Elías Soley

Elías Soley is a Partner at ECIJA and one of Costa Rica's most recognized attorneys in regulatory law, telecommunications, technology, and public policy. With more than 35 years of professional experience, he has led high-level teams in Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT), public policy, sector-specific regulation, public procurement, free trade zones, and corporate practice. He holds a Law Degree (Licenciatura en Derecho) from Universidad Autónoma de Centroamérica and has completed specialized studies at Georgetown University Law Center, INCAE, and the International Bar Association. He currently heads ECIJA Costa Rica's Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) and Public Policy practice areas.

Between 2022 and 2026, he served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), where he held senior leadership positions, including Chair of the Organisation's Executive Committee and Chair of the OECD Ministerial Council. He also co-chaired the Regional Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting initiatives related to investment, competitiveness, digital transformation, and international standards across the region.

His career spans private-sector experience, corporate leadership, and engagement with governments, multilateral organizations, and international business associations, enabling him to advise clients on complex regulatory environments and on expansion and institutional-positioning strategies throughout Latin America.

He has been recognized by Chambers and Partners as a leading lawyer in Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) in Costa Rica for more than a decade running.

Experience

• Represented Costa Rica in leadership roles within the OECD serving as Chairman of the OECD Executive Committee, the Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM), and the Regional Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Provided leadership within the productive sector by participating in public-policy formation processes, notably coordinating public-private dialogue throughout Costa Rica's accession process to the OECD.
• Provided legal and regulatory counsel on strategic projects in telecommunications, technology, and free trade zones, playing a leading role in the liberalization of the telecommunications market, the introduction of mobile telephony in Costa Rica, the landing of the first private submarine cable on the Pacific coast, and the establishment of several major medical device companies in free trade zones.

Other Activities

• Served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of AMCHAM Costa Rica and of CICOMEX.
• Served as Vice President of UCCAEP and as representative of the productive sector before Business at OECD (BIAC).
• Served as Vice President of the Governing Board of AACCLA (Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean).
• Served as a member of the BEST Network of the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank).

Recognitions

• Leading Lawyer, Band 1, TMT, Chambers Latin America (2013–2022).

Affiliations

• Attorney and Notary Public in Costa Rica.

Education

• Law Degree (Licenciatura en Derecho), Universidad Autónoma de Centroamérica.
• Specialized studies in telecommunications law, foreign trade, and international transactions at Georgetown University Law Center, INCAE, and the International Bar Association (IBA).

Languages

• Spanish, English, and French.