Arias & Muñoz (Costa Rica)

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Arias & Muñoz is unique in the region, being the first and only Central American law firm that is a single unit with eight fully integrated offices spanning six countries (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama).

The firm represents a wide range of companies, from large multinational corporations, including Global 500 and Fortune 500 companies, to small individual enterprises. By coordinating closely with all of our clients and identifying their particular needs, we provide them with excellent service, expert advice and effective solutions.

Our lawyers are well known in the region’s legal and business environment for their dynamism, can-do attitude and commitment that closes deals. The firm’s goal is to provide the client with fast responses and practical solutions from expert professionals within each area. Significantly, some of them are also licensed to practise in Europe and the United States.

Main areas of practice

Antitrust, consumer protection & competition law: Antitrust: advice on mergers and acquisitions. Consumer protection: assisting consumers on rights’ violations.

Banking, finance & securities: Structuring syndicated facilities and security packages in project and structured finance transactions; commercial and real estate financing. Counseling: local and international banks, in tax planning and bank acquisitions.

Corporate, tax & tax planning: Tax issues updates; planning; taxpayer’s defence; administrative tax actions; special business tax regimes; Central America tax assistance; withholding, salary and dividends taxes; and tax treatment to international assignees. Also, tax ruling requests; exemption requests rectifications; advice on local taxes (municipal); specific taxes; property transfer taxes; and others.

Customs, trade & transportation: Regulatory work for air cargo and passenger airlines; concessions, routes extensions; customs authority registration; drafting multi-jurisdictional logistic operation contracts; special customs regimes; customs litigation and claims, and international trade agreements.

Government procurement, telecoms, energy & regulated industries: Government procurement: process guidance and support, mediation, arbitration and judicial processes. Telecoms: representing clients whose activities involve local and long-distance voice telephony operators, as well as wireless and wire line network providers; submarine cable operators; data and value-added services providers; internet service providers; and satellite operators.

Intellectual property: Branding, comprising trademarks, trade names, slogans and special designs; commercial packaging; registration; renewal; trademarks’ maintenance; defense and registration of patents; registration and protection of copyrights.

Labour, executive employment & immigration: Employment relationships, employment agreements and restructuring, immigration, hiring, compensation and termination, employee stock-ownership programmes, payroll taxes and employers’ contribution to employee compensation funds, counseling employer on collective employment contracts, general legal aspects of labor unions and employee cooperatives, compliance with discrimination, and equal opportunity employment regulations.

Litigation & arbitration: In both Costa Rican and Central American courts in civil, commercial, white-collar and other criminal litigation.

Real estate, zoning & environmental: Counselling in development, financing, purchasing or selling diverse real estate interests for commercial, residential, and tourism uses; real estate development structuring and planning; due diligence and title verification; security interests structuring; banks, lenders and financers protection; contractual covenants created in other jurisdictions, adaptation; condominium law and condominium regulations.

Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian and German.

José Antonio Muñoz
jmunoz@ariaslaw.co.cr

Manuel Enrique Lizano
mlizano@ariaslaw.co.cr

Vicente Lines
vlines@ariaslaw.co.cr

Centro Empresarial Forum I, Edificio C
Oficina 1C1
San José
Costa Rica
PO Box 12891-1000
Tel: +506 2204 7575

Edificio Villa Guanacaste
1.7km hacia el Aeropuerto Internacional Daniel Oduber
Guanacaste
Costa Rica
Tel: +506 2666 9777

www.ariaslaw.com