Panama as the anchor. The right counsel wherever the matter goes.
International matters do not need a large firm with offices everywhere. They need a boutique Panama practice with the depth to handle the local work at the highest level, and the right connections to extend that coverage when the matter crosses a border. The CHANIS International Desk is built on two pillars: dedicated market desks for specific investor corridors, and exclusive access to vetted legal correspondents across 165+ jurisdictions through IR Global.
Most international law firms extend their reach through offices. CHANIS extends it through two complementary models: dedicated market desks staffed by lawyers with native fluency in the investor’s language and commercial context, and exclusive correspondent relationships through IR Global that activate when a matter requires coordination beyond Panama. Neither model is a referral. Both are managed from Panama, with CHANIS as the coordinating point throughout.
Pillar 01 — Dedicated market desks
Built for specific investor corridors
The Türkiye Desk, led by Alexandra Guzmán, is CHANIS’s first dedicated market corridor — Turkish-language counsel, academically grounded in Turkish law, advising Turkish investors and companies entering Panama within their commercial context. The desk model is built to replicate as new corridors develop. It is the proof of concept for what corridor-fluent legal counsel looks like in practice.
Pillar 02 — IR Global correspondent network
165+ jurisdictions, exclusive membership
When a matter extends beyond the dedicated corridor desks, CHANIS activates the IR Global network — 1,450+ vetted members across 165+ jurisdictions, with exclusive membership per jurisdiction and practice area. Clients reach the right local counsel, not a referral directory. Panama coordinates throughout.
Türkiye Desk · Türkiye Masası
CHANIS operates the only Türkiye Desk at a boutique business law firm in Panama. Alexandra Guzmán leads the practice — fluent in Turkish, with academic training in Turkish law at Ankara University — providing legally precise, culturally informed counsel for Turkish companies and investors entering Panama and the broader Latin American market. Services span company formation, investment structuring, M&A, immigration, commercial operations, regulatory compliance, and real estate.
Services at a glance:
- Company formation and structuring for Turkish investors in Panama
- Investment structuring and M&A for Turkish companies entering the region
- Residency and immigration planning for Turkish executives and investors
- Commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, and operational legal counsel
- Real estate acquisition and development structuring for Turkish investors
- AML/CFT compliance for Turkish companies under Panamanian regulatory requirements
Key sectors for Turkish investment in Panama
- Logistics & freight
- Construction & infrastructure
- Manufacturing & industrial
- Energy & renewables
- Technology & telecommunications
- Trade & international commerce
IR Global correspondent network
For matters that cross borders, CHANIS coordinates through IR Global — an international professional services network of 1,450+ vetted members across 165+ jurisdictions. Established in 2010, IR Global grants exclusive membership by jurisdiction and practice area, meaning CHANIS’s clients are connected to dedicated, locally expert counsel — not a general referral list.
This access extends CHANIS’s reach for clients who need coordinated legal support across markets — whether a cross-border transaction, a multi-jurisdictional corporate reorganization, or an international investment structure. Panama remains the anchor and the coordinating point for every matter.
CROSS-BORDER TRANSACTIONS
M&A transactions, joint ventures, and corporate reorganizations that involve more than one jurisdiction — coordinated from Panama through our IR Global correspondent network.
INTERNATIONAL HOLDING STRUCTURES
Formation and management of international holding companies and investment vehicles across multiple jurisdictions, coordinated with tax advisors and local counsel to meet substance and compliance requirements.
MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL COMPLIANCE
Regulatory compliance, beneficial ownership requirements, CRS and FATCA obligations, and AML/CFT frameworks across jurisdictions — with Panama as the primary coordination point.
REGIONAL LEGAL COORDINATION
When a client’s legal needs extend beyond Panama — into Central America, North America, Europe, or other markets — we coordinate with the right correspondent through the IR Global network, connecting the client to the right counsel, coordinated by CHANIS from Panama throughout.
IR Global correspondent access is activated when a matter genuinely requires cross-border coordination. Panama remains the legal anchor for every engagement. We do not refer clients internationally as a default — only when the matter requires it and the correspondent is the right fit.
Local depth. Global coordination. No unnecessary complexity.
Three things distinguish how CHANIS handles international matters: fluency in the specific markets clients come from, exclusive correspondent relationships that activate only when genuinely needed, and Panama as the single coordinating point throughout. The following pillars explain each.
CORRIDOR FLUENCY
Built for specific markets, not generic international reach
The corridor model works because the lawyer who handles the matter has genuine fluency in the client’s market — not familiarity with it. That distinction determines whether the advice bridges the gap between jurisdictions or simply documents it. The Türkiye Desk is the proof of concept. The architecture is built to replicate.
EXCLUSIVE CORRESPONDENT ACCESS
Vetted, exclusive, coordinated — activated when the matter requires it
When a matter genuinely extends beyond Panama, CHANIS activates correspondent relationships through IR Global — exclusive per jurisdiction, vetted by track record, selected for fit. Clients are connected to the right lawyer, coordinated by CHANIS from Panama throughout.
PANAMA AS THE ANCHOR THROUGHOUT
One coordinating point, regardless of where the matter goes
Whether the matter involves the Türkiye Desk, the IR Global network, or both, Panama is the structuring hub and CHANIS is the coordinating point. The international dimension does not change the model: partner-led, no handoffs, senior attention throughout. That model has been built and tested over twenty-plus years of practicing in Panama — through every major regulatory reform, across every type of international client.
Let’s talk about your cross-border matter.
Schedule a consultation with us — a direct conversation about your business, your market, and how the International Desk can support what you need in Panama and beyond.
