Littler Expands into Central, South America

SAN FRANCISCO (October 1, 2013) – Littler Mendelson, P.C. (Littler), the world’s largest employment and labor law firm representing management, will combine with Colombian law firm Godoy Córdoba Abogados and Costa Rican law firm BDS Asesores under the name “Littler Global.” Effective October 1, Littler’s expansion into Central America and further development in South America solidifies its position as the leading provider of labor and employment solutions in the Latin American region and around the globe. 

“As our clients increasingly view labor and employment law as an international, rather than a strictly local challenge, Littler continues to grow to meet their needs,” said Jeremy Roth, Littler’s co-managing director. “Godoy Córdoba Abogados and BDS Asesores are preeminent practitioners, and our connection accords Littler instant name recognition and credibility on the ground in Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, El Salvador and throughout the region. This is a mutually beneficial move for all three practices as we are teaming up to form a single-source solution for the global employer community.”

In their new relationship, each of the leading practices will join together through an integrated worldwide strategy, aligning their successful practices into seamless client service across national borders.

“Globalization of business is driving the increasing interconnection of corporate operations where we are seeing the rapid evolution of technology and the integration of markets,” said Tom Bender, Littler’s co-managing director. “This combination of leading practices in the region through a Swiss Verein structure will enable us to stay ahead of that trend, which we expect to accelerate in the years ahead.”

A Growing Latin American Presence

As a result of global businesses continuing to invest in their operations within the Latin American market, Littler has made significant inroads into the region in recent years, opening offices in Venezuela and Mexico in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Having grown substantially and serving multinational organizations on a wide variety of labor issues, the success of those offices and the strong reception among clients reinforced the firm’s strategy.

“We felt the time was right to continue our expansion in Latin America, particularly with Godoy Córdoba Abogados and BDS Asesores, which are premier legal services providers in their respective countries,” added Peter Susser, a shareholder in Littler’s Washington, D.C. office and chair of the firm’s International Employment and Labor Law practice group. “Equipped with abundant natural resources, including oil and gas, mining and agricultural products, both Colombia and Costa Rica are well positioned for sustained growth, which will result in tremendous opportunities for local businesses and their workforces.”

With more than 150 Spanish-speaking attorneys across its 57 locations, Littler serves clients on a global level through its international network of high-caliber attorneys with experience in cross-border labor and employment matters.

About Godoy Córdoba Abogados 

Founded 26 years ago, Godoy Córdoba Abogados, based in Bogota, Colombia, is the largest and leading labor, employment and immigration law firm in the country with 27 attorneys, led by partners Carlos Hernan Godoy Fajardo, Andres Godoy Cordoba and Luis Alejandro Cordoba Escamilla. The firm recently opened its second office in Barranquilla, the fourth largest city in Colombia.

According to Andres Godoy, the firm’s managing partner, “We are excited to be aligning with the world’s most renowned labor and employment law firm. Littler’s outstanding reputation combined with its extensive resources, will enable us to further develop our practice and increase our international profile beyond Colombia’s borders.” 

Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 has recognized Godoy Córdoba Abogados as the leading Colombian law firm specializing in labor, employment and immigration matters, having represented multinational companies in significant mergers and acquisitions, labor audits, collective bargaining and litigation, as well as important corporate immigration projects in the oil, financial, pharmaceutical, and technology sectors, among others.

The firm’s client base is comprised of national and multinational companies, including 18 of the top 100 companies in the country and 14 of the top 150 Fortune Global 500.

About BDS Asesores         

Ranked by Chambers & Partners, BDS Asesores is the leading firm of attorneys specializing in labor law and corporate immigration, both in Costa Rica as well as in the Central American region, and the first law firm to be ISO-certified in Central America and the Caribbean.

“We look forward to embarking on this relationship with Littler,” said Marco Durante Calvo, a senior partner with BDS Asesores. “We have long admired the firm and its attorneys and are certain that our combined areas of strength and expertise will create a labor and employment powerhouse that will provide multinational clients with world class legal services.”

BDS Asesores, which has 14 attorneys spanning offices in Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama, is led by Calvo and partners Francisco Salas Chaves and Alejandro Trejos Gomez. The firm maintains specialized practices in the areas of public and private labor law, litigation and payroll management and focuses on providing preventive and corrective counsel of individual and collective labor conflicts of multiple organizations, local and multinational companies.

About Littler Mendelson

Littler Mendelson is the world’s largest labor and employment law firm exclusively devoted to representing management.  With over 980 attorneys and 57 offices throughout the U.S. and globally, Littler has extensive resources to address the needs of U.S.-based and multi-national clients from navigating domestic and international employment laws and labor relations issues to applying corporate policies worldwide. Established in 1942, the firm has litigated, mediated and negotiated some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record.