Morgan & Morgan

Ramon Varela is currently a Partner and heads the Energy and Projects practices of the firm. He also has a leading role in the Corporate Law practice, counseling clients in matters related to mergers and acquisitions, joint-ventures, securities, corporate governance and regulatory law. Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, Mr. Varela served as an associate in the Commercial Law Department of a well-known local firm, reviewing matters related to mergers and acquisitions, project finance, contracts, environmental law and securities. With almost 20 years’ background in corporate law, including project finance matters, Mr. Varela’s experience includes major areas of infrastructure projects, including transportation, ports and energy. His practice focuses advising clients involved in the generation of energy, including hydro, wind, natural gas and solar projects. He led the Morgan & Morgan team that represented The AES Corporation in the development of the Changuinola I Hydroelectric Project, one of the most important private investments in the country. He also led the Morgan & Morgan team advising a group of lenders in a credit facility of up to US$300 million for the financing of four wind farms, with an aggregate capacity of 215 MW, in Coclé Province; Republic of Panama, expected to be the largest wind farm in Central America. In addition, Mr. Varela is currently advising The AES Corporation in the development of an integrated gas to power facility in the Telfers Islands in the province of Colon, at the North Coast of the Republic of Panama. The project consist of a 380MW net combined cycle gas-fired power plant and an onshore LNG import terminal with an 180,000 m3 storage tank, as well as the construction of power evacuation facilities to interconnect the generation plant with the existing electricity transmission network. Mr. Varela has also served as speaker at conferences and workshops related to the energy market in the country, to discuss the investment needs of the energy sector and new energy projects in Panama. His client portfolio includes developers, operators, EPC contractors, investors and government authorities who are actively involved in the energy sector. Chambers & Partners, IFLR 1000 and Legal 500 have recognized Mr. Varela as a leading lawyer in corporate and M&A, project finance, government contracts, energy and infrastructure. Mr. Varela obtained a B.A. in 1995 from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. and a J.D. in 1998 from The George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C. Mr. Varela is admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama.

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.

Aristides Anguizola is a Partner at Morgan & Morgan and works in the Corporate Law Department since 2010. Mr. Anguizola has concentrated his practice in mining, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, project finance, banking law and securities matters. He has significant experience providing legal support for mineral exploration and mine development and finance. During the last years, he has been very active assisting clients in aspects related to corporate and commercial, development and regulatory work. He has acted as co-counsel on complex mega projects such as Cobre Panama, the biggest private sector investment in the country; Metro of Panama, the most important public infrastructure project under development in Panama; the public bus rapid system for Panama City - Metro Bus, among others. Furthermore, he was part of the team that advised the Ministry of Public Works on the drafting and approval of the new law for public-private partnerships (PPPs). Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, Mr. Anguizola gained experience in the Corporate, Litigation and Labor practice groups, as summer associate in McConnell Valdes LLC, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He also worked as summer associate in Greenberg Traurig LLP, Washington D.C., U.S.A. dealing with the Government Affairs Practice Group to lobby the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement. Since 2005 to 2007, Mr. Anguizola was the Communications and Media Attaché of Consular Affairs ad interim and managed White House press coverage during President of Panama Martin Torrijos working visit to the White House from February 14-16, 2007. Mr. Anguizola contributed as a writer in some publications such as the Panama Chapter of Doing Business (a project of the World Bank Group), and the Panama Chapter of Chambers & Partners´ Insolvency and Mining guides. IFLR1000 recognized Mr. Anguizola as leading corporate and financial lawyer. Mr. Anguizola has been also involved in the pro bono activities of the firm playing an active role advising various NGOs on their legal issues, as well as participating as volunteer in the Legal Open Houses organized by the firm in low-income communities. Mr. Anguizola obtained an LL.B. from the University of Virginia (2005); and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the Georgetown University Law Center (2009).

Ana Carolina Castillo Solis is a Partner in the Corporate Law Department of the firm. She specializes in energy transactions and advisory work in corporate and commercial, finance, mergers and acquisitions, among others. Ms. Castillo regularly advises clients in energy (power), finance, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions, among others. In recent years, she has been particularly active advising clients involved in the generation of energy, including hydro, wind, thermal, and solar projects. She has represented investors, developers and financial institutions in a wide variety of transactions including project finance, regulatory, licensing, permits, environmental and administrative law. She has served as Vice Chair of the Energy Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Panama (AmCham). In addition, Ms. Castillo is a member of the Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE) and an affiliate of the Women’s Directors Association of Panama (ADP). She is also involved in the pro bono activities of the firm, having served as director of an environmental NGO, and regularly advising various NGOs on their legal issues. Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, and Who’s Who Legal have recognized Ms. Castillo as a leading lawyer in projects and energy, banking and finance, and corporate law. Ms. Castillo obtained a Bachelor of Law and Political Science (Summa Cum Laude) from the Law School of Universidad Santa Maria La Antigua in Panama; she also participated in the International Law Exchange Program at Universidad Catolica Argentina in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and furthermore, obtained an LL.M. in International Business and Economic Law (with honors) from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. Furthermore, she coursed a Taxation program in the Universidad Especializada del Contador Publico Autorizado in Panama and she also coursed an Electric Market program with the World Energy Council and the Electric Engineering Faculty of the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá. Ms. Castillo Solis is admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama.