BLP

Public Law, Public Procurement & Regulation, Energy & Infrastructure, Telecommunications, Media and Technology.

Director

Francisco is Director of BLP’s San José office. He has over 18 years of experience in which he has specialized in the practice areas of Public Law, Public Procurement & Regulation, Energy & Infrastructure and Telecommunications, Media & Technology.

He has extensive experience in complex administrative and disciplinary procedures, claims of responsibility before the Public Administration, as well as providing advice on administrative procedures before various bodies and public entities, litigation actions in Contentious-Administrative and Civil Treasury, Alternative Dispute Resolution (arbitration), and writs against unconstitutional actions, as well as advice on Municipal Law matters.

As a specialist in Public Law he has participated in the legal advice of successful projects related to Public Infrastructure (both in highway and airport projects), among which the legal direction for the Manager in charge of the Interested Management Contract of the Juan Santamaría International Airport stands out, providing legal advice in the relationship of the Manager with the government of Costa Rica (Technical Council of Civil Aviation and Control Body of the Contract), as well as with the Public Services Regulatory Authority and the General Comptroller of the Republic. Also of major note is his participation in the financing for the expansion of said Airport in 2011 with funds from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).

Additionally, he has participated in the direct assessment of the only road concession project in Costa Rica (Ruta 27), providing the concessionary company with advice regarding the Public Works Concession Contract with Public Service, and advising on its relationship with the Government of Costa Rica (National Council of Concessions, Ministry of Public Works and Transportation). As part of his work, he participated in the process related to the first issuance of bonds for the financing of infrastructure in Costa Rica, through the issuance of guaranteed preferred notes in international markets for $300 million, as well as the issuance of $50.75 million dollars within local markets.

Throughout his academic career, he has been a recurring guest of specialized magazines and media who invite him to write academic and opinion articles. He has been a professor in Public Law and Administrative Law at the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, as well as director of the Iberoamerican Journal of Public and Administrative Law, published by the Ibero-American Association of Public and Administrative Law “Prof. Jesús González Pérez ”.

He started his career as an associate at the Law Firm Rojas Franco y Asociados. He served as Legal Manager of Aeris Holding Costa Rica S.A., and Interested Manager of the Juan Santamaría International Airport, assuming the work of the Legal Department and advising on the Interested Management Contract. He later joined BLP as an Associate for a year before moving to serve for more than four years as Legal Director of Globalvia Ruta 27 (Autopistas del Sol SA), the company in charge of the San José Road Concession. In 2017 he returned to BLP as Senior Associate of the Firm.

Spanish, English

Costa Rica Bar Association

Ibero-American Association for Regulation Studies

Diploma in Economic Regulation and Competition, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain, 2016.

Diploma in Business Administration for Lawyers, INCAE Business School, Costa Rica, 2012.

Specialization in Regulation in Telecommunications, Universidad para la Cooperación Internacional, 2010.

Master in Public Law, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2009.