Biography: Banking

José Antonio Muñoz, founding and managing partner, has been at the helm of the firm since its inception over 14 years ago. Mr Muñoz has overseen the growth of Arias & Muñoz from its formation to its current position as the largest and only fully integrated Central American law firm, with eight offices in six countries throughout the region.

Mr Muñoz's legal career has been extremely diverse. In the public sector, he has held a number of public positions, both in Costa Rica and abroad. In the private sector, he has established himself as one of the top corporate lawyers in Central America, specialising in transactional work and international investment. His multi-faceted career and diverse experience allows him to provide a unique perspective that is invaluable to clients.

In March 2011, Mr Muñoz received the Central America Law Firm Leader of the Year Award from Latin Lawyer. In June 2011, the Costa Rican Bar Association 2011 honoured him with the Distinguished Lawyer of the Year Award.

Mr Muñoz has created an ever-expanding full-service firm, known for attracting and developing top tier talent in the market. The internal culture fostered by Mr Muñoz holds the team together, thus improving the firm's profitability and position in the international marketplace. José Antonio Muñoz received his LLM in Common Law Studies from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a Fulbright scholar, and his JD equivalent from the University of Costa Rica Law School in 1978. He also practises in corporate law and corporate governance, foreign direct investment and international investment disputes, corporate and tax structuring (both international and domestic), real estate law, and government affairs.

Biography: Corporate Governance

José Antonio Muñoz, specialises on corporate governance and foreign direct investment, advising on corporate and tax structures for both US and foreign corporate interests and liaises with government entities. He often leads his firm's regional teams on Central America-wide projects.

In Costa Rica, corporate governance regulations are spread amongst a myriad of legal sources including the Commerce Code, regulations of the Costa Rican Exchange Market and the relevant Superintendent Agencies. As the leader of the firm's corporate governance and foreign investment groups, José Antonio advises clients on these emerging regulations keeping the firm at the cutting edge of banking, investment, tax and insurance advising.

José Antonio was instrumental in incorporating private-public partnerships for developing public infrastructure works. He advised on the original infrastructure project for supplying urgently needed potable water to Guanacaste's coastal areas and negotiated with the government the construction of several aqueducts.

Mr Muñoz is experienced in both the public and the diplomatic sector and participated in many diplomatic foreign trade negotiations. He was minister, consul general and deputy chief of mission at the Costa Rican Embassy in Washington DC from 1992 to 1994. Earlier this year, José Antonio was elected president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Costa Rica. In March 2011, he was honoured with the award for 'Law Firm Leader of the Year for Central America' by Latin Lawyer.

Chambers and Partners praises him as a 'deal doer' with the 'capacity to look at the greater picture'. With the approval of a new arbitration law in Costa Rica, José Antonio will utilise his diplomatic background in leading the firm's growing Arbitration practice group.

José Antonio's firm has experienced rapid exponential growth in the past years and shows promise of continued expansion in the near term.

Other Practice Areas

José Antonio Muñoz also features in the following practice areas:

• Real Estate