Twenty-seven years of investigation and legal practice in Costa Rica have taught us one truth above all others: the investors who sleep soundly are not the most optimistic. They are the most prepared.
When an international client discovers that a property title is compromised, that a business partner has misrepresented their credentials, or that a corporate transaction conceals fraud — they need more than information. They need a firm that can act on it.
Cody L. Gear & Associates is the only American-owned private investigation agency in Costa Rica operating in direct partnership with a licensed law firm. Investigation and legal representation, coordinated under one engagement. We do not hand cases off. We see them through.
Investigation & legal representation, fully coordinated
Through our partnership with a licensed Costa Rican law firm, the intelligence we gather and the legal strategy we build are a single, integrated process. No gaps. No handoffs. No translation between investigators and attorneys.
American-owned, Costa Rica-rooted
We understand both the common law instincts our clients arrive with and the Napoleonic Code framework that governs every transaction in Costa Rica. That bilingual legal fluency is irreplaceable.
Twenty-seven years of pattern recognition
Fraud follows patterns. So does legitimate business. After nearly three decades in this market, we recognize both with a clarity that no newcomer can replicate.
No governmental oversight of real estate — we provide it
Costa Rica's real estate industry has no licensing board, no regulatory body, and no mandatory professional standards. Our due diligence services fill that void entirely.
Each service is available independently or as part of a comprehensive due diligence engagement.
Corporate Fraud Investigations
Shell companies, falsified financials, undisclosed liabilities, and hidden ownership structures. We map what the paperwork is designed to conceal — and we do it with the rigor that holds up in court.
Real Estate Due Diligence
Full title chain review, lien searches, Maritime Zone analysis, municipal concession verification, corporate entity examination, and seller identity confirmation. Everything the National Registry contains — and everything surrounding it.
Background Verification
Business partners, key hires, and individuals of interest. Criminal records, civil litigation histories, professional credentials, financial standing, and reputational intelligence across Central and South America.
Surveillance Operations
Domestic and commercial surveillance conducted by licensed investigators who understand Costa Rican legal requirements — ensuring that what we observe is admissible, not merely informative.
Locate Services
Missing persons, absconded debtors, witnesses, and parties to civil matters. Our regional network and legal access to official records make us effective where others stall.
Legal Representation
Through our partnership with a licensed Costa Rican law firm, our clients have access to full legal representation in property disputes, fraud litigation, corporate matters, and contract enforcement. The Napoleonic Code is not a curiosity here — it is the operating environment we navigate every day.
The map looks different once you have walked the terrain for twenty-seven years. What follows is not theory — it is a list drawn from active case files, from clients who arrived optimistic and departed educated, sometimes at considerable cost.
Understanding these seven landmines is the beginning of a sound investment strategy in Costa Rica. Navigating them safely requires professional guidance.
Request Our Full BriefingThe expats came then as they come now — drawn by the Pacific light, the relative stability, the promise of a life conducted at a different pace. Most of them were well-intentioned. Many of them were not well-informed.
Cody L. Gear & Associates was built to change that equation. We built a practice at the intersection of two disciplines — investigative and legal — that are almost never found together in this market. And we built it as Americans, which matters not because of nationality but because we understand exactly how a buyer trained on common law instincts navigates, and frequently misnavigates, a Napoleonic Code jurisdiction.
"Due diligence is not a formality in Costa Rica. It is the transaction itself. Everything else is paperwork."
We serve attorneys, corporate executives, real estate investors, and expatriate business owners across Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. Our clients come to us because they want the unvarnished truth about what they are buying into — before the wire transfer clears.
Twenty-seven years in this business has taught us that the most expensive thing a person can purchase in Central America is a false sense of security. We are in the business of replacing that with verified, actionable intelligence.
Our regional network extends throughout Central and South America, with deep roots and established legal infrastructure in each market we serve.
Costa Rica
Primary OfficeSan José · Jacó · Tamarindo
Guanacaste · Manuel Antonio
Panama
Regional CoveragePanama City
Bocas del Toro · Chiriquí
Colombia
Regional CoverageBogotá · Medellín
Cartagena · Cali
Ecuador
Regional CoverageQuito · Guayaquil
Cuenca
A confidential consultation costs nothing. The intelligence it produces may be worth everything. Tell us what you are considering, and we will tell you what we know.
All communications are strictly confidential. We do not share client information under any circumstances.