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Consistently achieving top rankings in Panama

Our corporate practice covers the full spectrum of business transactions with in-depth knowledge of the regional marketplace.

Corporate and Business Law/M&A

We represent our clients in complex international transactions, as well as legal matters required in the regular course of business. Our corporate team provides legal advice to clients in the following sectors: consumer goods, infrastructure, logistics, transportation, hotels, security, financial entities, telecommunications, e commerce, among others. We offer a multidisciplinary team that can advise businesses on corporate structures, contracts, compliance, administrative regulations, tax and merger and acquisition transactions.

LOVILL has developed an expert practice for providing legal services in the region to multinational companies, family offices, foreign investors, and private clients that consider Panama, due to its strategic location, special investment incentives, political stability and dynamic economy,  as the best place to establish their operations in the region. We advise each client according to the investment regime and corporate structure that best suits its business goals.

Dispute Resolution

LOVILL’s dispute resolution practice has an international reputation and has consistently achieved top rankings for providing creative and innovative strategies for complex cross-border disputes and arbitration proceedings.

For LOVILL each case is a unique problem that requires a tailor- made solution and strategy that takes into account law, process, and commercial impact. We have broad experience in civil law disputes before Panamanian courts, national and international arbitration, negotiations, and complex multijurisdictional disputes that involve asset recovery, transnational insolvency litigation and complex corporate structures, as well as providing strategic advice to avoid legal disputes.

LOVILL has represented high profile companies in cross border disputes in industries such as infrastructure, finance, energy, logistics, banking, telecommunications, real estate, consumer goods and entertainment and hospitality. In addition, thanks to our team’s in-depth knowledge of public and private international law, LOVILL has a specialized expertise in the representation of sovereign states and state-owned enterprises.

LOVILL’s dispute resolution team is carefully selected from law students that have competed in prestigious international moot court competitions. Within that selection process LOVILL takes into consideration and has a preference for the Phillip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition, or similar moot courts of international relevance because of the level of performance and skills they provide for outstanding advocacy.

Tax

LOVILL provides tax planning and tax advice to companies operating in Panama, including in special economic regimes such as: Panama Pacifico, Multinational Company Headquarters, City of Knowledge and free zones.

We advise companies on tax compliance and procedures, as well as requests for exemption and tax incentives, filings before the General Directorate of Income and actions before the Tax Administrative Court.

Administrative and Public Law

Our team specializes in complex administrative regulations and has extensive experience assisting individuals and legal entities in establishing new businesses or operations, especially those in regulated sectors such as energy, mining, hydrocarbons, telecommunications, insurance, among others. Our team was the sole local legal advisor to one of the first PPP projects in the Republic of Panama.

We also focus on issues related to licenses, permits and concessions issued by government entities, self-regulatory organizations, guidance, preparation and presentation of public tenders and public contracts.

Labor Law

We have a team of lawyers specialized in providing legal advice in labor law to local and local and international clients, including leading multinational companies. Our lawyers represent our clients in all stages of employment relationship. We also offer our clients assistance in labor litigation and restructuring processes, among others.

Our services in this area include: Application of the labor measures presented by the government due to Covid-19 and the reopening of the business sectors and guidelines that they must comply with, including application and implementation of measures such as teleworking, reduction of working hours, suspensions, creation, monitoring and assistance to the Committee of Hygiene, trainings and legal advice for staff and management.

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Legal advice for the application of labor regulations and drafting of labor contracts.

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Legal advice and negotiation of labor terminations.

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Analysis of business payroll, regimes for the application of residence permits and work permits.

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Development of strategies for labor terminations, company structuring, revision of labor liabilities, and compliance with labor regulations.

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Administrative procedures before the Ministry of Labor such as dismissal authorizations and union negotiations.

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Preparation and administrative approval of Labor Handbooks.

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Developing training for employees.

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Negotiation of collective bargaining agreements and negotiations with unions.

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Representation before administrative processes before the Ministry of Labor and litigation before labor courts.

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Assistance in professional risk processes and other administrative procedures before the Social Security authority.

Immigration Law

LOVILL has a team of lawyers specialized in providing legal advice in immigration law to local, international clients and leading multinational companies.

Our immigration team works together with the client’s human resources professionals to provide tailored and practical guidance for the establishment or relocation of employees to the Republic of Panama.

In our immigration practice, we offer clients advice and presentation before the immigration authority of all available types of visas and immigration, work and residency permits. Within our immigration portfolio we provide services to companies in the consumer goods industry, certification industry, special regime immigration policies, among others.

Intellectual Property

We advise and represent clients in the registration of trademarks of products and services, trade names, utility models, industrial designs, patents and all aspects of the Industrial Property Law of Panama. Similarly, we advise our clients on copyright and protection of their works: books, software, productions under copyright Law.

Services included in this practice area we can mention:

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Availability search.

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Registration of trademarks, trade names, advertising signs.

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Registration of patents, utility models, industrial designs, plant varieties.

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Denominations of origin.

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Copyright registration.

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Transfers of licenses, copyrights, trademarks and patents.

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Registration of user licenses.

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Franchises and distribution agreements.

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Litigation related to intellectual property including oppositions, nullities, cancellations, infringement of copyright.

Banking and Finance

LOVILL has a team of lawyers specialized in advising on banking, financial and securities law. The LOVILL team is trained to provide its clients with comprehensive legal advice on financial operations and regulatory aspects in the Republic of Panama.

Our clients are banks with general license in Panama, with regional and international presence, financial companies, investment advisers, investment funds, family offices, among others.

We have successfully represented clients in local and cross-border financial transactions, such as project finance, preparing and reviewing legal documentation to establish credit facilities and collateral, due diligence of financial institutions, purchase and sale of banking and financial entities, amongst others.

Real Estate

LOVILL offers legal advice on all matters related to real estate law in Panama. Our clients in this sector are local and international developers and investors, who, hand in hand with LOVILL, have developed large real estate projects ranging from residential and commercial developments, hotels, shopping centers, projects in the historic center of Panama and private infrastructure in general.

Our services in this practice area include, among others:

  1. Legal advice on real estate laws and contracts in general.
  2. Due diligence for the purchase of properties and projects.
  3. Drafting and registration of purchase and sale of properties.
  4. Drafting and negotiation of lease agreements.
  5. Advise on the development of real estate projects.
  6. Incorporation of properties into the horizontal property regime.
  7. Zoning changes.
  8. Land titling and purchases of land from the state.
  9. Administrative processes before the Land Authority (ANATI).

Global Wealth and Private Client

We work with high net worth individuals, family offices, closely held businesses and accounting and law firms abroad to provide legal services across multiple legal areas.

Our services range from wealth planning, formation and management of corporate structures, corporate and business law, real estate investments in Panama, compliance, tax advice, family disputes to business succession planning to immigration and relocation services.

Lovill advises private clients and families with a net worth anywhere from seven to eleven figures on estate planning, ownership structures and private foundations. Lovill works together with banking partners to offer trusts and investment services in order to provide the full range of solutions required for a successful estate planning of high net worth individuals with multiple types of assets across the globe to organize and facilitate the transfer of wealth to future generations.

Our services in this practice area include, among others:

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Formation and management of corporate structures.

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Real estate investments.

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Merger and Acquisition transactions.

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Employment and labor law.

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Estate planning, including drafting of wills and trusts.

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Family disputes on assets and succession.

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Immigration law, including citizenship and domiciliation to Panama.

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Ownership structures.

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Succession planning.

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Tax advice and reporting obligations.

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Trusts and estates litigation.

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Tax treaties.

Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT)

LOVILL has extensive experience and technical knowledge, with an international business perspective, to support our clients in matters related to information technology and electronic commerce. The firm also supports companies in global commercial chains, such as distributors and payment providers in electronic commerce, digital platforms and other services provided electronically.

LOVILL lawyers advise our clients in all aspects of establishing and maintaining commercial agreements and structures, including drafting and reviewing terms and conditions, data security and privacy compliance, intellectual property (IP) and licensing issues, electronic signature, and other matters related to these electronic services and regulations.

Bankruptcy

LOVILL advices and represents companies in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring as well as legal processes related to distressed businesses, which can either be reorganized or go into liquidation.

LOVILL represents corporate debtors, investors and asset purchasers, owners of distressed companies and any other interested parties in restructurings and bankruptcy proceedings and all related litigation, such as disputes between such parties in connection with distressed companies and the equivalent in Panama of Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 processes.

Compliance/ AML Regulations

In order to comply with the Financial Action Task Force (on money laundering (FATF), known for its French name GAFI, the Republic of Panama has created a strong and complex supervision regime, which has created numerous obligations for financial companies (banks, financial entities, fiduciaries, financial leasing, brokerage firms, etc). and non-financial obligated companies (companies based in Panama Pacifico and free zones, real estate, construction companies, among others) (Law 23/2015).

At LOVILL we have an expert team to advise clients on issues of money laundering prevention and compliance with the Law 23/2015 regime. Our lawyers provide advice on regulatory matters to financial entities and non-financial entities, as well as companies that wish to make a voluntary compliance plan.

We offer due diligence services to identify risks and recommend necessary protocols to comply with applicable FATF regulations in order to avoid sanctions and/or fines by the competent regulatory authorities.

We have advised companies established in Panama in a multitude of industries to comply with the AML regulations applicable to their activity. We provide training to the client’s compliance officer and staff and assist them to develop tailored Know Your Customer (KYC) policies.