Tax Law

Our tax law practice crosses practice groups. The Corporate Division has a long tradition in providing insightful tax law advice and our Litigation Division excels at navigating the procedures for every type of claim to the central government regarding tax issues.

The firm boasts two of the most renowned tax law professionals in Central America, who assist with matters ranging from complex regional tax planning to routine procedures. As a member of Lataxnet, we have access to the latest information about tax issues from the Ministries of Treasury throughout Latin America. This resource enables us to establish special policies that support our clients in the maximization of their tax savings and in the design of regional corporate structures, providing the best options for their tax planning.

On a daily basis, we advise local and foreign clients on a wide variety of tax issues, such as the creation of structures to minimize tax liabilities; tax implications in the sale of insurance policies; income tax effects on financing by international lenders; income tax effects on mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures between local and international companies; tax effects on the sale of shares by local corporations to multinational investors; optimization of tax benefits; and tax effects of private and public agreements.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Romero Pineda & Asociados counsels public and private company options for amalgamations of companies, divisions and subsidiaries, joint ventures and strategic alliances, as well as substantial equity investments. The M&A group works closely with the tax group and our securities law specialists to provide integrated and cohesive advice. We also work closely with our clients to ensure achievement of intended business objectives and outcomes.

International Business

Our strategic advisory services supports clients in negotiating entry and doing business in El Salvador and Central American markets, from exchange controls to taxes to foreign investment requirements.

Environment

El Salvador began to engage with environmental issues just a few years ago. Since then new investors and established businesses have required legal and technical advice to ensure that they are environmentally friendly and statutorily compliant. This status can be certified through social licenses supported and defined by national and international standards.

In order to provide a complete range of environmental services at the highest level, Romero Pineda & Asociados has established a regional alliance with González y Uribe, a Costa Rican law firm which has the best-qualified experts in the region. This alliance reinforces our practice and allows us to provide the best service in the local market.

Crisis Management

Simply put, there is no other local firm with the sum of capabilities that our multidisciplinary crisis management group of lawyers can offer. Our crisis management group is composed of the most experienced lawyers in the firm -- distinguished professionals with experience at the highest levels of government and on the most important Boards in the region. They manage our clients’ crises with their skill, experience and solid contacts. In the end, they turn our obstacles into opportunities.

Real Estate and Tourism

The fastest growing markets for investment in El Salvador are real estate and tourism. The reported liquidity injection derived from the action selling by multiple domestic companies proves that many of the prior investments are in these economic areas. We work with important tourism associations. We also have formal alliances with the most representative international corporations in the region that assist important fast growing phenomena such as Costa Rica, Riviera Maya, Punta Cana, among others.

Labor

Romero Pineda & Asociados has developed special programs to assist the rapidly expanding inquiries about labor issues of regional and global corporations. Through these monthly structured service programs, our clients can count on specific assessment and support for specialized litigation. Each program is designed to provide the right service for the individualized needs of a particular enterprise based on factors such as size, local presence and economic climate.

Other Services & Industries

CAPITAL MARKETS

We advise Companies and individuals who want to invest in El Salvador or in Central America within any type of industry, providing them all the necessary legal support to determine the best vehicle to invest as well as the advice they need while developing their business.

COMMERCIAL ARRANGEMENTS & DOCUMENTS

Within the activities of our Corporate Division, we provide our Clients the support they need to close contracts and deals, assisting them in the respective negotiations and meetings as well in preparing the documents and contracts resulting from the agreed transactions.

CONTRACTS

Our Corporate team has been involved in advising, negotiating, and preparing all types of contracts for our Clients, such as lease agreements, distribution contracts, purchase agreements, mortgages, pledges, loan agreements, franchises, shareholders agreements, labor and services contracts, among many others.

DISTRIBUTION & AGENCY

We advise Companies that want to enter into Distribution Contracts either as Principals or as Distributors. We also provide the legal assistance needed when the parties of a Distribution or Agency Contract want to modify or terminate their relationship, by helping them to negotiate and prepare the correspondent documents including the document of mutual release when necessary.

ENERGY

Among our clients, we have Companies related to the energy sector. We help them to establish their entities, complete the legal steps to operate, and negotiate their agreements with operators and consumers.

ENVIRONMETAL

Our practice also includes the advice our Clients need to have their Companies operating in accordance with all applicable environmental regulations. We have also helped them to manage the crisis resulting from any breach of said regulations, until solving the problem. We have the knowledge and the adequate team to help our Clients to prepare and get approval of their environmental feasibility projects when they need to fulfill such a requirement before starting operations.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

We advise our Clients whether they want to invest in El Salvador or abroad, by helping them to decide the best way to establish their businesses and by obtaining all the necessary registrations to protect their investment and ensure repatriation of money and goods if needed.

FREE ZONES

We help our Clients to establish their Companies either within a Free Zone or as Active Perfecting Depositories, so that they can enjoy the benefits of certain fiscal incentives regulated in our Legislation. Besides, we also advise Clients who want to get the benefits or a relatively recent Law of International Services, for establishing Companies dedicated to call centers or logistic activities, among other possible services.

GENERAL AND SPECIALIZED DUE DILIGENCES

As part of our Corporate practice, we have been involved in the conduction and performance of due diligences for our Clients that want to either purchase, sell, or merge their Companies. Our expertise includes the performance of general due diligences, when we review and analyze basic legal aspects of Companies, as well as specialized due diligences related to Banks, Energy Companies, Hotels, and others.

GUARANTEES & SECURITIZATION

We help our clients by preparing, negotiating, getting authorization, and registering, all documents related to guarantees and securities, advising them about the best way to invest, do business, and protect their interest.

IMMIGRATION

Our Corporate Division also takes care of all types of immigration matters for those foreign individuals working for our Clients, by advising them regarding the legal status to be asked from the Authorities, and helping them to get and file the necessary documents. Among the procedures we follow for our Clients and their employees and executives are those related to obtaining temporary and permanent residences, multiple visas, and authorization to work or to study in El Salvador.

LABOR

Our Labor Practice includes preparing the labor contracts, services contracts, confidentiality contracts, codes of conduct, internal rules, and getting the approval for all those documents before the respective Authorities, as well as negotiating any amendment or termination of any sort of labor or services relationship.

PRIVATIZATIONS

We have advised Companies that want to be a part in a privatization process, either as consultants or as participants. We help them to prepare the respective offers by providing them all kind of support including but not limited to the elaboration of all requested legal papers.

PROJECT FINANCE

We help our Clients who want to invest or to get financing of a project, by preparing all the necessary documents, feasibility studies of the projects, and the conduction of the respective due diligence, if needed, to determine the convenience of the investment. TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Some of our Clients are Companies related to telecommunications, and they request our legal services to help them to establish their entities, get approval from the respective Authorities, obtain and renew licenses, and enter into contracts with other operators and consumers.

AVIATION

Among our Clients, we have Companies related to the Civil Aviation Industry, such as Airlines and Ground Services Companies, for which we render legal services related to get operation permits; authorization of rutes, regular flights and charters; inclusion of aircraft; registration of code sharing agreements; and others.

REPRESENTATIVE INDUSTRIES:

Our Corporate Division advises Clients related to all types of industries, to which we render general corporate legal services regarding different areas such as labor, taxation, contracts, franchising, licenses, environmental, crisis management, immigration, incorporation, mergers and acquisitions, and many others. Some of our Clients are within the following sectors:

Advertising
Aviation
Beverage Packaging
Cosmetics
Energy
Fast Food Restaurants
Financial Services
Consumer & Retail
Manufacturing
Mining
Pharmaceutical
Software
Telecommunications