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FEDERICO ARTURO GURDIÁN SACASA

Senior Partner
Regional Director of the Corporate and Transactional practice
(505) 8435 3001
federico.gurdian@garciabodan.com

Federico Gurdián is Senior Partner of García & Bodán Managua (Nicaragua), Head of the Corporate and Transactional practice of the firm.

He has been part of the firm since its inception in 2000, in 2005 was promoted to Partner and in 2009 moved for a period of two years to García & Bodán in El Salvador as Managing Partner.

With great technical strength and extensive experience in Corporate and administrative matters, mergers and acquisitions, financial matters, advising NGOs, loan structuring, capital markets, and regulatory issues in the financial, banking, and insurance sectors. He has led a significant number of lawyers in notorious transactions in recent years in the Central American region, serving national and foreign companies in a variety of industrial sectors.

Clients value his vast expertise; as well as his extensive knowledge and deep analysis of legislation and legal dispositions applicable to any particular case, that allows him to foresee problems before they occur, using a meticulous and responsible approach.

  • Corporate-Commercial
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Tax
  • Customs
  • Labor
  • Real Estate
  • Banking & Finance
  • Purchases and Contracting of Goods and Services
  • Trusts
  • Antitrust
  • Consumers Law
  • Free Zones
  • Aeronautic
  • Non-governmental Organizations and Foundations
  • Capital Markets
  • Corporate/Commercial, Chambers Latin America, 2013-2023.
  • Corporate/Commercial, Chambers Global, 2013, 2019-2022.
  • Corporate and Finance, Legal 500, 2023.
  • Dispute Resolution, Legal 500, 2023.
  • Real Estate, Legal 500, 2023.
  • Financial and Corporate, IFLR1000, 2006-2009, 2013, 2016, 2019-2021.
  • Corporate, Who’s Who Legal Central America, 2016-2019.
  • Real Estate, Who’s Who Legal Central America, 2018-2019.
  • Corporate/M&A, LACCA Approved, 2015-2021.
  • Corporate and M&A Law, Best Lawyers, 2019-2022.
l500-leading-individual-la-2023
l500-recommended-lawyer-la-2023
LACCA Approved Rosette 2021
LACCA Approved Rosette 2020
LACCA Approved Rosette 2018
  • Counseled to the buyer, a French investment fund specialized in sustainable forestry projects, in their acquisition of Nicaraguan company which owns coffee plantations and precious woods forests in Nicaragua.
  • Counseled to multinational company in due diligence for the acquisition of the biggest casino operator in Nicaragua in corporate, labor, compliance, tax and customs issues, among others.
  • Counseled a cigar manufacturer in securing lines of credit for USD 11 million granted by a national bank.
  • Counseled to a leader cigar manufacturer in their sale of equity of the company´s subsidiary in Nicaragua to a global leading tobacco company.
  • Counseled to the buyer, a French manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses and optical equipment, for the acquisition of a Nicaraguan operation, of a Costa Rican company who owns of the biggest optical chains and optical lab in the region.
  • Counseled Cargill Nicaragua, S.A. in the conformation, regulation, administration and implementation of the first plan fund or retirement plan in Nicaragua approved by the Ministry of Labor (MITRAB), called “PorVenir”.
  • Counseled a group of foreign plaintiffs in a suit for contractual breach against business group focused on the sale and development of real estate in Nicaragua, which sold them properties which it subsequently failed to develop. The firm also represented the clients in promoting a criminal investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office against the legal representative of the group, for fraud.
  • Assisted Keiser University in the coordination and elaboration of due diligence required for a seamless transition of Ave Maria University, Latin American Campus, to Keiser University, the only university in the US based in Nicaragua; as well as registration of Keiser University in Nicaragua so as to operate said campus.
  • Counseled and assisted Stanley Black and Decker in preparations to start operations in Central America and the Dominican Republic through the establishment of local branch offices.
  • Counseled to ThermaSource the number one company in the United States in the drilling of geothermal wells, in the structuring of its first operation outside of the United States. Legal advice consisted in to create the legal structure necessary to operate in Nicaragua in the field of geothermal energy, tax and besides, legal opinion on laws that provide incentives to those investing in renewable resources energy generation.
  • Counseled in the acquisition of Nicaraguan Telecommunications Company (Enitel) by América Móvil, which now operates under the brand Claro.
  • Contribution in Annual Report of World Bank and the International Finance Corporation “Doing Business”, 2011, 2013-2019.
  • Speaker on public–private partnership conferences in Nicaragua, 2017.
  • Speaker on “Legal landmarks for selling, investing and doing business in Nicaragua” – Live and Invest Conference, Nicaragua, 2015.
  • Legal Co-author “The Notorious Trademark in Comparative Law”.
  • Speaker on Investment Forum, Official Investment and Export Promotion Agency of Nicaragua (PRONicaragua), 2008.
  • Speaker on tax issues, PRONicaragua, 2008.
  • Legal Co-Author “The America’s Restructuring and Insolvency Guide” with PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2004-2005.
  • Vice Chair of the M&A Joint Venture Committee of the International Law Section of the American Bar Association (ABA), August 2021-August 2022.
  • Vice Chair of the Latin America & Caribbean Membership Committee of the of the International Law Section of the American Bar Association (ABA), August 2021-August 2022.
  • Member of the Board of Directors of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce of Nicaragua (CAMACOES), 2018-2022.
  • Member of the Board of Directors of the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Nicaragua (EUROCAM), 2021-2023.
  • Member of the Board of Directors of the Nicaraguan Costa Rican Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CADICONIC), 2021-2023.
  • Member of the Board of Directors (First Vice President) of the American Chamber of Commerce of Nicaragua (AmCham), 2022-2023.
  • Executive Program “U.S. Legal Methods: Introduction to U.S. Law” – Institute for U.S. Law (IUSALAW), Washington D.C., 2002.
  • Executive Program, “Legal Aspects of International Business” – Georgetown University Law Center and INCAE, 2000.
  • “General Course on Intellectual Property” – World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) World Wide Academy.
  • Admitted to practice as Attorney since 1999 and as Notary Public since 2000.
  • Graduated with honors – Universidad Americana (UAM), 1999.

Languages

  • Spanish
  • English