Carlos Ubico

Carlos is a Partner and Practice Group Leader of the Administrative Law and Administrative Contracting Group.

He has extensive experience advising on administrative procedures, administrative litigation proceedings, public bids, the creation of Public-Private Partnerships, public works concessions, project financing, and constitutional challenges before the Constitutional Court.

Professor of Public Law at Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. He also belongs to the board of directors in the Association of Public Procurement Professionals (known in spanish as ASOPROCA).

• Arias represented and provided legal advice to the client in the process of getting governmental authorization to sell shares of their company to Liberty Latin America Ltd, a leading telecommunications company operating in over 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. Carlos represented and provided legal advice to the client in the process of getting governmental authorization to sell shares of their company to Liberty Latin America Ltd, a leading telecommunications company operating in over 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Carlos’ team has been advising the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation; in coordination with the Executing Unit responsible of the PIT Program in expropriation process, as an external Legal Counsel to carry out the necessary legal management to conduct the expropriations proceedings of the PIT program financed by the Inter-American Development Bank, for the Refurbishment and Improvement of the National Routes 1 between Cañas and Limonal, and 160 between Playa Naranjo and Paquera (important road infrastructure development). The Ministry of Public Works Unit decided to extend the contract and awarded to Arias’ team to continue with the expropriation proceeding, a complex and multidisciplinary coordination process between the Executing Unit Officials, our team, technical experts, and the Ministry Legal Department.
• The firm provided legal advice in the public procurement processes in which they won the bid process to respond the allegations of the other bidders against the adjudication to Stendhal, revising the offers and also in execution phase of the contracts after being awarded. Stendhal is a Latin American pharmaceutical company that Arias advised in different bidding processes before the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), and also in the registration of the company in COMISCA, the political entity of the Central American Integration System (SICA), for the purchase of medicines nationally and on a regional scale
• Carlos provided legal support in a public procurement procedure for Datasoft, by submitting appeals before the General Comptroller's Office, and achieving the reversal of other bidder's awarding act. Datasoft submitted a bid for a contract concerning the provision of information technology services to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT). It sought Arias’ support when its bid was rejected on unfounded grounds. It required the submission of two subsequent appeals before the General Comptroller's Office, whilst the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) refused to acknowledge the suitability of Datasoft’s bid.
• Natural Partners, a renewable energy solutions company, obtained a concession to provide solar panels to ICE, the state-owned electricity and telecommunications services provider.
• The client was able to obtain the concession due to Carlos’ team, which conducted the necessary due diligence to assess whether the company complied with all the legal requirements to participate in the bid and obtain the concession. Arias conducted a comprehensive due diligence and regulatory analysis to make sure the client was fully compliant.
• During 2021, Carlos advised the company in a legal controversy to extend the period to begin the construction of the panels, and with the firm’s support, the client achieved a friendly solution with ICE. Arias also advised the company in the sale of its operation in Costa Rica to an international investor. This included legal support regarding the regulatory aspects that were relevant to the sale.

• Competition/antitrust
• Banking and finance

• Energy
• Technology and telecommunications
• Oil and gas

• International Bar Association (IBA)

• Juris Doctor  equivalent, with Honors, from the University of Costa Rica, and specialized as a Public Notary at the same University. 
• Masters in Administrative Law from the Carlos III de Madrid University
• Ph.D. candidate in Public Law  Carlos III de Madrid University.