Castro
Partner
ADMISSIONS
Admitted to practice before the Courts of the Republic of Panama
LANGUAGES
Spanish and English
Trajectory
Desireé Castro leads the Real Estate & Condominium Law practice at CHANIS. Her work sits at the intersection of real estate development, Horizontal Property regime law, and investor transactions — advising developers, investors, administrators, and family offices on the full legal lifecycle of a real estate matter in Panama, from project structuring through transfer and administration.
Desireé structures developments from the inside — which is exactly the perspective that makes her due diligence and transaction advice for investors sharper. Most real estate lawyers advise either developers or investors. Desireé does both, which means she understands what developers build into a project’s legal architecture and what that means for an investor acquiring into it. That dual vantage point is what she brings to every matter.
Her practice is built around deep familiarity with Panama’s Horizontal Property framework — including Law 284/2022 and its predecessor regimes — and the regulatory environment governing real estate development, AML/CFT compliance for real estate entities, and the institutional and administrative processes that determine whether a project moves on schedule or stalls.
Her practice integrates real estate transactions, corporate structuring for development projects, AML/CFT compliance for regulated entities under the SSNF, immigration structuring linked to real estate investment, and commercial law — handling each dimension of a real estate engagement as part of the same matter rather than routing it through separate counsel.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
- Real Estate Transactions
- Horizontal Property (PH) Regime & Condominium Law
- Development & Construction Law
- AML/CFT Compliance for Real Estate
- Corporate Law
- Commercial Law
- Immigration Law
- Mergers & Acquisitions
EDUCATION
- Universidad de Panamá, Diploma in Compliance
- INCAE Business School, Diploma in Business Administration for Lawyers
- Unir Business School — M.B.A.
- Inidem Business Law School — LL.M. in Business Law
- Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua — LL.M.
- Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua — B. Law
Admitted to practice before the Courts of the Republic of Panama.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- International Bar Association (IBA)
- Colegio Nacional de Abogados (CNA)
- Asociación de Oficiales de Cumplimiento de Panamá (ASOCUPA)
Real Estate Transactions
Desireé advises buyers, sellers, developers, and institutional investors on the full spectrum of real estate transactions in Panama — acquisitions, sales, commercial leases, and investor-grade due diligence. Her work covers title review, encumbrance analysis, registry and tax regularization, and the coordination of regulatory clearances that a clean transfer requires.
- Commercial real estate acquisition and sale
- Due diligence — title, encumbrances, regulatory status, and tax position
- Commercial lease agreements and renegotiations
- Institutional transactions — family offices and regional investment groups
- Registry and tax regularization before DGI and Registro Público
Horizontal Property (PH) Regime & Condominium Law
The legal design of a horizontal property development determines how it operates for decades. Desireé advises developers and administrators on regime creation under Law 284/2022, governance documentation, pre-sale and sales processes, and dispute resolution between developers, administrators, and unit owners.
- PH regime design and implementation — residential, commercial, and mixed-use
- Compliance with Law 284/2022 and developer obligations
- Governance documents, bylaws, and administration regulations
- Pre-sale and sales processes for PH projects
- PH dispute resolution — developers, administrators, and unit owners
Development & Construction
From greenfield through completion, Desireé advises on project legal structuring, development and construction contracts, and the coordination of permits, financing, and regulatory approvals that keep a development on schedule.
- Project lifecycle legal structuring — greenfield through completion
- Development and construction contracts
- Permit coordination — MIVIOT, ANATI, Municipios, Registro Público, DGI
- Special economic zones and concession structures
- Distressed asset resolution — desafectación, segregation, registry corrections
AML/CFT Compliance for Real Estate
Real estate developers, administrators, and brokerages are subject to AML/CFT obligations under Law 23/2015 as regulated entities under the SSNF. Desireé designs compliance programs, conducts risk assessments, and advises on regulatory engagement.
- Compliance programs for real estate entities under Law 23/2015
- Risk assessments and KYC/CDD frameworks for real estate transactions
- AML manuals, policies, and officer training
- Representation before the Superintendencia de Sujetos No Financieros (SSNF)
Investment & Residency Structuring
Desireé coordinates real estate investment structuring with Panama’s residency programs — Qualified Investor Visa and specific investor pathways — handling investment, due diligence, and immigration as one integrated process.
- Qualified Investor Visa — real estate investment pathway
- Investment structuring and vehicle selection
- Due diligence coordinated with residency timeline
- Immigration application coordination
CONTACT
Schedule a consultation with Desireé Castro — a direct conversation about your project, your investment, or your residency process.
