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<span>San José · Guanacaste · +(506) 4000-3827 · <a href="#">WhatsApp</a></span>
<span>EN · <a href="#" style="color:rgba(239,231,215,.6)">ES</a></span>
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<div class="wrap"><a href="../">Home</a><span>/</span><a href="../#services">Services</a><span>/</span>Legal</div>
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<span class="pill"><span class="dot"></span> Practice 01 · Legal</span>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:var(--ink-mute)">Corporate · Commercial · Real Estate · Labor · Dispute Resolution</span>
</div>
<div class="svc-hero-grid">
<div>
<h1>Specialized counsel for <em>doing business in Costa Rica.</em></h1>
<p class="lede">Accurate, partner-led legal advice for international companies, investors and family offices entering, operating in or exiting Costa Rica — from entity formation through dispute resolution. Bilingual, fixed-fee first, delivered from San José and Guanacaste.</p>
</div>
<div class="svc-hero-card">
<span class="eyebrow">At a glance</span>
<h3>This practice, in one minute</h3>
<ul>
<li>Partner-led from first call to close</li>
<li>Bilingual (EN / ES) delivery and reporting</li>
<li>Fixed-fee for most scoped matters</li>
<li>Alliott Global coordination when needed</li>
<li>Serving both San José & Guanacaste</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<section>
<div class="wrap">
<div class="section-head">
<div class="label">
<span class="eyebrow">Practice areas</span>
<h2>Six legal disciplines. <em style="font-style:italic;font-weight:400;color:var(--pacific)">One firm.</em></h2>
</div>
<p>FORZA's legal practice covers the six disciplines most commonly needed by international businesses in Costa Rica — with specialists on each, coordinated by a single lead partner.</p>
</div>
<div class="areas-grid">
<div class="area">
<div class="icon">§</div>
<h3>Corporate & M&A</h3>
<p>Entity formation, joint ventures, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings and cross-border transactions involving Costa Rican counterparties.</p>
<ul>
<li>Costa Rica entity formation (SA, SRL)</li>
<li>Share & asset acquisitions</li>
<li>Joint ventures & shareholder agreements</li>
<li>Corporate restructuring</li>
<li>Due diligence & disclosure</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="area">
<div class="icon">◎</div>
<h3>Foreign Direct Investment</h3>
<p>Inbound-investment structuring for international companies setting up Costa Rican operations — including free-trade zone and incentive regimes.</p>
<ul>
<li>Inbound investment structuring</li>
<li>Free-trade zone applications</li>
<li>Investment incentive regimes</li>
<li>Foreign exchange & repatriation</li>
<li>Regulatory licensing</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="area">
<div class="icon">⌂</div>
<h3>Real Estate & Development</h3>
<p>Acquisition, development and financing of residential, commercial and hospitality real estate — including maritime-zone and HOA-regulated Pacific-coast property.</p>
<ul>
<li>Purchase & sale transactions</li>
<li>Title verification & insurance</li>
<li>Maritime zone concessions</li>
<li>HOA formation & compliance</li>
<li>Construction & permitting</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="area">
<div class="icon">☰</div>
<h3>Labor & Employment</h3>
<p>Costa Rican labor law is employee-protective and procedurally demanding — we help international employers hire, manage and (when necessary) separate compliantly.</p>
<ul>
<li>Employment contracts & policies</li>
<li>Termination & severance</li>
<li>Labor inspections & audits</li>
<li>Expatriate work permits</li>
<li>Collective bargaining</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="area">
<div class="icon">✎</div>
<h3>Commercial Contracts</h3>
<p>Drafting, negotiating and reviewing the commercial contracts international businesses rely on — with an eye for Costa Rican enforceability and practice.</p>
<ul>
<li>Distribution & agency agreements</li>
<li>Licensing & IP agreements</li>
<li>SaaS & technology contracts</li>
<li>Supply & service agreements</li>
<li>NDAs & term sheets</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="area">
<div class="icon">⚖</div>
<h3>Dispute Resolution</h3>
<p>Civil, commercial and labor litigation in Costa Rican courts — plus arbitration, mediation and pre-litigation workouts. Strategic first, courtroom only when necessary.</p>
<ul>
<li>Commercial litigation</li>
<li>Arbitration & mediation</li>
<li>Contract enforcement</li>
<li>Labor disputes & claims</li>
<li>Pre-litigation negotiation</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<section style="background:var(--sand);border-top:1px solid var(--sand-deep);border-bottom:1px solid var(--sand-deep)">
<div class="wrap">
<div class="section-head">
<div class="label">
<span class="eyebrow">Deliverables</span>
<h2>What you actually receive.</h2>
</div>
<p>Legal work is easy to under-specify. Here's what comes out of a typical FORZA legal engagement — so you can match our deliverables against what your business genuinely needs.</p>
</div>
<div class="del-grid">
<div class="del">
<span class="n">01</span>
<div>
<h4>Opinion & strategy memo</h4>
<p>A written memo in your preferred language setting out the legal question, answer, risk analysis and recommended path. Not a 30-page academic essay — a working document your team can act on.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="del">
<span class="n">02</span>
<div>
<h4>Negotiated & signed documents</h4>
<p>Drafted, negotiated and executed contracts, corporate documents, filings and ancillary paperwork — handled locally on your behalf under Power of Attorney where needed.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="del">
<span class="n">03</span>
<div>
<h4>Registry & government filings</h4>
<p>Costa Rican corporate registry, tax authority, municipal and sector-specific filings completed and evidenced — with stamped receipts for your file.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="del">
<span class="n">04</span>
<div>
<h4>Weekly bilingual status</h4>
<p>Each active matter gets a concise weekly update — in English or Spanish, to whichever stakeholders you specify. No black boxes, no missed deadlines.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<section>
<div class="wrap">
<div class="section-head">
<div class="label">
<span class="eyebrow">How we work</span>
<h2>Four steps, start to close.</h2>
</div>
<p>Every legal engagement follows the same four stages — so you know at every moment what's happening, what comes next, and what it costs.</p>
</div>
<div class="process-row">
<div class="pstep">
<span class="num">01</span>
<span class="time">Day 0 · 30 min</span>
<h4>Scoping call</h4>
<p>Bilingual call with a partner to understand your objective, timeline and constraints. No fee, no commitment.</p>
</div>
<div class="pstep">
<span class="num">02</span>
<span class="time">Day 1–2</span>
<h4>Written quote</h4>
<p>Scoped, fixed-fee proposal with deliverables, timeline, and the specific attorney(s) who will lead the matter.</p>
</div>
<div class="pstep">
<span class="num">03</span>
<span class="time">Weeks 1–n</span>
<h4>Partner-led delivery</h4>
<p>Same partner from the first call owns the file. Weekly bilingual status updates. All work product in your preferred language.</p>
</div>
<div class="pstep">
<span class="num">04</span>
<span class="time">Close</span>
<h4>Handoff & continuity</h4>
<p>Organized closing file, registry evidence, and — where useful — a handoff memo for your in-house team or successor counsel.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<section style="background:#fff;border-top:1px solid var(--line);border-bottom:1px solid var(--line)">
<div class="wrap">
<div class="section-head">
<div class="label">
<span class="eyebrow">Case examples</span>
<h2>Representative matters.</h2>
</div>
<p>Anonymized examples of recent legal engagements — to calibrate what FORZA typically works on and the scale of matter that suits a boutique firm.</p>
</div>
<div class="case-grid">
<div class="case">
<span class="tag">Corporate · M&A</span>
<h4>US SaaS group acquires Costa Rican nearshore operation</h4>
<p>Full legal work-stream for acquisition of a CR technology services company — due diligence, share purchase, employee transfer, tax structuring coordination, and post-close integration.</p>
<div class="meta"><span>Sector · <b>Technology</b></span><span>2025</span></div>
</div>
<div class="case">
<span class="tag">Real Estate · Hospitality</span>
<h4>European investor develops Guanacaste boutique hotel</h4>
<p>Multi-year engagement: land acquisition, maritime-zone concession, HOA formation, construction permitting, operator agreements and phased ongoing regulatory compliance.</p>
<div class="meta"><span>Sector · <b>Hospitality</b></span><span>Ongoing</span></div>
</div>
<div class="case">
<span class="tag">FDI · Manufacturing</span>
<h4>German manufacturer establishes free-trade zone operation</h4>
<p>End-to-end free-trade zone application, entity formation, regulatory licensing, initial labor framework and ongoing compliance for an export-oriented manufacturer.</p>
<div class="meta"><span>Sector · <b>Manufacturing</b></span><span>2024</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<section>
<div class="wrap">
<div class="section-head">
<div class="label">
<span class="eyebrow">FAQ</span>
<h2>Common questions, answered.</h2>
</div>
<p>The questions international counterparts most frequently ask before engaging FORZA for legal work in Costa Rica.</p>
</div>
<div class="faq-list">
<div class="faq-item">
<h4>Do I need to travel to Costa Rica to incorporate or buy property?</h4>
<p>Rarely. Most international clients handle everything remotely via a Power of Attorney we draft and arrange for notarization at a Costa Rican consulate (or wherever you are). We manage notary, registry and bank appointments locally.</p>
</div>
<div class="faq-item">
<h4>What's the typical timeline to set up a Costa Rican entity?</h4>
<p>A straightforward SA or SRL typically takes 2–4 weeks from engagement to registered corporate number — including name reservation, notarial incorporation, registry filing, tax registration and municipal license where needed. Regulated industries add time.</p>
</div>
<div class="faq-item">
<h4>Will my contracts be enforceable locally if drafted in English?</h4>
<p>Generally yes for commercial contracts between private parties, with caveats. Certain contracts (labor, consumer, real estate) require Spanish versions. We advise on which document needs to be bilingual and prepare the Spanish counterpart where needed.</p>
</div>
<div class="faq-item">
<h4>How do you price legal work?</h4>
<p>Fixed-fee wherever scope allows — corporate formations, routine filings, standard-form contracts, defined due diligence, and most closings. Open-ended matters (litigation, complex M&A) are hourly with a written budget and regular cost updates.</p>
</div>
<div class="faq-item">
<h4>Can you coordinate with my home-country counsel?</h4>
<p>Routinely. As Costa Rica's exclusive Alliott Global Alliance member, we're structured to work alongside 180+ firms in 80 countries — and are equally comfortable coordinating with your existing counsel outside the Alliance.</p>
</div>
<div class="faq-item">
<h4>Do you handle litigation, or only transactional work?</h4>
<p>Both. Our dispute resolution group handles commercial and labor litigation in Costa Rican courts plus arbitration and mediation. We try to resolve matters pre-litigation where commercially sensible.</p>
</div>
</div>
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</section>
<section style="background:var(--sand);border-top:1px solid var(--sand-deep);border-bottom:1px solid var(--sand-deep)">
<div class="wrap">
<div class="section-head">
<div class="label">
<span class="eyebrow">Related services</span>
<h2>Rarely just legal.</h2>
</div>
<p>Most international clients need some mix of legal, tax and outsourcing. FORZA delivers all three — under one engagement, one partner, one invoice.</p>
</div>
<div class="related-grid">
<div class="related tax">
<span class="tag">Practice 02 · Tax</span>
<h3>Tax & Transfer Pricing</h3>
<p>Local and cross-border tax planning, compliance and controversy — calibrated to Costa Rica's evolving rules and your international obligations.</p>
<a href="#">Explore Tax services →</a>
</div>
<div class="related out">
<span class="tag">Practice 03 · Outsourcing</span>
<h3>Accounting & Outsourcing</h3>
<p>Accounting, payroll, CFO advisory and back-office services for companies whose efficiency depends on reliable administration of resources.</p>
<a href="#">Explore Outsourcing →</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<section class="cta-wrap">
<div class="wrap">
<div class="cta">
<div>
<span class="eyebrow">Start the conversation</span>
<h2 style="margin-top:14px">Tell us about your legal matter.</h2>
<p>A partner will respond within 24–48 hours with a scoped, fixed-fee quote. Most first calls are 30 minutes — bilingual, by phone, email or WhatsApp.</p>
<div style="display:flex;gap:12px;flex-wrap:wrap;margin-top:24px">
<a class="btn btn-primary" href="../contact/">Request a quote →</a>
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<a class="btn btn-ghost" href="../about/">About FORZA</a>
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<div style="background:#fff;border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:20px;padding:28px">
<span class="eyebrow">Our promise</span>
<h3 style="margin:10px 0 14px;font-size:22px">Partner on every call. Fixed-fee first. Bilingual by default.</h3>
<p style="font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.6">Every inbound message reaches a partner directly — and the same partner stays on your matter from scope through close.</p>
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<span class="brand-word" style="color:#fff">Forza</span>
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<p>Boutique law, tax and outsourcing firm built in Costa Rica. Exclusive local member of the Alliott Global Alliance — 180+ firms across 80 countries.</p>
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<div><h4>Services</h4><ul><li><a href="./">Legal</a></li><li><a href="#">Tax</a></li><li><a href="#">Outsourcing</a></li><li><a href="#">Alliott coordination</a></li></ul></div>
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<div><h4>Contact</h4><ul><li>San José · Guanacaste</li><li>+(506) 4000-3827</li><li><a href="#">WhatsApp</a></li><li><a href="#">info@forza.legal</a></li></ul></div>
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