Aguilar Castillo Love Announces the Promotion of Its Regional Manager to Partnership and Her Appointment As Its First-Ever General Counsel

Aguilar Castillo Love today is announcing the promotion of Costa-Rica based general manager, Mary Ann Drake, to partnership and her appointment as general counsel, effective 1 January, 2024.

Mary Ann will continue to serve her private practice clients concurrently to taking on these expanded responsibilites. The appointment comes as Mary Ann concludes a secondment in a local legal management position of one of the firm’s multinational cients. In her new role, Mary Ann will be instrumental in maintaining Aguilar Castillo Love’s (ACL) culture of integrity and delivering on the firm’s continued growth strategy. This is a newly created role, and Aguilar Castillo Love’s first-ever general counsel position. Mary Ann will report to the firm’s two senior and co-managing partners, John Aguilar Quesada and Juan Carlos Castillo.

"Mary Ann’s promotion to the partnership was natural, considering her excellent performance, but especially her extraordinary commitment to the firm. She is a true guardian of the firm’s culture," says John Aguilar. He adds, "Mary Ann is ideally placed to take on further legal management responsibilities as our first-ever general counsel, as we evolve our culture and transform our firm."

"Mary Ann’s contributions to ACL over the years have been extraordinarily valuable to the firm. She has supported and developed a high-quality administrative function and has provided counsel on strategic issues," says Juan Carlos Castillo. "She is much loved and highly respected among all her peers within the firm," he continues.

Mary Ann has been with Aguilar Castillo Love for more than 13 years, rising through the ranks from what was initially planned only to be six-month’s maternity cover. She joined the firm as an associate in 2010, assuming the role of regional manager just three years later, with the role’s responsibilties expanding year on year – and in which Mary Ann oversaw various administrative initiatives. In recent years she has taken on legal management duties, positioning Mary Ann perfectly for this appointment as general counsel.

"We are at a very important stage for the firm. The growth that we [ACL] have experienced in recent years brings with it certain challenges – this leads us to review internal policies, ensure consistency, and maintain our unique culture," Mary Ann says. She adds, "It’s a privilege to continue my career with Aguilar Castillo Love as general counsel. The appointment means a greater commitment to maintaining active the principles and values that elevate the firm, and that make Aguilar Castillo Love unique."

Mary Ann is based in the firm’s Costa Rica office, and is a leading member of the firm’s Women’s Network and Pro Bono Initiative. She obtained her law degree from the University of San José, Costa Rica.

Aguilar Castillo Love has transformed from a Central American firm to the first, true, home-grown, regional Latin American firm. In the last five years the firm has entered the Bolivia and Paraguay markets and consolidated its presence in Ecuador and Panama. Today, the firm counts more than 70 lawyers, across a presence in nine Latin American jurisdictions.

About the law firm:

Aguilar Castillo Love is a full-service and the first home-grown, regional, Latin American law firm. It counts more than 70 lawyers working across Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Paraguay. Through legitimacy, cross-border business insight and forward-thinking legal expertise we provide security for our clients on highly complex and critical matters. We place the quality of our practice, the nature of its work and the value of our relationships ahead of our size. We are instruments for business integrity through the law.