Bufete Godínez y Asociados

Firm Overview:
Bufete Godinez y Asociados was founded in 2000 as a boutique law firm exclusively specialised in labour and employment law. The law firm provides advice and solutions in all areas of labour and employment law, including aspects of social security and work risks, to employers in various industries: from small and medium-sized companies to leading multinational companies in their sector, both nationally and regionally.

The firm's specialised litigation area is distinguished by its broad level of legal and technical knowledge and its extensive experience representing and advising employers in thousands of administrative and judicial processes in Costa Rica. The firm has vast experience in complex litigation. It has represented multinational companies and public institutions in the face of mass lawsuits of more than 500 workers and processes that, due to their amount, could seriously compromise the company's finances. For example, some of the administrative procedures and legal disputes are related to:

• Remuneration
• Contractual modifications (salaries, working hours, functional, etc.)
• Senior executive contracts
• Hiring and termination of employment contracts
• Labour problems derived from mergers and acquisitions of companies
• Social security claims and work risks
• Claims alleging discriminatory treatment

The firm's specialised counseling and advice area provides personalised and effective legal solutions to prioritise a culture of prevention and not conflict. As a result of the preventive work that is carried out and implemented in companies through continuous advice and the preparation of judicial and administrative defence by the firm's lawyers, it is possible that clients can avoid future contingencies or maximise their chances of success when conflict arises. For example, the firm provides advice on the management of human resources in aspects such as:

• Individual hiring of workers and executives
• Workforce restructuring action plans
• Modifications of working conditions
• Termination of contracts
• Outsourcing
• Occupational health and occupational hazards
• Compensation or benefit plans for executives

Likewise, the firm provides advice, consultancies, action plans, and various solutions based on the different requirements and possibilities established by labour and employment regulations in the face of company restructuring and transactions.

The area specialised in corporate social responsibility offers advice on the creation, implementation, and evaluation of a social responsibility program so that policies and initiatives are aligned with the strategy and objectives of the company, both internally (workers, shareholders, partners, etc.) and externally (local community, suppliers, contractors, etc.).

The economic activities of our clients and in which the firm currently provides services are, among others, the following: Agriculture, Aeronautics, Food, Banking and Finance, Wholesale and Retail Trade, Distribution, Education, Hospitality, Insurance, Telecommunications, and Transportation.

The firm's main areas of practice within Labour Law and Social Security are:

• Advising on the drafting and review of contracts, internal policies, action protocols, and guidelines on salary and non-salary benefits and application of the disciplinary regime and other forms of termination of the employment contract.
• Risk assessment in restructuring plans, mergers, and acquisitions of companies.
• The execution of social audits.
• The implementation of corporate social responsibility programs.
• The attention of judicial litigation and administrative claims, as well as judicial and extrajudicial conciliations and mediations.

Please visit the firm website for more information.