A longstanding heavyweight in the banking and finance arena, regional firm BLP handles the full range of transactional and regulatory matters for an impressive roster of domestic and international financial institutions. In addition to its strength in the retail banking sphere, the ‘well-rounded’ team routinely advises on complex and often cross-border transactions including project finance, bond issuances (most notably, Costa Rica’s first blue bond issuance), corporate finance and high-profile banking sector M&A. The ’excellent’ Vivian Liberman, who is particularly sought after for her expertise in ESG financing, and Andrés López, whose practice spans financial, regulatory and insolvency matters, lead the sizeable team. Luis Hernández, Pablo Umaña and Julio Castellanos, an expert in the financing of infrastructure projects and capital markets, are other key names at partnership level, while senior counsel Rodrigo Cubero, the former president of the Central Bank of Costa Rica, and director Ariel Leiva are also noted.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Vivian Liberman has extensive industry knowledge and a strong commercial acumen, which greatly facilitates moving transactions forward without getting bogged down in minor issues.'
- 'A well-rounded team that makes them a one-stop shop. The lawyers who advise us are specialists in specific areas and have excellent knowledge of the market and the financial regulatory environment.’
- 'Andrés López and all the members of the BLP team in Costa Rica have outstanding practical and technical knowledge and have helped us to successfully navigate complex financial regulatory matters.'
- 'Vivian Liberman is an excellent lawyer, with incredible knowledge, a clear strategic vision, and excellent management of her team to stay on top of various issues. Ariel Leiva is always accessible and provides a personalised service that allows for in-depth discussion and allows us to speak the same language on risk and mitigation issues.’
Key clients
- Gramercy
- Evertec Inc. y Evertec Group
- IDB Invest, FinDev Canada y LAGreen
- Total Leasing Finco
- Unicomer
- DEG
- IDB Invest
- Puentes y Portafolios PPF
- Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
Work highlights
Acted as local counsel for Gramercy Funds Management in its project financing for Místico, a Costa Rican luxury real estate development, with a loan amounting to $31.6m for the construction and operation of the project.
Advised Evertec on an amendment to the $615m loan granted by Truist Securities, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Citizens Bank, Fifth Third Bank, National Association, and FirstBank Puerto Rico (the lenders) to Evertec and Evertec Group, increasing the loan amount to $1.275bn.
Advised IDB Invest, FinDev Canada and LAGreen (the investors) on $50m investment in Costa Rica’s first blue bond, marking a historic transaction for the country’s capital markets sector.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Vivian Liberman; Andrés Lopez