Arias

One half of the pioneering Central American law firm Arias & Muñoz, which separated in 2016, Arias continues to benefit from a sizeable, seven-office-strong presence in the region. The firm has significant prowess on the lender side of complex financial transactions, acting for an impressive roster of regional and international banks and multilateral development agencies, in addition to advising major multinationals on domestic and cross-border M&A. Regional managing partner Vicente Lines, a high-profile name for multi-jurisdictional mandates, oversees the banking and finance practice in Costa Rica jointly with Diego Gallegos, and also co-heads the corporate team alongside M&A and private equity lead Andrey Dorado and Melania Dittel. Evangelina Lardizábal and Mario Agüero are the key contacts in Honduras (where the firm has offices in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula), and Ana Teresa Rizo, a sought-after adviser on foreign investment matters, steers the corporate and finance practice in Nicaragua alongside Bertha Arguello and Gustavo-Adolfo Vargas. In El Salvador, names to note include Lilian Arias and Roberta Gallardo, both of whom are well versed in M&A, fintech expert Mario Lozano and Luisa Rivas. Luis Pedro Del Valle, who has additional expertise in real estate law, leads on corporate and finance matters in Guatemala, while Yuri Moreno and M&A-focused María Cristina Fábrega head the Panamanian team.