January 13, 2021
Are monopolies allowed in Costa Rica? Check this article by our partner, Alan Thompson, on the constitutional and legal issues surrounding monopolies in Costa Rica, published today in the digital edition of El Observador. Access to the article here:
December 9, 2020
As Costa Rica completes its accession to the OECD, Lead University and the Costa Rican National Competitiveness Council have come together to establish an Observatory on OECD and Public Policy. The opening session will take place on December 16th and our partner Alan Thompson will moderate a panel on the OECD’s most recent assessment of competition law and policy in Costa Rica.
November 13, 2020
Our partner, Alberto Fernández López, is one of the panelists invited to the X Convention of Central America and the Caribbean Arbitration Centers, which will be held from the 23rd to the 27th of November 2020. The main topic will be the role of arbitration centers in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic: practical experiences, lessons learned and future challenges. For more information: [email protected]
September 24, 2020
Proposed regulations of the new competition law in Costa Rica (Law No. 9736) are submitted for public consultation for 15 working days starting from today. This law introduces major changes in institutional issues and in rules and procedures on merger control, investigation of monopolistic practices and sanctions. Access to the proposed regulations here:
August 31, 2020
“Arbitration Day 2020,” an international event organized by Costa Rican Young Arbitrators, takes place today. Our associate, Guillermo Zúñiga Saborío, will moderate the virtual inaugural panel entitled “Soft Law: Concept, features and scope.”
August 20, 2020
Our partner, Alberto Fernández López, is recognized in the 2020 edition of Who is Who Legal Central America for his extensive knowledge and experience in dispute resolution and construction law. According to the publication, Alberto “continues to impress clients and peers alike with his vast experience and knowledge of disputes and claims arising from the construction sector.”
August 4, 2020
“Absolute monopolistic practices in Costa Rican law and jurisprudence.” A legal article by our partner, Alan Thompson, included in the second edition of Lead University’s academic journal LOGOS (Vol. 1, No 2, pp. 52-65). In this article the author analyzes absolute monopolistic practices, known internationally as cartels, in the light of relevant OECD instruments, Costa Rican laws, and decisions of Costa Rican competition authorities and courts. Access to the digital edition of the journal here:
July 16, 2020
Pedro Caro de Sousa, an OECD expert, was the main speaker in the webinar “Competition in times of pandemic: the role of economic agents and authorities”, organized today by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Association of Professionals in Administrative Contracting. Our partner Alan Thompson participated as a guest commentator.
July 13, 2020
The Central Bank of Costa Rica has announced that it is considering opening lines of credit to banks and other financial intermediaries to finance companies affected by the pandemic. In an article in this week’s edition of El Financiero, our partner Alan Thompson discusses the legal feasibility of the proposal. The article is available here:
July 3, 2020
As of today, maximum interest rates apply to all types of loans in Costa Rica, as per amendments to the Law of Promotion of Competition and the Effective Defense of the Consumer introduced by Law # 9859 published on June 20, 2020. Charging interest rates above the legal maximum will constitute the crime of usury under the law. Most market interest rates for loans in Costa Rica are below the legal maximum, except in the case of credit cards and unregulated consumer loans. Here is the official notice of the Costa Rican Central Bank published today: