ARGUELLES & COMPANY FOUNDER
Belize Lawyer - Corporate and Commercial Law
Emil Arguelles, BA, LLB (Hons.), CLE, TEP, MCIArb
Managing Partner
With over 19 years of legal experience, Emil Arguelles is a veteran of hundreds of millions of United States dollars of real estate acquisitions, dispositions, financings and other transactions, has structured and completed numerous transactions in virtually all areas of law and related disciplines, and is particularly known for representing Fortune 500 companies operating or having interests in Belize. Some of these are listed under our Client List. He has also qualified as an International Arbitrator and is recognized by the Belize Supreme Court on its Roster of Arbitrators specializing in Commercial Arbitration.
As Speaker of Parliament, Emil Arguelles presided over the Belize National Assembly when some major events in Belize’s history occurred:
- The replacement of the UK’s Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final Appellate Court; Act #5/2010
- Recall of Representatives Act which came into historic use for the first time in 2013
Education
- Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.
- University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados
- Norman Manley School of Law, Kingston, Jamaica
Professional Memberships
- The Belize Bar Association
- Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK)
- New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)
- International Tax Planning Association (ITPA)
- International Trademark Association (INTA)
- Intellectual Property Caribbean Association (IPCA)
- UK Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP)
- Interamerican Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI)
- International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
- European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA)
- Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO)
- International Bar Association (IBA)
- Belize International Financial Services Association (BIFSA)
- MARQUES – Association of European Trademark Owners
- Association of Real Estate Brokers of Belize (AREBB)
- Belize Tourism & Industry Association (BTIA)
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Chambers Global / Chambers Latin America
- Various directorships with fiduciary responsibility on many large and successful local companies with references upon request.
Past Posts
- Speaker of the House of Representatives of Belize 2008-2012
- Vice President of the Belize Bar 2013-2014
- 2012 – Founding Member and Executive of STEP Belize Chapter
- Board Director of the Belize Tourism Board
- Former Member of the Board of the Social Investment Fund
- Member of The New York State Bar Association
- Honorary Consul of Poland in Belize (2004 – 2019)
- Member, Belize Trade Licensing Board
- Member of the Qualified Retired Persons Incentives Program Committee of the Belize Tourism Board
- Executive Member, Belize Chamber of Commerce & Industry
- Member, Association of Real Estate Brokers of Belize
- Crown Counsel, Office of Director of Public Prosecutions with a success/conviction rate of 100%
- Belize Chess Champion
Testimonials
“…congratulations …on your very skillful and judicious, perhaps even judicial, handling of the proceedings during debate…” referring to role as Speaker during House Debate March 2011.
Dean Barrow
Prime Minister
“I find that …Emil Arguelles, who even Mr. Welch Esq. in his written submission (for the other side) describes as a reputable person, and his testimony under cross examination…to be impressive and convincing….I found him a truthful and sincere witness…and am persuaded by the clarity of his witness statement and his answers under cross examination…”
Honourable Abdulai Conteh
Chief Justice
“Arguelles & Company has performed quality legal work in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost”
Gregory A. Hickman
Senior Corporate Counsel-Franchise-Finance Wendy’s International, Inc.
“…unruffled under pressure…”
Belize T.V. News Program
News 7