News & Events

Reorganization of our Department of Intellectual and Industrial Property

 "FERNANDEZ LOPEZ & ASOCIADOS informs its clients and correspondents that our Department of Intellectual and Industrial Property will no longer function under the concept of FERNANDEZ & PALLARES as it did on a temporal basis, instead it will be administered directly by FERNANDEZ LOPEZ & ASOCIADOS.  Any questions or comments regarding this issue, please communicate directly with Licda. Alejandra Fernández at 00 34 649404426 or with Lic. Marco Antonio Fernández at our offices."

New Members of FERNÁNDEZ LOPEZ & ASOCIADOS

FERNANDEZ LOPEZ & ASOCIADOS is pleased to announce that the following three attorneys have recently joined our law firm: Lic. Paul Zúñiga-Hernandez, Msc; Lic. José Andrés Masís Calvo and Licda. Andrea Hulbert Volio.

Mr. Zuñiga has ample experience in the areas of Business and Corporate Law as well as in International Trade issues. In the last years, he has actively practiced in the area of Real State law as a lawyer and as a public notary, area in which he has provided services to clients specialized in the field, such as urban and hotel developers. In addition, Mr. Zuñiga is involved as a consultant in financial, corporate and investment issues with several north American and Caribbean companies. Likewise, he is an active member of several corporate and industrial chambers in our country, in particular the Costa Rica – Canada Chamber of Commerce.

Mrs. Hulbert is currently involved in the field of civil, family and constitutional law litigation. She has previously worked as a judge assistant in the Constitutional Section of the Supreme Court, in which she was appointed in the Office of Admission of Unconstitutional Actions and Judicial Reviews as well as in the Office of Admissibility of Habeas Corpus and Constitutional Actions.

Finally, Mr. Masís has recently obtained his law degree and is currently getting his masters degree in Business Administration with emphasis in international business. He will reinforce the corporate and real state practice of our law firm.

Public consultations with regards to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Negotiations:

The Foreign Trade Ministry of Costa Rica (COMEX) published on the Official Journal "La Gaceta" No. 153 of August 12, 2002, a public calling requesting written submissions with regards to the ongoing negotiations of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), including contributions on the market access negotiations (agricultural and industrial goods, services, investments and government procurement), specific rules of origin as well as on each chapter of the FTAA draft on each of the negotiating groups.

As a response to such calling, FERNANDEZ LOPEZ & ASOCIADOS has sent its written comments with regards to the second draft of the Chapter on Subsidies, Antidumping and Countervailing Duties, in which a detailed summary of the unfair trade practices issue is considered, as well as a proposal on the Costarrican position on the topic and detailed comments on each of the articles of the above-mentioned draft.

A summary of these comments is available for review. A complete version of our comments is also available upon request.