Diego Martín-Menjívar

(The following information was supplied by the firm)

Diego is partner at Consortium Legal – El Salvador. With more than 15 years of experience in the sectors of tax, insurance, infraestructure and technology; he has experience in insurance law, foreign investment and international trade, customs law, tax and corporate law. He has an extensive experience as a legal advisor to recognized companies, both local and international; he has been a local consultant for national and international public organizations, including the World Bank.

During his career, he has participated as a leading local lawyer in the process of negotiating and acquiring the hotel shares previously operated by the Hilton Franchise by Grupo Español Barceló Hotels & Resorts and in the acquisition of the Maxiefectivo/GuatePrenda group by Ezcorp.

He has also advised various clients in tax and customs litigation at administrative and judicial levels. Recently, he led the defense of an administrative process of verification of origin under CAFTA, against the granza rice importer industry, having achieved the recognition of origin by the General Customs Office and the closure of the case, and avoiding the application of duties, taxes and fines over the amount of approximately 15 million USD.

He has been a professor of Law, specializing in corporate and tax obligations. He is the author of different articles, in directories and legal magazines such as Law Business Research, the International Financial Law Review, El Economista, Derecho y Negocios, GBM Magazine and Thomson Reuters, among others.

WORK HIGHLIGHTS

• Advised Grupo Barceló Hotels & Resorts in the $28 million acquisition of the shares of the former Hilton franchised hotel in El Salvador.
• Advised Maxiefectivo in the sale of their operations in the region with for an amount of $55 million.
• Advised CEMEX El Salvador in the execution of a Revolving Credit Agreement for an amount of $3 million.
• Advised Puma Energy in El Salvador on the cancellation of $49 million guarantees granted in a syndicated loan obtained for the acquisition of the operations of Exxon Mobile in 2012.
• Advised Urbanisa, one of the strongest companies of urban projects in El Salvador, in the developing of a $5 million apartment project in El Salvador.

EDUCATION

• Doctor in Private Law, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain (2006)
• Master’s Degree in Private Law (LL.M), Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain (2008)
• Advanced Studies Diploma, Departament of Private Law, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain (2008)
• Diploma of Specialized Higher Studies, Departament of Private Law, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain (2008)
• Diploma in Notary Law, Universidad Doctor José Matías Delgado, El Salvador (2008)
• Bachelor´s Degree in Legal Sciences (LLB, Cum Laude), Universidad Dr. José Matías Delgado, El Salvador (2005)
• Attorney and Notary authorized by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of El Salvador

LANGUAGES

Spanish

English

German

ASSOCIATIONS

Secretary Director and Executive Director of the Mexican/Salvadoran Chamber of Commerce – CASALMEX

CASALMEX representative before the Federation of Binational Chambers of El Salvador

Member of International Insurance Society – IIS

Member of International Tax Planning Association – ITPA

Member of the International Insurance Law Association – AIDA

Director of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industry of El Salvador – CAMACOES

Chairman of the Tax Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in El Salvador – BritCham