Partner, Arias Law, Costa Rica Partner and leader of the department of environmental law and occupational health and safety and food safety, as well as sustainability services (environmental, social, governance). Roberto has more than twenty years of experience at the service of national and international organisations. He stands out for his services to corporate clients and public institutions, as well as non-governmental organisations in Central and South America, providing comprehensive legal advice, innovative solutions and a preventive approach based on risk analysis on environmental legal matters, in occupational health and safety, which visualises sustainability as the correct way to do business. He works as an expert auditor in legal and environmental management assessments, occupational health, food safety, social responsibility, and quality, based on ISO standards, as well as Rain Forest Alliance standards for coffee, ornamental plants, bananas, pineapple excellence audits and BASC.

Partner, Arias Law, El Salvador Carolina initially focused her practice in real estate law as a legal advisor and assistant in the Real Estate Registry. Simultaneously, she was an assistant and then professor at Universidad Dr José Matías Delgado for Roman Law, Civil Law, and Introduction to Law. Before joining Arias, Carolina worked as a legal analyst in research at the Department of Legal Studies of the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES), a Salvadoran think tank. Carolina has worked in investment projects in the textile and manufacturing sector, representing multinational companies in free zone regime, environmental law, energy, corporate, registry, regulatory compliance and other legal subjects related to their operations. Carolina has advised various industries on contracts for the sale and supply of energy, the energy market, and advice from a regulatory perspective on the establishment and operation of electrical installations associated with the generation and distribution of power. She has advised various clients in different aircraft financing transactions from a local regulatory point of view, which has involved leases, subleases, and guarantees, involving local air operators.

Senior attorney, Central America and Mexico, Cargill Ligia focuses on addressing environmental legal issues for Central America and Mexico. She is part of Cargill’s global environment and sustainability team. Her experience with Cargill began in Honduras in 2004, moving to Nicaragua in 2005, where she resides. She has participated in company acquisition projects for general legal matters and environmental specialists in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Colombia, including obtaining the first concentration authorisation granted in Nicaragua. She has a master’s degree in business law and international trade from the University of Valladolid and the American University.

Legal manager energy, CMI María Fernanda Esquivel works as business legal partner for the energy group of Corporación Multi Inversiones. Her experience of 20 years in the field of sustainability and energy markets has allowed her to be part of great teams that aim at decarbonising the energy matrix in the Central American countries and the Caribbean. She has obtained important skills in her role as in-house counsel in arbitration and litigation in general, project financing, M&A, regulatory challenges, and proactive counseling in the very disruptive energy field. She was appointed as the first woman taking the role as comptroller for the Costa Rican private generation association (ACOPE). María Fernanda graduated as JD from the University of Costa Rica and later on obtained her master’s degree in law and a specialisation in environmental law and energy law from University of Berkeley, California. Most recently, María Fernanda had a very active role in a successful green bond issuance for $700m by CMI Capital for the refinancing of their portfolio in Central American and the Caribbean.