Líderes formando líderes

Costa Rican. He is a law graduate from the University of Costa Rica and holds an LL.M degree from Georgetown University. He has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. Francisco is partner at law firm Zurcher Odio & Raven and leads the firm’s International Trade and Foreign Investment practice.

Career in Government:

• Francisco was Minister of Communications (2012-2013) and previously a Member of Congress representing the province of San Jose (2010-2012). In addition, he also served as Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade (1994-1997).
• He has been actively involved in the design and execution of the country’s trade policy and its institutional development, as well as important infrastructure and manufacturing projects.
• As a Member of Congress, Francisco campaigned in favor of the approval of trade agreements with China, Singapore and Peru, the International Arbitration Law, amendments to the Law for the Promotion of Competition, Law on the Protection of Personal Data, the Hague Apostille Convention and the Insurance Agreement Law, among other normative regulation.  

Francisco has been included in the list of arbitrators for several trade agreements and has also been called upon as an expert witness in international disputes. He has advised local and foreign governments, as well as multilateral organizations, on trade and investment-related issues.

He is the author of a large number of articles and publications and taught Administrative Law at the University of Costa Rica and co-founded the Department of International Trade of the University of Costa Rica’s School of Law (1988-1994).