What Facio & Cañas does

Facio & Cañas is a full-service Costa Rican law firm founded in 1942 by Rodrigo Facio and Gonzalo Facio, recognized as the first modern law firm in the country. Operating under the brand "FAYCA," the firm delivers integrated legal solutions across core practice areas including Banking & Finance, Competition, Corporate M&A/Franchises & Distribution, Real Estate, Labor & Employment, Litigation & Arbitration, and Immigration. It further extends its product surface through branded specialty sub-practices: FAYCAMARK (intellectual property, established 1986), FAYCATAX (tax advisory), and FAYCA PÚBLICO (public law and government relations). The firm is headquartered in San José at the Sabana Business Center, with branch offices in Santa Teresa (Puntarenas) and Playa Conchal (Guanacaste) opened in 2023, employing over 50 specialists.

The firm generates revenue through professional legal services billed on a fee-for-service basis — including hourly billing, fixed-fee engagements, and project-based work — across corporate and individual clients in Costa Rica and cross-border mandates. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales: partners and associates engage enterprise and mid-market clients directly, supplemented by thought-leadership content (legal blog, podcast, social media) and referral inflows from exclusive Costa Rican representation in three international legal networks — Lex Mundi (joined 2000), WTS Global, and Terralex (joined 2020 via merger). The firm is privately held, partner-owned, and operates exclusively in Costa Rica with no disclosed parent company, external investors, or funding rounds.

Customer segments span financial institutions, corporate M&A clients, and a horizontal range of industry verticals including pharmaceutical & life sciences, infrastructure & public sector, technology/media/telecommunications, real estate, energy, and consumer goods. A publicly disclosed enterprise client is Diageo (Beverage & Spirits), whose Central America and Caribbean Legal Counsel has worked with the firm for more than five years. The firm carries recognitions including 2024 Great Place to Work certification, Bandera Azul Ecológica (national sustainability), and 2025 rankings in Chambers, Legal 500, and Who's Who Legal.

Name

Facio & Cañas

Legal name

Facio & Cañas

Website

https://fayca.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Facio & Cañas is a Costa Rican full-service law firm founded in 1942, employing over 50 specialists across practice areas including Banking & Finance, Corporate M&A, IP, Tax, and Litigation, serving enterprise and mid-market clients domestically and through international network referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration Legal Services & Representation (Law Firms) (THACAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Crime, AML/CFT & Sanctions Compliance (BPAHAFAE)

Keywords

• Legal advisory services
• Corporate law services
• Banking and finance law
• Intellectual property law
• Litigation and arbitration

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Advisory Services: The firm generates revenue through professional legal services billed on a fee-for-service basis, including hourly billing, fixed-fee engagements, and project-based work across its full range of practice areas for corporate and individual clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Facio & Cañas is a full-service law firm founded in 1942 in Costa Rica, providing integrated legal solutions across practice areas including Banking & Finance, Competition, Corporate M&A and Franchises & Distribution, Real Estate, Labor & Employment, Litigation & Arbitration, and Immigration. With more than 50 specialists organized into specialized divisions (FAYCAMARK for intellectual property, FAYCATAX for tax, FAYCA PÚBLICO for public law), the firm serves corporate and individual clients through three offices in Costa Rica. The firm is the exclusive representative in Costa Rica of the international legal networks Lex Mundi, WTS Global, and Terralex, providing cross-border legal support for multinational clients.

Product overview

Facio & Cañas is a Full-Service law firm offering integrated legal solutions across multiple practice areas and industry sectors. The firm provides services through its core practice areas including Banking & Finance, Competition, Corporate M&A's, Franchises & Distribution, Real Estate, Labor & Employment, Litigation & Arbitration, and Immigration. Specialized sub-brands include FAYCAMARK (intellectual property, established 1986), FAYCATAX (tax law), and FAYCA PÚBLICO (public law/government relations). The firm serves clients across diverse industry sectors including Aviation, Consumer Protection, Financial Institutions, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Media, Pharmaceutical & Health, Energy, Investment Capital, Real Estate, Innovation & Technology, and Telecommunications. The firm positions itself as a strategic partner providing comprehensive legal services as a single firm approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Banking & Finance Legal Services Legal services related to banking transactions, financial regulations, credit operations, securities regulation, and fintech legal services for banks, financial institutions, and fintech companies in Costa Rica.
• Competition Law Services Legal counsel on competition law, antitrust matters, and regulatory compliance for businesses operating in Costa Rica.
• Corporate M&A, Franchises & Distribution Legal Services Corporate law services including mergers and acquisitions, franchise structuring, distribution agreements, corporate governance, joint ventures, business structuring, and foreign investment for domestic and multinational corporations.
• Real Estate Legal Services Legal services for real estate transactions, property development, real estate investment, property management, and land use matters in Costa Rica.
• Labor & Employment Legal Services (FAYCALAB) Employment law services including labor relations, workplace compliance, employment contracts, and labor dispute resolution for employers operating in Costa Rica, delivered through the FAYCALAB specialized practice.
• Litigation & Arbitration Services Dispute resolution services through civil litigation, commercial arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution (RAC) in Costa Rica.
• Immigration Legal Services Immigration law services including visa applications, work permits, and residency matters for individuals and corporate clients in Costa Rica.
• FAYCAMARK (Intellectual Property Practice) Intellectual property practice area offering IP legal services in Costa Rica, including trademark registration, patent protection, copyrights, and IP dispute resolution. Originally led by Jorge Tristán and currently presided by Milagro Chaves.
• FAYCATAX (Tax Advisory Practice) Tax law practice area offering tax advisory and compliance services to corporate and individual clients in Costa Rica, supported by the firm's WTS Global international tax network membership.
• FAYCA PÚBLICO (Public Law Practice) Public law and government relations practice area offering legal services in administrative law, regulatory matters, public procurement, infrastructure development, public-private partnerships, construction contracts, and government contracting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Certified Great Place to Work® since 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lex MundicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive representatives in Costa Rica of Lex Mundi, a global network of independent law firms. This membership provides the firm with access to over 160 member firms worldwide, enabling coordinated cross-border legal services for clients with international operations.
• WTS GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive representatives in Costa Rica of WTS Global, an international tax and legal advisory network. Membership enables the firm to provide global tax and legal advisory services through coordinated member firms across jurisdictions.
• TerralexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive representatives in Costa Rica of Terralex, an international network of law firms. The firm joined Terralex in 2020 following the merger with Pragma Legal, expanding its international network reach.
• Fundación ProMundominorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacio & Cañas supports Fundación ProMundo and its CHEPE SE BAÑA program through employee volunteering, donating clothing, preparing meals, and actively participating in outreach efforts in San José to assist people living on the streets.
• PopOpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPopOp is a non-profit initiative assisting entrepreneurs in developing, promoting, and commercializing their products and ideas. Facio & Cañas has participated in protecting its intellectual property, reviewing contractual matters, and providing free legal guidance sessions to entrepreneurs.
• Cyrus R. Vance Center - Pro Bono Declaration of the AmericasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacio & Cañas is a signatory to the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas of the Cyrus R. Vance Center, committing to provide pro bono legal services and support to vulnerable communities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Baker McKenzie: Global law firm with Costa Rica presence serving enterprise clients on cross-border transactions, regulatory matters, and disputes. Represents the global-firm alternative for multinational clients operating in Costa Rica.
• Dentons Muñoz: Global law firm's Costa Rica office leveraging worldwide resources to serve multinational clients in the country. Competes for the largest cross-border mandates and offers broader geographic reach than local firms.

Direct peers

• Central Law: Central American legal network with significant Costa Rica presence, providing full-service legal counsel to corporate and financial institution clients across the region.
• Arias: Largest full-service law firm in Central America with deep Costa Rica practice and comparable breadth across banking, corporate, M&A, and dispute resolution. Most direct head-to-head competitor for enterprise mandates in Costa Rica.
• Pacheco Coto: Established Costa Rican full-service law firm with comparable practice breadth and long-standing enterprise client base. Competes directly for banking, corporate, and litigation mandates in the domestic market.
• Consortium Legal: Regional Central American law firm with a major Costa Rica office, offering similarly integrated practice areas to multinational clients. Competes for cross-border mandates flowing into Costa Rica.
• Nassar Abogados: Costa Rican law firm providing corporate, tax, and regulatory legal services to domestic and multinational clients. Direct competitor for mid-market enterprise mandates in the country.
• BLP (Berger, Lecona & Petit-Bogantes): Full-service Central American law firm with strong Costa Rica operations covering banking, M&A, tax, and regulatory work. Comparable business model and target client segments.

Regional players

• Aguilar Castillo Love: Central American law firm with offices across the region including Costa Rica, offering full-service legal counsel to corporate clients. Comparable integrated practice model with regional rather than purely local footprint.
• Mayora & Mayora: Leading Guatemalan full-service law firm with similar heritage, network memberships, and practice breadth. Comparable business model and target client segments in a neighboring Central American jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Facio_yCanas
• Facebookfacebook.com/facioabogados
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/facio-&-canas
• Instagraminstagram.com/facioabogados

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Facio & Cañas