
Oscar is a partner of Consortium Legal – El Salvador. He has more than 16 years of experience in banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions and conflict resolution. He has extensive international experience and is frequently sought after for his expertise in multi-jurisdictional transactions.
He is a Fulbright Scholar and upon completion of his Master of Laws in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University, California, he worked as an international associate at King & Spalding LLP in Washington, DC.
He has led some of the largest transactions to take place in the financial sector in El Salvador, including the acquisition of Banco Agrícola by Bancolombia and the acquisition of HSBC by Banco Davivienda. He recently led the acquisition by Imperia Intercontinental Inc. of Scotiabank’s operations in El Salvador and the acquisition of AIG’s operations in El Salvador by the Panamanian insurance company ASSA. In addition, he has advised the Republic of El Salvador on several issues in the international markets, including the largest issue in El Salvador, and is constantly working with local and international financial institutions in structuring different types of loans for Salvadoran entities.
He is a visiting professor at two of El Salvador’s leading law schools and the author of several articles on dispute resolution and banking and financial matters in legal journals and other publications.
WORK HIGHLIGHTS
- Advised Credit Suisse in the structuring of a DPR Program to Imperia Continental INC for the acquisition of the shares of Citibank in El Salvador for $100 million.
- Advised Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse as underwriters in Banco Agricola’s debt issuance for US$300 million.
- Advised American Insurance Group (AIG) in El Salvador in the acquisition of their operations by the Panamanian insurance company ASSA by the amount of $85 million.
- Advised the Panamanian branch of The Bank of Nova Scotia in a credit facility of $150 million granted to Autofacil Panama, S.A., holding company to one of the largest car dealer in the region.
- Advised the Republic of El Salvador on the issuance of notes for US$601 million.
- Advised Digicel International Finance Limited in the $1.35 billion US Loan financing granted by Citi as a joint book runner with JP Morgan and co-lead arranger with JP Morgan, Barclays, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank.
Languages
Spanish and English
Memberships
Member of the International Bar Association (IBA)
Member of the Latin American Arbitration Association
Certified arbitrator by the Center for Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador
Member of Spanish Arbitration Club
Member of Young Arbitrators Forum (ICC)
Member of the International Bar Association – Latin American Committee on Banking and Financial Law
Secretary of the Board of Directors of the British Chamber of Commerce in El Salvador
Education
- M. in International Arbitration (with honors), University of Pepperdine, United States (2009)
- American Legal System, Columbia University School of Law, United States (2006)
- Attorney and Notary authorized by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of El Salvador
- Degree n Legal Science (Honorable Mention), Universidad Centroamericana “José Simeón Cañas”, El Salvador (2005)
Lawyer Rankings
El Salvador > Banking and finance
(Leading individuals)With offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, the team at Consortium Legal is supported by a strong platform in the region when advising government agencies and major multinational banks and financial institutions, including Credit Suisse, Citibank and the Bank of Nova Scotia, on high-value, cross-border financial transactions. The team is headed by El Salvador office managing partner Oscar Samour, an authority in the financial sector with over 18 years of experience. He is supported by a capable junior team, including senior associate Felipe Aragón, who handles complex financing structures and financial matters in heavily regulated sectors, and associates Annette Herrera, who manages the negotiation of guaranty trusts and local and international loan agreements, and Daniel Leiva, a specialist in fintech who was appointed director of the firm’s fintech and cryptoassets practice in April 2023. Since publication, Annette Herrera has left the firm.
El Salvador > Corporate and M&A
(Hall of Fame)The corporate practice at Consortium Legal continues to lead in the Salvadoran market, leveraging the deep bench strength of locations in El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to advise national and international corporations, insurers and financial institutions involved in high-value, multi-jurisdictional transactions. The firm’s active client base includes household-name brands such as Amazon, PepsiCo and Walmart, and spans sectors ranging from telecoms, food and beverages, and retail to tech, fintech, pharmaceuticals and real estate. The comprehensive practice extends to cover M&A, asset purchase agreements, company incorporations, due diligence processes, licensing issues and corporate governance. An experienced trio of partners oversees the team – El Salvador managing partner Oscar Samour, who draws on multidisciplinary expertise when handling M&A transactions; Diego Martín, who has over 20 years of experience in the infrastructure, insurance and tech sectors and in the tax aspects of corporate transactions; and Maria Alejandra Tulipano, who assists private and public companies with strategic regional expansion, public tenders and concession contracts. The deep bench of junior lawyers includes senior associates Fidel Márquez, who advises on M&A and the sale and purchases of assets, and Felipe Aragón, who, in addition to major transactions, handles issues in heavily regulated sectors, and associate Gustavo Vega, who assists domestic and multinational businesses with the participation in and award of public tenders.
Central America > Corporate and finance
Consortium Legal maintains a formidable offering across Central America, with a presence in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras (in both Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), Nicaragua and Costa Rica (where it has branches in San José and Escazú, as well as two offices in Guanacaste, taking advantage of the province’s thriving tourism sector). The firm plays a prominent role in both domestic and cross-border financial transactions, and routinely advises foreign investors on projects in the region. In Costa Rica, Mario Quesada-Bianchini, who has three decades of experience in financial transactions and banking M&A (and also coordinates the firm’s regional finance practice), and fintech lead Randall Barquero are among the key contacts for financial matters, while Rolando Laclé Zúñiga, an expert in M&A and foreign investment, and Juan Manuel Godoy are names to note in the corporate team. Oscar Samour, a go-to specialist in multi-jurisdictional transactions, heads the banking practice in El Salvador, and steers the corporate team alongside Maria Alejandra Tulipano, who has a focus on international commerce, and Diego Martín. Olga Barreto, whose expertise spans the corporate, finance and aviation spheres, leads the team in Nicaragua. In Guatemala, the highly regarded Álvaro Castellanos heads the finance practice, while Alfredo Rodríguez, who has complementary tax expertise, and Rafael Alvarado Riedel lead the corporate team. An experienced quartet of partners – José Ramón Paz Morales, José Ramón Paz Padilla, Gustavo León-Gómez and José Rafael Rivera – handles corporate and finance matters in Honduras.
Lawyer Rankings
- Corporate and M&A El Salvador
- Hall of Fame El Salvador > Corporate and M&A
- Leading individuals El Salvador > Banking and finance
- Banking and finance El Salvador