Ricardo Guillermo Castaneda

Attorney at Law and Notary Public
rcastaneda@aczalaw.com

Higher Education: Doctor in Jurisprudence and Social Sciences, Universidad Nacional de El Salvador, 1965; Authorized as Attorney at Law and Notary Public by the Supreme Court of Justice of El Salvador since 1967; Master in Public Administration, Mason Fellow Kennedy, School of Government, Harvard University, 1988-89; Master in Commercial, Tax and Public International Laws, University of Michigan School of Law, Ann Arbor, 1967-68; Postgraduate Studies: International Public Law and Treaties Law, International Law Academy, The Hague, The Netherlands, 1969.

Other Studies: Orientation Program in American Law, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 1967.      

Legal Experience: Senior Partner of ACZALAW Central American Firm, since March 2002; Founding Partner Castaneda, Salinas & Asociados at present Castaneda, Gutierrez & Asociados, San Salvador, since 1978.

Legal Practice: Corporate Law; Public Law; Government Contracts; Private and Public International Law; Electricity, Hydrocarbons and Gas Law; International Trade; Foreign Investment; Bids and Privatizations; Notary Public Law; Business Law in general.

Diplomatic Experience and Public Posts: Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of El Salvador in the United Nations, 1989-00 (as such, Liason between the Negotiating Government Delegation and the United Nations during the Peace Process of El Salvador, New York, 1989-92; and Collaborator in the confirmation and compliance phase of the Peace Accords of El Salvador, 1992-00); Chief of Mission and Special Representative appointed by the President of the Republic of El Salvador in the Summit of the Group of 77 and China in Havana, Cuba, 2000; Vice-Minister and Charges d’Affairs of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of El Salvador, San Salvador, 1972-77; Economic Advisor and Alternate Delegate of the Permanent Mission at the United Nations, New York, 1970-72.

Other Posts and Memberships: President of the National Committee and Director for El Salvador at the INCAE (Central American Institute for Business Administration), 1981-88; External Director, Banco Cuscatlán, S.A., San Salvador, 1980-81 and 1987-88; Founding member of FUSADES (Salvadorian Foundation for the Development of El Salvador), since 1994; Member of the Center of Legal Studies of El Salvador; Member of the American Society of International Law; Member of the Hispanic-Portuguese-American Institute of International Law, El Escorial, Spain; Member of the National Council of UNESCO in El Salvador; Director of the Salvadorian Cultural Center; Director of SALVANATURA (Ecological Foundation of El Salvador); President of the Salvadorian Business Council of  Sustainable Development (CEDES), since 2000.

Academic Experience: Professor of Public International Law, Universidad Autónoma de El Salvador, 1969-70; Deputy Professor of Public Finances, Tax Law and Public International Law, Universidad Nacional de El Salvador, 1966.

Distinctions: Republic of China, “Nubes Propicias” Order,  1978; Republic of Perú, “El Sol del Perú” Order, Grade: Gran Cruz, 1977; Federal Republic of Brazil, “Rio Branco” Order. Grade: Gran Cruz, 1976.

Lectures: Lectures on El Salvador and the Peace Process, given in the following institutions: Harvard University, Princeton University, Columbia University, Michigan University, Hofstra University, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, Americas Society, New York, Oklahoma University; Lectures on El Salvador given to different business communities in the United States of America (Rochester, New York, Nashville, Tennessee  and Hartford,  Connecticut).

Languages: Spanish and English