MAURICIO SALAS



PRACTICE AREA

• International Trade Law
• Environmental Law
• Corporate Law

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Partner, BLP Abogados, 2007- Present
• Partner, Facio & Cañas, Costa Rica, 2002-2007
• Associate, Facio & Cañas, Costa Rica, 1994-2002
• Intern, Appellate Body Secretariat, World Trade Organization, Geneva, 1999
• Researcher, Georgetown University, Washington, 1998
• Paralegal, Facio & Cañas, Costa Rica, 1992-1994

EDUCATION

• UNED. Master in Natural Resource Management, Environmental Management, 2006- 2007
• University of Costa Rica, School of Economic Sciences Professor, 2000-2004
• Georgetown University Law Center. Master of Laws, 1998-1999 (with distinction)
• University of Costa Rica, Licentiate Degree in Law, 2004 (honors)

LANGUAGES

• English and Spanish

MEMBERSHIPS

• Costa Rican Bar Association. 1994- Present

PERSONAL INFORMATION

• Selected as “Leading attorney in Costa Rica” in foreign trade and project finance by the annual publication IFLR 1000 (2004 - 2009).
• Listed as “Leading attorney in Costa Rica” in the Guide to the World’s Leading International Trade Lawyers, 2006 - 2009.
• Listed as “Leading International Trade Lawyer in Latin America” by Latin Lawyer (2006 - 2009.)
• Listed as “Recommended attorney in Costa Rica” by Latin Lawyer 250, 2006 - 2009.
• Reviewed as a leading attorney in corporate matters - Costa Rica” by Chambers Global magazine, 2005-2010.
• Listed as “Leading attorney in Costa Rica” in the book Guide to the World’s Leading Project Finance Lawyers, 2004-2009.
• Listed among the “Best 40 lawyers under 40 in Central America” by Latin Lawyer magazine, 2005 - 2009.

PUBLICATIONS

• CAFTA-DR Overview in Regional Trade Agreements, by The Cambridge University Press, 2008.
• Coauthor of the “Guide to analyze armed violence issues among Costa Rican youth”; Costa Rican Ministry of Education, 2007.
• International arbitration and the Congressional approval of CAFTA in CAFTA Legal Studies, 2005.
• Down with Diesel! In Energy Report, Project Finance Magazine, 2005.
• Anti-Dumping Practice in Central America, in Anti-Dumping in the Americas; Cameron May, 2004.
• Co Author of the article “Environmental Aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions in Costa Rica”, El Financiero, 2004
• Procedural Overview of the WTO EC-Banana Dispute, Co-author with Professor John H. Jackson; Journal of International Economic Law, University of Oxford, England. Vol. 3, iss. 1., 2000.
• Author of “Protection of Human Rights in the Constitutional Jurisdiction”, Latin American Forum,  Vol.1, No.1, 1995.

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

• Included in the roster of arbitrators of the Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and Costa Rica, 2006- Present
• Executive Director, International Human Rights Moot Court Competition “Eduardo Jiménez de Aréchaga”. Costa Rica, 1997
• Comptroller. Human Rights Action Center (HRAC). Costa Rica, 2005- Present
• Coordinator, Human Rights Commission, Costa Rican International Law Association. Costa Rica, 1996-1997
• Vice-President, Board of Directors, Costa Rican Association of International Law Costa Rica, 1994-1996
• Participant, Organizer, Examining Judge, Philip C. Jessup International Law Competition, Costa Rica/Washington,1992-1998