Experience: Engels Zelaya’s professional career has been focused on the legal framework of Public Administration. His specialty has been developed in the Public and Energy sector and additionally he has a mastery of technical, commercial and financial aspects in the administrative and regulatory areas, such as litigation and alternative mechanisms of dispute settlements. He counts with extensive knowledge of the legislation applicable to the public procurement and state contracting, such as public and private partnerships.

Furthermore he has experience in the preparation and revision of tender base documents, terms of reference and administrative contracts. His practice has allowed him to participate in Tender Evaluation Committees (Comisiones de Evaluación de Ofertas, CEO) and Special High Level Commissions (Comisiones Especiales de Alto Nivel, NAEC), recommending awards or defections and the resolution of review interposed by the administered, such as in the defense of the Administration before the contentious-administrative jurisdiction. Further experiences are the implementation of the application of standards of review of the administrative resolutions drawn from the jurisprudence in order to maintain the firmness of the resolutions adopted in the process of procurement and contracting.

Finally, he has represented companies and public institutions in lawsuits and proceedings before different authorities (courts and bodies, municipalities and other institutions). He is also experienced regarding the administration and execution of contracts and the development of contracts of administrative and private nature and can be called procurement specialist under the regulations of the World Bank, IDB, European Union, KFW and CABEI.

Education: Graduated in Juridical and Social Sciences with a specialization in Administrative Law at the School of Business and Economics;

Specialization in Local Development at the University José Simeón Cañas;

Specialization in Administrative Law at the Higher School of Business and Economics.

Memberships: Bar Association of Honduras, Spanish Arbitration Club, Inter-American Federation of Lawyers.

Relevant Cases:

Engels Zelaya has advised state institutions in structuring projects in infrastructure, in the areas of energy, hydraulics, telecommunications, consultancy on the creation of technical files, technical assistance, particularly in the preparation of bidding bases, terms of reference, national and foreign inter institutional conventions, financed with different sources such as the World Bank, IDB, CABEI, KFW, AECID and Funds Taiwan, with amounts ranging up to EUR 25,000,000.00 in different projects.

Additionally, he has been an advisor of the unit of public procurement and state contracting, of a state institution, as for the area of dispute resolution, where administrative processes, administrative contentious and arbitrations, multiple favorable resolutions, sentences and awards, have successfully been obtained.

Finally, he has advised a project developing company in the structuring of a real estate development of 400 homes, from its pre-feasibility study, the elaboration of a condominium regime, contract to finance, property structuring, procedures and authorizations for the settlement and the execution of the project, until the project liquidation.