Carlos Castillo

Carlos is a managing partner at Romero Pineda Firm and heads the Litigation department. He serves as a legal advisor on various Intellectual Property matters, including Corporate and Corporate matters represented by the firm. He’s a seasoned authority in Intellectual Property in El Salvador and the Central American region, having been among the first legal experts to draft Intellectual Property chapters in different international treaties subscribed to by El Salvador.

He boasts over 40 years of experience in Intellectual Property, during which he has supported the defense of Intellectual Property rights. In 1996, recognizing the need for control and surveillance of intellectual property in El Salvador, he was motivated to collaborate with Dr. Roberto Romero Pineda and the Attorney General of the Republic at that time to establish the Intellectual Property Protection Unit, later becoming the Intellectual Property Unit. This initiative left a highly significant legacy in observing and safeguarding intellectual property rights.

In 1996, upon recognizing the necessity for intellectual property control and surveillance in El Salvador, it inspired him to collaborate with Dr. Roberto Romero Pineda and the Attorney General of the Republic at that time to establish the Intellectual Property Protection Unit, later transformed into the Intellectual Property Unit. This initiative left a highly significant legacy in the observance and protection of intellectual property rights.

Carlos has been involved in various chambers and associations related to intellectual property and litigation both nationally and internationally. As a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in El Salvador (AMCHAM), he spearheaded the establishment of the Intellectual Property committee. This endeavor to create a specialized committee in Intellectual Property was replicated and adopted in the different American Chambers throughout the Central American region.

He has been involved in the Central American effort to modernize regional Intellectual Property legislation through various programs conducted by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). From 2001 to 2002, he was part of the legal advisory team for the Ministry of Economy, contributing to the drafting of the new Trademarks and Other Distinctive Signs Law.

In the realm of international treaties, he has served as legal advisor for the private sector in various negotiations. He acted as an advisor to the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists (ASI) during the negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement between Central America and Mexico (FTA), specifically in the dispute resolution and Intellectual Property discussions.

He also participated as an advisor to the Organization for Support to the Productive Sector in International Trade Negotiations (ODASP) in all negotiation rounds of the Free Trade Agreement between the United States of America and the Central American countries (CAFTA), particularly in the dispute settlement and Intellectual Property discussions.

Due to his experience in international treaty negotiations, Carlos was called upon to advise officials from the Government of El Salvador on protecting cultural traditions, particularly regarding the national dish, pupusas. In this capacity, Carlos recommended that the pupusa be officially recognized and declared as an expression of El Salvador’s culinary tradition. He proposed designating a day for its celebration, leading to the declaration of the second Sunday of November as the «National Pupusa Day.»

As an international consultant, he has taken part in events organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in the Dominican Republic (AmCham), Chemonics International, and other entities. His extensive experience in intellectual property and decades-long academic background were key factors in his appointment as legal counsel for the Republic of Peru in the internationally relevant case concerning the designation of origin for Pisco.

For his pivotal role in legally defending the Peruvian ownership and origin of the Pisco Designation of Origin, he was honored in 2011 with the «Order of Merit for Distinguished Services» decoration, receiving the rank of COMMANDER from the Republic of Peru.

Currently, he is a professor of Intellectual Property at José Matías Delgado University, teaching at the Law faculty and in other faculties like Design, Communications, and Economics. He has been a lecturer at the master’s level at the University of Technology of El Salvador. Additionally, he has been a speaker at the School of Communications Mónica Herrera and the Francisco Gavidia University, among other prestigious universities and schools. He has conducted seminars on Intellectual Property within the framework of CAFTA-DR: Trademarks and Copyrights. He was appointed by the Culture Commission of the Honorable Supreme Court of Justice as a lecturer on Intellectual Property and International Trade. Furthermore, he has authored numerous articles on Intellectual Property and Litigation, published by various institutions.

This year, he has been appointed as the delegate from José Matías Delgado University for the establishment and creation of the Center for Technology and Innovation Support Network (CATI), in collaboration with the National Registry Center (CNR) and WIPO.

He’s a member of the Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI) and has worked with various subcommittees of the International Trademark Association (INTA) for several decades. He’s a member and advisor of the Salvadoran Association of Designers-CROMA and has served as a founding member and president of the Intellectual Property Committee of AMCHAM El Salvador. Currently, he serves as Legal Advisor to the Franchise Committee of COEXPORT.

Apart from his bachelor’s degree in legal sciences, he holds a Master’s in Strategy and Business from E-Myth Worldwide, San Salvador, along with numerous courses and diplomas in his specialized fields. He also holds a certification in Administrative Law and a specialization in Commercial Law from the University of Central America «José Simeón Cañas» in El Salvador.

Chambers and Associations:

LEX MUNDI, INTA (International Trademark Association), ASIPI (Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property), ASI (Salvadoran Association of Industries), AMCHAM, CAMARASAL, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, COEXPORT (Legal Advisor to the Franchise Committee in El Salvador).

Awards and Recognitions:

Decoration «Order of Merit for Distinguished Services» from the Republic of Peru, with the rank of COMMANDER

Ranked in: WTR 1000, The Legal 500, Chambers & Partners

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