Morgan & Morgan

Orlando Tejeira is an Associate in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department of Morgan & Morgan. Mr. Tejeira frequently is involved in complex matters, especially in the fields of public infrastructure, construction, oil and gas, insurance, banking, mining, ports, energy, media, and telecommunications. Mr. Tejeira joined the firm in 2010 in the areas of Immigration and Litigation, where he gained experience in all aspects of immigration law including residence permits, visas and citizenship applications, as well as dealing with complex litigation proceedings related to civil, administrative and commercial law. Later, he became Resident Attorney of the Morgan & Morgan office in London, England. Furthermore, he has been involved in other international activities such as The White & Case International Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, arguing before The International Court of Justice, in Washington, D.C. Mr. Tejeira was one of the competitors representing Panama in the 2011 and 2012 editions. On pro bono matters, he regularly advises in Legal Open Houses organized by the firm in very low-income communities to provide free legal orientation. He is graduated (Magna Cum Laude) from the Law School of Universidad Catolica Santa Maria La Antigua in Panama and holds a Master of Laws – LL.M. in Litigation and Dispute Resolution from University College London (UCL). Mr. Tejeira is admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama.

Alejandro E. Chevalier is an associate at Morgan & Morgan and works in the firm's Litigation and Arbitration Department. Mr. Chevalier regularly represents Panamanian and international clients, including energy, construction, transportation, ports, and telecommunications services providers in both complex commercial and investment disputes and negotiations in anticipation of these. He specializes in matters related to the resolution of international disputes, as well as in litigation and arbitration proceedings contemplated, on one hand, under Panamanian law before the different arbitration centers and judicial entities of the Republic of Panama, and, on the other hand, involving the law of multiple jurisdictions under international arbitration rules such as ICSID, UNCITRAL, and ICC. Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan in 2021, Mr. Chevalier worked as an international lawyer in the International Department of Akerman LLP (Miami, Florida). He also completed an internship at the International Arbitration Department of Hogan Lovells US LLP (Miami, Florida). During this time, Mr. Chevalier primarily represented Latin American and European investors, multinational companies, and State agencies in a variety of cross-border disputes, including international commercial and investment arbitration proceedings under several arbitration rules such as ICC, UNCITRAL, FINRA, and the AAA's international branch, the ICDR. Also, Mr. Chevalier represented international clients in enforcement and annulment proceedings of arbitral awards, and in judgment domestication disputes before U.S. federal courts. In June 2020, Mr. Chevalier participated as a lawyer in the longest virtual hearing ever organized to date by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. He is a member of the National Bar Association of Panama, Young ICCA, ICDR Young & International, ICC YAAF, the New York University Alumni Association, and the Spanish Arbitration Club (CEA). In addition, he is co-founder and member of the board of directors of Panama Young Arbitrators (PANYARB), serves as the Panamanian Editorial Director for the Legal (LIR) and constantly publishes about legal, commercial, and political issues. Mr. Chevalier obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Law and Political Science (Summa Laude) from the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Catolica Santa Maria La Antigua in Panama (2017); he was also awarded an academic scholarship to participate in the International Law Exchange Program of the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas ICADE-ICAI in Madrid, Spain (2015); and earned an LL.M. from the New York University School of Law, along with an Advanced Professional Certificate in Law and Business (APCLB) from New York University's Stern School of Business (2018). In addition, Mr. Chevalier graduated from the University of Miami School of Law with an LL.M. in International Arbitration (2019). Mr. Chevalier is licensed to practice law in the State of New York, U.S. and in the Republic of Panama. He is fluent in Spanish and English and is advanced in French.

Jose Carrizo is a Partner and heads the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department of the firm leading a team that advises clients extensively in the area of commercial litigation, corporate dispute resolution and criminal law. Mr. Carrizo has been involved in complex matters, especially in the fields of civil, criminal, administrative, commercial, banking, insolvency and insurance law. In the course of more than 20 years of practice, his experience covers all kinds of litigation proceedings contemplated in Panamanian law before the different jurisdictional organs of the Republic of Panama including civil, administrative and criminal courts. Furthermore, Mr. Carrizo has substantial expertise in both domestic and international arbitration processes. He has served as arbitrator in the National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM), based in New York. Mr. Carrizo has also acted as an expert witness before national and international arbitral tribunals and courts. He has been involved in complex matters and leading important processes regarding corporate insolvency and restructuring, refinancing advice, debt and asset recovery worth several million dollars. His client portfolio includes renowned private companies, banking and financial entities, governmental entities and multinational corporations in a broad array of local and international disputes. Mr. Carrizo has been recommended as a leading individual in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 in the area of Dispute Resolution. He has also served as a speaker at conferences related to the arbitration and is the author of several books and publications on a wide range of legal issues related to this topic. Mr. Carrizo is also involved in pro bono activities as he assists regularly to Legal Open Houses organized by the firm in very low-income communities to provide free legal orientation on subjects such as family law, domestic violence, labor law, immigration, litigation, among others. Mr. Carrizo is graduated from Universidad Santa María La Antigua in Law and Political Science (1996). In 2003, he completed his Master’s Degree in Universidad Externado de Colombia, in Bogotá, specializing in Civil Liability. Jose Carrizo is admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama.

Omar Cadul Rodriguez Muñoz heads the criminal law practice of the firm and has over 25 years´ experience litigating complex cases and acting before local arbitration tribunals. He has been engaged to work in several processes representing clients form sectors such as construction, public infrastructure, oil and gas, banking, energy, hospitality, and government. Mr. Rodriguez also focuses on all aspects of business and private crime defense and has appeared as counsel in high-profile cases in Panama during the last years including financial and business frauds, injuries to economical heritage, informatics security, crimes against public administration and national economy among others. Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, Mr. Rodríguez held various public positions such as Assistant Prosecutor to the First Deputy Prosecutor to the General Prosecutor; Secretary to the Second Deputy Prosecutor to the General Prosecutor; Acting Prosecutor for the Panama Circuit; Acting First Secretary to the General Prosecutor; Municipal District Prosecutor to the District of San Miguelito; Acting Secretary to the General Prosecutor of the Nation; Assistant Lawyer for the General Prosecutor of the Nation. He is a regular lecturer on criminal law, procedures and arbitration to associations such as the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Mr. Rodriguez is also involved in pro bono activities at the firm regularly assisting to Legal Open Houses organized by the firm in very low-income communities to provide free legal orientation. He is graduated from the School of Law of the Universidad de Panama; a Postgraduate Degree from the Universidad Latina de Panama; and a LL.M. in Commercial Law from the Universidad Catolica Santa Maria La Antigua in Panama. He also completed a Postgraduate Degree in Criminal Law from the Universidad of Salamanca in Spain and has participated in special courses on Mediator, Conciliation, Arbitration and Accusatory Penal System. Mr. Rodríguez is admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama.

Mayte Sanchez Gonzalez is a Partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department of Morgan & Morgan and frequently participates in complex and high-value civil, commercial, administrative, and corporate litigation matters where she has represented medium and major domestic and foreign corporate clients as well as governmental entities. She also has extensive experience formulating creative solutions to complex and high-stake domestic and international arbitration processes (both investor-state and commercial) in a range of industries, including large-scale infrastructure projects, construction, energy, ports and shipping, logistics, hospitality, retail, insurance and reinsurance, and government. Ms. Sanchez is a certified as a Mediator and Conciliator from the Ministry of Government of Panama; and has been included in the list of Arbitrators of the Center for Arbitration and Conciliation of Panama (CeCAP). She also is a member of the Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Women Way in Arbitration (WWA LATAM), among others. In the public sector, Ms. Sanchez served at the Panamanian Judicial System as an Assistant Judge of Civil Circuit Court and of a Justice of the Supreme Court (Third Chamber). Ms. Sanchez has been recognized by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 (Rising Star) for her work in Dispute Resolution. In addition, she has been shortlisted by Women in Business Law Americas Awards in the category “Best in Commercial Arbitration.” On pro-bono matters, she regularly advises non-governmental organizations, including her counsel on creating Panama’s first Central Blood Bank. She also collaborates with local and international publications on matters related to dispute resolution. Ms. Sanchez obtained an LL.B. from the University of Panama (2008) and a LL.M. in Global Legal Studies from the Universidad Catolica Portuguesa de Lisboa in Portugal (2010) and a Master Degree in Administrative Law from the Latina University of Panama (2014). She also has a Diploma in Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration, and a Diploma in Criminal Justice. She is admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama.

Luis Vallarino is a Partner and co-head in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department of the firm. Mr. Vallarino has a strong reputation for dealing with complex litigation matters related to government contracts, regulatory law, energy, ports, banking law, media, technology, telecommunications, transportation, hospitality, among others. Mr. Vallarino has almost 20 years of experience, focusing on all kinds of litigation proceedings contemplated in Panamanian law before the different jurisdictional organs of the Republic of Panama including civil, administrative and criminal courts. Furthermore, he has ample experience in arbitration processes both domestic and international. He is a member of the Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and has participated as lecturer in forums related to local and international arbitration. Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and Benchmark Litigation (Euromoney plc) recognized him as a leading lawyer in Dispute Resolution. His client portfolio includes well-known private companies, banking and financial entities, governmental entities and multinational corporations in a broad array of local and international disputes. Mr. Vallarino is also involved in pro bono activities and NGOs, such as the Food Bank of Panama (member of The Global FoodBanking network), advising on legal issues and participating in the Board of Directors of this organization. He is graduated from Law and Political Science and holds a master’s degree in Business Law from the School of Law of Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua. Mr. Vallarino is admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama.