MANUEL ANTONIO PORRAS

Associate attorney at Gómez & Galindo Abogados since 2004, where his legal practice has included mainly corporate law and litigation, being a legal counsellor for the personal, corporate, factoring, and payment enforcement departments of regional banks, who are clients of the firm.

Among his corporative law practice, has participated in securitizations processes backed with mortgages. Administered legal advice drafting security agreements to secure housing and corporate loans using mortgages, chattel paper, pledges, trust contracts, and fideicomiso contracts as collateral. Has recorded planned communities, condominiums and real estate projects before the Property Public Registry. Has set legal structures to finance these types of projects. Has been in charge of reviewing contracts between banks and the companies that supply them with goods and services.

Among his litigation practice, has represented banks in judicial enforcement trials and arbitration lawsuits where he negotiated repayment plans and agreements with defendants. Administered legal advice for banks in recursos de amparo trialsrelated to money laundering prevention procedures. Represented banks in economic-criminal trials and in tax recovering cases before local governments.

As an LLM student from the International Trade Law and Business Law program from The University of Arizona College of Law, he participated in a Bankruptcy Project with the U.S law firm Quarles & Brady LLP, where he met with unrepresented clients who where facing consumer bankruptcy lawsuits. Assisted these clients, with a U.S. licensed attorney, in the Bankruptcy Court of Tucson, Arizona, United States of America.

Graduated as a J.D. from the Law School at the University of Costa Rica in 2004, where he wrote the graduation thesis: Supervisión y Regulación de la Banca Offshore en Costa Rica.

Undertook the specialization degree in order to become a Costa Rican Notary Public at the University Escuela Libre de Derecho in 2007, where he graduated with honours, Summa Cum Laude Probatus.

Graduated from the LLM program in International Trade Law and Business Law from the Roger College of Law at the University of Arizona in 2008, where he wrote the graduation thesis: The Use of Accounts Receivable as a Source of Collateral in United States and in Costa Rica. This thesis was recommended for publication by the director and was included in the Legal Collection of the National Law Center for Interamerican Free Trade in Tucson, Arizona.

Member of the Colegio de Abogados de Costa Rica (Attorney’s Bar Association of Costa Rica) since 2004.

Member of the Committee of Banking Techniques and Practices of the International Chamber of Commerce, Costa Rica.

Speaks English and Spanish.