Morgan & Morgan

Francisco Arias G. is currently a Partner at Morgan & Morgan and heads the Mergers and Acquisitions, Securities and Capital Markets, Intellectual Property, and Real Estate practice groups of the firm. Mr. Arias has over 20 years of legal experience, first in New York as an associate at Kronish, Lieb, Weiner & Hellman (today Cooley Kronish); and then in Panama as an associate and then a partner of Arias, Fábrega & Fábrega. He regularly advises clients in connection with the sale and purchase of businesses as well as joint ventures. During the last years, he has participated in transactions in several industries, including electricity generation, insurance, construction, real estate, hospitality, banking related services, shrimp farms, restaurants, retail, printing and editing, and non-alcoholic beverages, some with cross border components. Mr. Arias also has extensive experience in capital markets transactions including but not limited to capital raising through public and private offerings, capital markets regulatory work and listings on the Panama Stock Exchange. Furthermore, he has consolidated himself as a leading project finance lawyer in Panama, participating in the country’s most important transactions representing institutions involved in the principal projects in Panama such as the Panama Canal Expansion project. Chambers & Partners, IFLR 1000, Latin Lawyer, Legal 500 and LACCA have recognized Mr. Arias as a leading lawyer in banking and finance, corporate and M&A, capital markets and government contracts. Mr. Arias has been also involved in the pro bono activities of the firm playing an active role advising various NGOs on their legal issues. Mr. Arias obtained a B.A. in Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University (1986) and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (1989). Francisco Arias is currently admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama and was admitted to the bar of New York.

Miguel A. Arias Mamais is an international associate in the Corporate Law Department of the firm. He regularly represents clients in matters related to banking and finance, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, insolvency, startups and e-commerce. Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, Mr. Arias worked as an International Law Clerk in the Latin American Corporate Law and International Arbitration Departments of the major US law firm Holland & Knight LLP (Miami, Florida). During this time, Mr. Arias advised clients on corporate matters, such as mergers and acquisitions, some involving cross-border components, as well as on litigation, and international arbitration matters. He is a member of the Hispanic Law Students Association at the University of Miami School of Law and has authored several publications on business, economic and financial topics. Mr. Arias obtained a B.A. in Business Administration - International Business and Legal Studies (with Honors) from Loyola University, New Orleans, U.S.A; and a Juris Doctor with an emphasis on business innovation, law, and technology at the University of Miami, Florida, U.S.A. Mr. Arias is admitted to practice law in the State of Florida, U.S.A.

Inocencio Galindo is a Senior Partner at Morgan & Morgan Legal and heads the Mining & Natural Resources, Project Development & Public Procurement, and Corporate Investigations, Compliance & Ethics practice groups. Inocencio is also highly recognized in the areas of Corporate & Commercial Law; Banking & Finance; and Mergers & Acquisitions. Prior to joining the Firm, Inocencio was an Associate at a major international law firm. He has over 25 years of experience and he has played a significant role in the development and financing of large infrastructure projects, such as Line 1, 2 and 3 of the Metro of Panama, the public transportation system Metro Bus, road projects including toll roads, electricity generation, potable water, and sanitation, among others. He has also served as external legal advisor of Minera Panamá, S.A. for over two decades and led the legal team in negotiating a Refreshed Concession Agreement with the Government of Panama for the Cobre Panamá project, which represents an investment of over US$10 billion, making it the largest private investment in Panama's history. Inocencio has also led legal teams in some of the major mergers and acquisitions that have taken place in the Republic of Panama, spanning industries such as banking, insurance, mining, beverages, electricity, automotive, cement, among others. He also possesses extensive experience in negotiation, mediation, and arbitration related to the projects he advices in. After holding other prominent positions within the organization, Inocencio was elected President of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture of Panama for the 2017-2018 period (the Chamber of Commerce is the most important association of the private sector in Panama with a membership of over 1700 companies); he served as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the National Council of the Private Enterprise (CONEP) for the period 2018-2019, and he is a board member in companies from the banking, construction and related services, as well as pharmaceutical and consumer product distribution industries.

Roberto Vidal is a Partner in the Corporate Law Department of the firm and co-heads its Mergers and Acquisitions practice. Mr. Vidal specializes in banking law, insurance law, project finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and regulatory matters. He has participated and led transactions from several industries such as, ports, energy, real estate, banking, insurance, mining, securities, restaurants, hotels, retail, among others. Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, Mr. Vidal acquired his experience as an International Associate at White & Case, LLP, Miami, Florida, U.S.A., where he worked in the Corporate Law Department reviewing mergers and acquisitions, project finance, securities matters, among others. During the last years, he has been very active assisting domestic and international clients such as General Electric, Grupo Codere, Inter-American Development Bank, Grupo Cirsa, International Finance Corporation, DEG (German Investment Corporation), FMO (Dutch Development Bank), Travelers Insurance, Lloyds Bank, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Norfund, Wells Fargo, OeEB (Development Bank of Austria), Proparco (French Development Agency), Hyatt International, Inc., HSBC, Panama Ports Company (a subsidiary of Hutchinson Ports Holdings), Bank of China, Credit Suisse, Lazard, UBS, The AES Corporation, Caterpillar, AON Benfield, Lombard Odier, Banco Davivienda, Mercantil Banco, Inchcape (Motores Japoneses), Marsh Semusa, Orla Mining, among others. Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 recognized him as leading lawyer Corporate and M&A lawyer. Mr. Vidal also collaborates with publications in the Corporate and M&A, and he is active in associations of law firms dealing in this sector. He is one of the lawyers responsible for the firm for managing the relationship with World Services Group, a worldwide organization of more than 130 firms worldwide. Mr. Vidal is also involved in pro bono activities at the firm, assisting Legal Open Houses organized by the firm in very low-income communities to provide free legal orientation. He is graduated from the Law School of Universidad Santa Maria La Antigua in Panama (Summa Cum Laude); completed an International Law Exchange Program at Universidad Catolica Argentina in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and finally got an LL.M. in Banking and Financial Law from the Boston University. Mr. Vidal is a member of the Bar Association of Panama and is admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama.