Competition Law, Consumer Protection, Markets Regulation and Compliance

The history of competition law and consumer protection in Costa Rica is correlated to Zurcher Odio & Raven. One of our partners, Claudio J. Donato, established the basis and integrated the first Commission for the Promotion of Competition in 1995. Ever since our firm has been actively involved in free competition, consumer protection, market economic regulation and compliance.

This process not only allowed us to participate in the formulation of bodies of law governing the matter, but also to participate in competition advocacy activities said process entailed for the country and companies operating in Costa Rica under the new competition culture.

We are currently positioned at the highest level of firms offering this area of practice. We develop an intense activity before Government institutions responsible for both prior authorizations for mergers and acquisitions, and the sanctions for monopolistic practices and abuse of dominant position as well.

Our work also includes advisory at company level on competitive behavior and necessary precautions, given the high fines applicable in this area of the law. With regards to pricing policy, we high a vast experience in developing, along with our clients, strategies to obtain competitive advantages without breaking the competition law. We also cover cases of unfair competition and markets to be regulated on a permanent basis.

The work we perform along with companies and business chambers includes audits in the fields of competition and consumer protection to identify and correct risk areas, create compliance programmes applicable to the whole organization, and which are of special importance to demonstrate the interest of companies in complying with regulatory provisions, both national and international.

At the same time, we have acquired the best and broadest experience in corporate compliance audits, including labor compliance, environmental, social and anti-discrimination, anti-bribe and corruption programs in which we work as a single team with our firm, our professionals and our clients to prevent behaviors and actions that the companies and national and international legislation have decided to forbid and ban.