IN-PERSON BREAKFAST: Central America, Oasis of Opportunities

LATIN COUNSEL and BLP are pleased to organize a roundtable in the city of Madrid to explore business and investment opportunities in Central America, in the framework of a breakfast with BLP partners from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, in addition to the collaboration of Mauricio Chacón, from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration / Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica - BCIE. 





📅 Thursday, 1 JUNE
🕗 10:00 a.m.
🏨 Hotel InterContinental, Madrid
✍️ RSVP: info@latincounsel.com



 

DAVID GUTIÉRREZ - Costa Rica/ Madrid

David has been a Partner of BLP since 2003 and one of its two co-founders. Since 2017 he leads BLP’s Madrid representative office, which serves as a liaison between Europe and Central America facilitating business opportunities between both continents. His practice areas include Corporate and Commercial Law, Mergers and Acquisitions and Infrastructure Finance.
Throughout his more than 25 years of professional experience, he has advised national and international financial institutions in purchase transactions and multi-jurisdictional loans for the largest projects in the region, for an amount exceeding US$5 billion.
For many years he has been recognized as one of the best lawyers in the Central American region by Legal 500, Latin Lawyer, Who’s Who Legal and IFLR 1000. Chambers and Partners has distinguished him with the exclusive title of "Emminent Practioner" for several years. Clients describe him as a bold, practical, solution-oriented lawyer, a key team player and a visionary. In 2005 he was selected as one of the top 40 corporate lawyers under 40 in Central America by Latin Lawyer. Additionally, he was awarded the Law Firm Leader of the Year award by the prestigious Law Business Research, and Latin Lawyer magazine in 2012.
He has had an important and distinguished career in the International Bar Association (IBA), the largest and most important organization of lawyers in the world. He was officer (2010-2016) and Chair (2017-2019) of the Latin American Forum. He was Chair (2019-2020) of the World Forums. Since 2019 he is part of the Latin American Regional Forum Advisory Board and since 2018 he is a member of the IBA Council, the most relevant body of the IBA. Since 2013 he has been a Fellow of the Central America Leadership Initiative (CALI), affiliated to the Aspen Global Leadership Network, one of the most recognized think tanks worldwide.
Since 2020 he is the Latin America Chair of the World Services Organization (WSG), a network that brings together the most important law firms, accounting firms and investment banks in the world. Since 2020, David is a member of the board of directors of DESARROLLOS ERMITA DEL SANTO SOCIMI, S.A. It is a company whose shares are publicly traded on the BME stock exchange in Madrid. Finally, since 2009 he is an honorary founding member of the Omar Dengo Foundation, the most relevant NGO in education and technology in Costa Rica.
David is a member of the Madrid and Costa Rica chapters of YPO (Young Presidents Organization), the most exclusive business organization in the world. In the Madrid chapter he has held several leadership positions.
David has been an important leader in pro bono and sustainability. In 2008 he was founder and first President of the BLP Foundation, the first Costa Rican signatory of the Cyrus R. Vance Center’s Pro Bono Declaration for the American Continent, as well as the first coordinator of the Pro Bono Commission of the Costa Rican Bar Association from 2010 to 2011. From 2018 to 2002, he was founder and member of the Board of Trustees of the Pro Bono Spain Foundation, the first of its kind in that country.
In past positions, he was Founding Director and President of CICA, the arbitration center of AMCHAM (2010-2011) and also President of the Costa Rican Association of International Law (ACODI) (1994-1998).
He was part of the Advisory Council (2010-2013) of the Americas Society and the Council of the Americas in New York, and from 2011-2016 member of the board of directors of the Business Alliance for Development (AED), the most important business organization in Costa Rica. From 2000 to 2008 he was director of the Costa Rican chapter of Junior Achievement International.
As a soccer fan, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of Deportivo Saprissa from 2011 to 2017. Likewise, from 2015 to 2017 he held a seat on the Executive Committee of the Costa Rican Soccer Federation.
Prior to founding BLP with his colleague and life friend Luis Castro in 2003, he served as an Associate and then Partner at KPMG.


ADRIANA CASTRO - Costa Rica

Adriana is a Partner at BLP in the San Jose, Costa Rica office. She specializes in Corporate Law and Telecommunications, Media and Technology practices. In addition, she has expertise in corporate dispute resolution and family business issues.
For more than 17 years she has advised national and transnational companies in starting and maintaining their operations in Costa Rica, with a special focus on technology companies. Adriana also leads complex cross-border transactions in Latin America and the Caribbean. She is highly regarded by local and multinational clients and has become a trusted advisor in major transactions in the region. Her experience also includes restructuring, design and implementation of corporate structures, resolution of shareholder conflicts and organizational aspects of family businesses.
She is described as a lawyer focused on developing and understanding her clients’ businesses, with a comprehensive vision and great attention to detail. She is also noted for the clarity and strength of her answers.
Adriana was a professor of Private Law at the University of Costa Rica for three years. She is currently Co-Vice-Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA), as well as Officer of Young Lawyers initiatives in the Latin American Regional Forum of the IBA.
Locally, she is also a board member of the Fundación Jóvenes por Costa Rica, an organization that seeks to promote better economic conditions for the youngest Costa Ricans through the promotion of projects that will have an impact on employment generation, entrepreneurial qualities and better education. She is also one of the founders and executive director of the Catalina Vega Foundation, an organization that helps hospitals provide better facilities for hospitalized babies.
In addition, Adriana participates as an active board member of several family-owned businesses.
She joined the BLP team as a paralegal in 2003 and then joined as an associate in 2007. In 2017 she was named Partner of the firm. Previously she was assistant to the presidency of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica.


LILIAN LÓPEZ, Honduras 

Lilian is a founding Partner of the BLP Honduras office. Her specialties include Banking & Finance, Corporate Law, Tax and Free Trade Zones.
Throughout her 24 years of experience, in the International Trade practice area, she has experience in advising on the different customs regimes, Central American customs regulations, customs value adjustments and challenges in general. Regarding Taxes, she has extensive knowledge in tax litigation, challenges to adjustments, tax planning, special regimes, exemptions and credits.
She has been head of the Legal Counsel and Attorney Department at the Executive Directorate of Revenue (DEI) for four years and advises on the Auditors Legal Manual for the Project sponsored with funds from the DEI, now known as the Revenue Administration Service, (SAR).
In 2015 she was one of the six founding partners of BLP’s Honduras office. Previously she practiced as a partner at Lexincorp and Centro de Abogados Haroldo A. López. She currently provides legal advice to different private entities, corporations, ONGD and OPDF.


ZYGMYNT BRETT, El Salvador

Zygmunt is a Partner of BLP based in the El Salvador office. He specializes in Corporate Law practices, with emphasis on Mergers & Acquisitions, Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Competition & Antitrust and Energy & Infrastructure. 
Zygmunt acts as legal counsel for leading local and international companies in various industries. He has been responsible for the conduct and coordination of multiple domestic and multi-jurisdictional projects, including the structuring, negotiation and execution of acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, financial structuring, corporate and tax planning, and dispute resolution. 
He is widely recognized as a top-tier professional by various market sources, with considerable experience in handling financing and capital markets projects. These projects include legal advice and coordination in more than 20 jurisdictions in Central and North America and the Caribbean region. 
He is recognized as an outstanding lawyer in his practice areas by renowned publications, such as Chambers and Partners, Latin Lawyer, Who’s Who Legal and IFLR 1000. He is highly ranked by Chambers and Partners in Corporate Law and Banking & Finance. He was also selected as one of the 40 best corporate lawyers under 40 in Central America by Latin Lawyer in 2003. 
He joined BLP as a Partner in 2020. 


ERNESTO RIZO, Nicaragua

Ernesto is a founding partner of BLP in Nicaragua. His practice areas include Corporate Law, Banking & Finance, Mining and Agribusiness.
With more than 20 years of legal experience he has advised local and foreign companies in multiple complex corporate and financial transactions. Corporate law advice includes commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, as well as day-to-day matters.
In the banking and financial area, he has extensive experience in comprehensive legal advice to local and foreign financial institutions in capital markets, loans and structured finance.
In agro-industrial matters, he has provided comprehensive advice to companies interested in the industrialization and commercialization of agricultural, forestry and other biological natural resources products in all aspects of the business, from the best legal structure to operate in the country, detailing the tax benefits that apply, to environmental licensing.
Ernesto also has extensive experience in advising mining companies in the country in all stages of the project and its implementation, including highly complex agreements related to the financing of mining projects, with a practical and business-oriented approach.
His clients describe him as a capable and outstanding lawyer with deep knowledge of the local and international legal framework. Recognized as an outstanding lawyer by renowned publications, such as Chambers and Partners, IFLR 1000 and Latin Lawyer, among others.
He joined BLP as a partner in 2014. Previously he was part of the legal team of the Central Bank of Nicaragua and was legal advisor to the Nicaraguan Stock Exchange where he participated in the drafting of the Capital Market Law and the regulations arising therefrom.


RODOLFO SALAZAR, Guatemala

Rodolfo is a founding partner of BLP in Guatemala. He specializes in the practices of Dispute Resolution, Public Law, Administrative Contracting & Economic Regulation, Energy & Infrastructure and Environmental, Occupational Health & Safety.
Throughout his more than 20 years of extraordinary professional practice he has successfully resolved complex litigation in both the private and public sectors; highlighting his participation as Judicial Director of the State for the Defense of Guatemala in the ICSID Arbitrations ARB 09/05 promoted by Iberdrola Energía and ARB 10/23 promoted by Teco Holdings. He was also part of the national legal team that advised Guatemala in the arbitration promoted by the United States in chapters XVI and XX of CAFTA-DR.
He is recognized for his experience advising on governmental affairs, public-private partnerships, bids, public policies and strategies; in the development of energy and infrastructure projects, with particular expertise in national and international bids; and in contracts for environmental mitigation measures, environmental impact studies, and socialization processes of electric energy projects.
He has been legal advisor to the National Agency for Economic Infrastructure Development Alliances (ANADIE), the Guatemalan Postal Service Concessionaire, the National Competitiveness Program (PRONACOM), the Santo Tomás de Castilla Free Zone of Industry and Commerce, the office of the Minister of Energy and Mines, and Empresa Portuaria Quetzal.
Rodolfo enjoys the recognition of the prestigious publication Chambers and Partners, being highly valued among his clients as a reliable, decisive and collaborative lawyer.
After more than 15 years of valuable career at Arenales & Skinner-Klee - LatamLex, where he was a Partner for several years, Rodolfo became a Partner at BLP in 2016.