Legal architecture is a business asset. We engineer yours for growth.
Corporate vulnerabilities accumulate silently – in a contract unaligned with market dynamics, unformalized governance, or a compliance framework misaligned with regulatory shifts. At Chanis, we provide ongoing corporate counsel engineered for precision. Our model is preventive by design. By understanding your operational architecture from day one, we ensure your legal structures drive enterprise value long before a critical milestone demands action.
- Corporate Advisory & Governance
- Commercial Contracts & B2B
- Corporate Restructuring
- Employment & Immigration
- Intellectual Property
- Corporate Compliance AML/CFT
- Commercial Disputes & White Collar
The full operating lifecycle of a company in Panama
CORPORATE ADVISORY & GOVERNANCE
The legal foundation of a company is only as strong as the decisions that built it. We advise on governance frameworks, board structures, shareholder agreements, and corporate housekeeping – so your company operates with clarity at every level.
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- Corporate governance frameworks and best practices
- Board meetings, shareholder meetings, and corporate resolutions
- Shareholder agreements and governance documentation
- Corporate housekeeping and minute books
- Strategic legal planning and corporate structure optimization
- Advice on fiduciary duties and corporate decision-making
- Corporate secretary services
COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS & B2B AGREEMENTS
A contract is only as useful as its precision. We draft, negotiate, and review the commercial agreements that govern your business relationships – distribution, supply, services, licensing, joint ventures – built to reflect the deal.
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- Distribution and supply agreements
- Commercial agency and franchise agreements
- Service agreements and professional services contracts
- Manufacturing and procurement contracts
- Licensing agreements (technology, brand, content)
- Joint venture agreements and strategic partnerships
- Non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality provisions
- Master service agreements and framework contracts
- Terms and conditions for B2B transactions
- Cross-border commercial agreements
CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING & REORGANIZATION
Growth changes structure. So does strategy. We advise on mergers, spin-offs, capital changes, and corporate simplifications – for companies evolving within Panama and for regional operations across jurisdictions.
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- Mergers of related entities and consolidations
- Spin-offs, carve-outs, and divisional separations
- Capital increases and reductions
- Share transfers and internal reorganizations
- Changes in corporate structure and jurisdiction
- Simplification of corporate groups
- Regional reorganizations within Latin America
- Tax-efficient restructuring (coordinated with tax advisors)
EMPLOYMENT LAW & CORPORATE IMMIGRATION
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- Employment contracts (executives, managers, staff)
- Internal policies and employee handbooks
- Compensation structures and benefits
- Terminations, severance, and workforce reductions
- Labor disputes and Ministry of Labor proceedings
- Collective bargaining and union relations
- Expatriate hiring and international assignments
- Employment aspects of corporate transactions
- Compliance with Panamanian Labor Code
- Work permits for foreign employees
- Business visas and temporary permits
- Permanent residency applications for key personnel
- Investor visas and entrepreneur permits
- Qualified Investor Visa
- Relocation support for executives and managers
REAL ESTATE, CONDOMINIUM LAW & PROJECTS
From commercial real estate acquisitions to the legal design of large-scale horizontal property developments, we advise developers, investors, and administrators on transactions, governance, and compliance from first structure to final transfer.
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- Project lifecycle & development (greenfield through construction)
- Commercial transactions & advisory (acquisition, sale, leasing)
- Horizontal Property (P.H.) & governance - regime creation and management
- Project development & construction contracts
- Regulatory & administrative strategy (MIVIOT, ANATI, Registro Público, DGI, Municipios)
- Financing & security structures (guarantee trusts, institutional lenders)
- Special economic zones & concessions
- Distressed asset & registry resolution (desafectación, segregation, corrections)
- Institutional transactions & due diligence (family offices, regional groups)
- Registry & tax regularization before the DGI
TAX & BUSINESS PLANNING
Structure matters. We advise on corporate tax planning for Panama operations – structuring entities, transactions, and reorganizations with tax efficiency as part of the design, not an afterthought.
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- Project lifecycle & development (greenfield through construction)
- Commercial transactions & advisory (acquisition, sale, leasing)
- Horizontal Property (P.H.) & governance - regime creation and management
- Project development & construction contracts
- Regulatory & administrative strategy (MIVIOT, ANATI, Registro Público, DGI, Municipios)
- Financing & security structures (guarantee trusts, institutional lenders)
- Special economic zones & concessions
- Distressed asset & registry resolution (desafectación, segregation, corrections)
- Institutional transactions & due diligence (family offices, regional groups)
- Registry & tax regularization before the DGI
COMMERCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
Operating in Panama means navigating permits, regulatory processes, and administrative proceedings. We manage the legal interface with public authorities so your business keeps moving.
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- Business permits and operating licenses
- Regulatory proceedings before administrative authorities
- Government contracts, Concessions and PPAs
- Administrative appeals and judicial review
- Regulatory compliance for specific industries
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & BRAND PROTECTION
The assets that define your business – trademarks, technology, content, know-how – need a legal strategy. We advise on IP registration, protection, licensing, and enforcement for companies that treat their intangibles as core business assets.
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- Trademark registration and enforcement in Panama
- IP due diligence in corporate transactions
- Technology licensing and IP agreements
- Brand protection strategies
- Copyright and trade secret protection
- Domain name disputes
- IP portfolio management for companies
CORPORATE COMPLIANCE & AML/CFT
Non-financial entities subject to Panama’s AML/CFT framework operate under real supervisory obligations. We design compliance programs, conduct risk assessments, and advise on regulatory engagement for real estate companies, professional service providers, and other regulated sectors.
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- Compliance programs for SSNF under Law 23/2015
- Risk assessments and risk-based approach implementation
- AML policies and procedures manuals
- KYC/CDD frameworks and beneficial ownership identification
- Transaction monitoring and suspicious activity reporting
- Officer training and ongoing compliance education
- Internal controls and governance for AML compliance
- Representation before the Superintendencia de Sujetos No Financieros (SSNF)
- Remediation and response to supervision findings
- Compliance with FATF standards and recommendations
COMMERCIAL DISPUTES & WHITE COLLAR
When a dispute becomes unavoidable, the quality of your legal representation defines the outcome. We handle commercial litigation, arbitration, shareholder disputes, and corporate investigations – with the same senior attention we bring to transactional work.
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- Commercial dispute resolution and negotiation
- Arbitration proceedings (domestic and international)
- Shareholder disputes and derivative actions
- Contract disputes and breach claims
- Corporate investigations (fraud, compliance)
- White collar matters and regulatory investigations
- Representation before commercial courts
- Alternative dispute resolution (mediation, expert determination)
Most corporate counsel relationships are reactive. Ours are not.
We work with your team regularly enough to know where the risks are before they materialize – and to structure your legal layer so it supports your business objectives, not just your compliance checklist. Senior attention on every matter. No junior handoffs.
PREVENTIVE BY DESIGN
We advise before the problem arises
Ongoing counsel means we know your structure, your contracts, and your regulatory exposure – so we act before gaps become liabilities.
INTEGRATED ACROSS PRACTICES
Corporate, transactional, compliance, and technology work together
When your corporate matter touches a transaction, a compliance obligation, or a technology agreement, the same team handles it.
BOUTIQUE EFFICIENCY
Senior-led on every matter
The lawyers who understand your business are the lawyers handling your file. Always.
Let’s talk about your matter.
Schedule a consultation with our team – a direct conversation about your business and what you need.
