Simple Legal Consulting, founded by Herman Duarte, offers expert legal advice in Costa Rica with a focus on immigration, real estate, commercial law and arbitration.
SIMPLE
EASY
NO COMPLICATIONS
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Having a selected group of clients, from whom we learn and feel proud, and who give us the financial freedom to continue promoting human rights, the rule of law and innovative issues, creating a positive impact on society.
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Provide high-quality legal and consulting services that allow our clients to have clarity to make decisions, giving them the confidence and peace of mind that their matters are in the best hands, simplifying their business and personal complications.
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Availability: If we do take a case, we do so by always giving our best effort, and we try to be available 24/7.
Empathy: We are empathic with our customers and suppliers. We are fully committed and holistically supportive, personally and professionally, in and out of business.
Respect: We assume that our suppliers, clients and counterparts deserve respectful treatment, without surprises or insults.
Simplicity: At our core is to make everything simple, helping to navigate the complexities of life.
Academic: We are curious about knowledge, we love learning about our clients, their industries and the law. We are constantly learning.
Honesty: We do not lie about the possible results, nor do we violate the law, we do not do illegal acts, nor do anything that can keep us awake at night.
Generosity: We are generous with our time and contacts.
Transparency: We keep our clients updated about their cases and always act honest.
We provide corporations and investors with legal advice of the highest quality in the Costa Rican market, combined with a commercial and human perspective that facilitates the decision-making process and obtains the results that our clients needs. SLC specializes in providing strategic legal solutions tailored to individual and business needs. Whether you're an expat looking to relocate to Costa Rica, a business seeking to navigate commercial laws, or require assistance with real estate transactions or arbitration, SLC's expert team can guide you with comprehensive and personalized legal support.
We are a client-centric firm, we focus on giving it the priority it deserves, providing a fast pace of responses, charging for fixed prices (we do not charge by the hour) and with a stance focused on solving problems. This allows us to obtain consistent results, always providing respectful, timely and transparent treatment.
With over 14 years of experience in legal practice, Herman Duarte and his team at SLC are well-equipped to assist clients through complex legal landscapes.
A)Immigration
We are experts in Costa Rican immigration law. We represent companies and individuals before the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners (DGME) that need to obtain temporary and permanent residences under the categories of investor, rentier, pensioner, COMEX or for being a company manager. We also work with those remote workers who require a special digital nomad visa.
B) Investments and Corporations
We specialize in protecting the rights of investors in Costa Rica: We create corporations, we carry out due diligence processes for the purchase of companies and real estate (read our free practical guide), we obtain authorization to operate under the Free Trade Zone regime. We are day-to-day legal advisors in commercial, labor, and tax matters. We offer fixed rates to cover all the legal needs of companies, and like a subscription, the services are renewed month by month.
C)Litigation - Law Suits
We specialize in protecting the rights of our clients and we represent them as their legal counsel in arbitration and judicial processes (criminal, commercial, labor and constitutional).
We also provide legal representation in human rights disputes before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and United Nations expert mechanisms.
Herman Duarte, founder of Simple Legal Consulting (SLC)
I am Herman Duarte, founder of Simple Legal Consulting (SLC).
I am Salvadoran, Swiss and since the year 2024 I am also Costa Rican. In 2010 I was authorized to practice as a lawyer in El Salvador and in 2013 in Costa Rica. I graduated with a degree in legal sciences from ESEN (El Salvador), I did my first master's degree (LL.M.) at Stockholm University, I validated my bachelor's degree at the University of Costa Rica, and I obtained my second master's degree (MSc. ) at the London School of Economics and Political Science, thanks to Chevening scholarships.
I love researching and writing, proof of which are the 2 books I wrote and the more than 200 publications in the press. I see the cases that I accept as an opportunity to learn new things about the industry or market in which my clients work. For me it is important to believe in my client's vision, so communication, respect and transparency are key to success.
My academic training, professional experience and more than 10 years of legal practice, give me tools to provide high quality legal services to my clients in constitutional/human rights, immigration, commercial/corporate, real estate contentious/administrative, labor, criminal, dispute resolution aspects. (negotiation, judicial, arbitration) and strategic in sectors as varied as: agriculture, education, financial, fintech, gaming, real estate / construction, retail / mass consumption, software, start-ups / Apps, tobacco, technology, among others.
If we share those ideals and you need help in any case or in the day-to-day of your business, let's talk to explore a contract that fits your needs and budget.
We can be your legal advisor for a specific assignment (investment advice, obtaining a digital nomad VISA or a residency to live in Costa Rica, setting up a company, or by representing you in a litigation, ) or become your permanent trusted legal advisor, by creating a true external legal department.
We are fortunate to work with prestigious clients such as ULACIT, no.1 private university in Costa Rica, or the regional group, Financia Credit.
We firmly believe that an attorney is defined by the moral quality of the clients they defend and that, in turn, a client is defined by the moral quality and values of the attorneys they hire.
Presence in Media, News and Conferences
"Simply Recommended"
Herman Duarte is recognised as an important player in both litigation and arbitration proceedings. He is admitted to practice in both Costa Rica and El Salvador.” Dispute Resolution: Costa Rica and Foreign Expertise in El Salvador - CHAMBERS & PARTNERS, Global Guide 2023-2018
“I recommend Herman Duarte 100%. A passionate attorney who truly wants to help people. Herman helped reunite my family in times of crisis. Thank you from my heart!”
Rebecca Clower, Real Estate Broker in Tamarindo
“I said it once and I'll say it again, working with you really means you exceed my expectations and anticipate every need. The name "Simple" fits perfectly with the way it makes the whole process feel. Your support and advice have been key to the success of my project! Thank you Herman Duarte !! "
Isabelle Laing Meason Laennec, empresaria franco-salvadoreña en Bolivia
“In the medical profession it is of great importance to maintain a legal order. The ethics and transparency with which it is handled is of the utmost importance.
In my career and trajectory as an aesthetic doctor I have had the collaboration of great professionals such as Mr. Herman Duarte who has been of great help as a guide and legal advice.
Thanks to his work, my business has had such transparency for my patients, to offer them a treatment with legal support and protect their integrity. I hope to continue counting on the help of a great professional and human being such as Mr. Duarte.”
—Doctora Jennire Gutiérrez, (@dr.fillers) cosmetic surgeon
“Herman with his clarity, affection, experience and pragmatism helped me to remember and get back on my way. He extended the hand I needed at that moment to see my options in detail and clarity, fill me with energy, find peace and clarify my ideas. His worldview, his ability to believe that there are no impossibilities, as well as his pragmatism, make him an excellent person for those seeking advice or clarity in decision-making. Sometimes all we need is to talk things over with a person with a clear mind to be able to decide, to be able to get out of this "freezing" state in which we sometimes fall because many things happen at the same time or because of the fear of giving a wrong step. In this sense, I must say that personally, Herman helped me a lot in my process and that I am convinced that he will be of use to anyone who asks for his help.”
—Elizabeth Jimenez Mora, Human rights lawyer
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