Patton Moreno & Asvat (PANAMA)

Managing Partner: Ebrahim Asvat

Number of partners: 9

Firm Overview:  

With a strong international focus, Patton Moreno & Asvat was established in Panama in 1981. The firm is currently comprised of 19 attorneys and more than 60 employees, and has been providing legal services of the highest quality to local and international clientele for more than 40 years. Throughout its history, the firm have stood for commitment to quality and excellence in all aspects resulting in our firm and lawyers being recognized as a reference in core areas such as Maritime Law, Litigation & Arbitration, M&A, Corporate & Financial Law, Tax Law, amongst others.

Contacts: 

Corporate: Maria de Lourdes Marengo, Ebrahim Asvat

Maritime: Maria Teresa Diaz, Belisario Porras

Contracts & Commercial Transactions: Khatiya Asvat

Public Procurement: Khatiya Asvat, Joaquín De Obarrio

Telecomm: Nadya Price, Khatiya Asvat

Energy: Nadya Price, Khatiya Asvat

M&A: Maria de Lourdes Marengo, Nadya Price

Banking Law: Nadya Price, Khatiya Asvat

Aeronautical Law: Maria de Lourdes Marengo

Civil & Maritime Litigation: Ebrahim Asvat, Maria de Lourdes Marengo, Khatiya Asvat, Joaquin De Obarrio

Arbitration: Ebrahim Asvat, Maximiliano Quintero, Joaquin De Obarrio

Real Estate & Tourism: Khatiya Asvat

Tax: Ebrahim Asvat, Maria de Lourdes Marengo, Khatiya Asvat

Private Wealth: Ebrahim Asvat, Maria de Lourdes Marengo

Labour Law: Khatiya Asvat, Joaquin De Obarrio

Immigration: Khatiya Asvat

International Work:  

■ The firm acted as Panamanian lead counsel to Navigator Holdings Ltd (“Navigator”) on its agreement with Naviera Ultranav Limitada (“Ultranav”) to merge the business and fleet of the latter’s subsidiary Ultragas ApS (“Ultragas”) with Navigator.

■ Advisors to Alliance Airlines on all the legal matters related to the purchase of 14 Embraer E190 E-Jets aircraft and six spare engines, an FFS flight simulator and other training equipment.

■ Legal advisors to JP Morgan Securities LLP in a US$6.5 billion corporate refinancing deal of the world’s largest leisure travel company and cruise operator, Carnival

■ Legal advisors to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, New York Branch and The Norinchukin Bank, in the recent acquisition and financing to Copa Airlines of five Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft ordered to Boeing in 2015

■ Legal advisors to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in a credit facility transaction to finance the construction of Parque Logístico Lima Sur — US$28 million, a real estate development in the outskirts of Lima

■ Advisors to Lazard in the acquisition of the remaining 50% stake in MBA Lazard, its financial advisory business in Latin America outside Brazil and Mexico. The integration of offices in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Panama with the US, Canada and Brazil offices creates the largest financial advisory platform in the Americas

■ Advice to Codere Group as Panamanian counsel in connection to issue two series of notes worth US$300 million and €500 million (US$538 million)

■ Advisors to Sun International in the merger transaction of Sun International’s Latin American portfolio (Monticello Grand Casino in Chile, Ocean Club Casino in Panama and the Sun Nao Casino in Colombia) with the casino and hotel portfolio of assets of Chilean-based leader in the gaming and entertainment industry, Dreams S.A., which resulted in the formation of the largest gaming company in Latin America, SUN DREAMS

■ Advice to PSA Panama International Terminal, S.A. as Panamanian counsel in connection with the project financing for the expansion of its container terminal located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal

■ Advisors to Grupo Wisa, S.A., Westline Enterprises, Inc., affiliates and subsidiaries in the corporate restructuring process of Felix B. Maduro retail stores and Soho Mall project

■ Advisors to the Panamanian subsidiary of Phoenix Tower International, a US based company in the wireless communication tower site business, assisting with the acquisition of sites in Panama and their financing

■ Advisors to International Finance Corporation (IFC) as Panamanian counsel in several loan and acquisition transactions involving Panamanian companies in the banking, renewable energy, and micro finance sectors

■ Advice to a Chinese engineering and construction consortium in the prequalification stage of the public bid for the Fourth Bridge over the Panama Canal

■ Advice to PSA International in the prequalification stage of the bid for the Corozal port project announced by the Panama Canal Authority

■ Panamanian legal advisors to an international bank in connection with the transactions contemplated under a senior multicurrency term and revolving facilities agreement pursuant to the bank among other lenders, agreed to make available a term loan and revolving facility to be used for general corporate and working capital purposes of the group secured by, among others, ship mortgages over self-propelled jack-up vessels registered in Panama

■ Advice to several foreign banks with financing matters related to Panamanian registered aircrafts; the firm assisted with the drafting, preparing and filing aircraft leases, mortgages and all required filings before the Civil Aeronautics Authority

Clients:  

Alliance Airlines; Aviation Capital Group; CMPC (Chile); Codere Group; Deutsche Bank; Engine Lease Finance; Fastenal Group; Grupo Shahani; Grupo Tzanetatos; Grupo Vicini; Hamburg Commercial Bank AG; Huawei Technologies; IBM; International Finance Corporation; Johnson Controls Panama, S. de R. L.; Novartis; Pandora Jewelry; Phoenix Tower International (USA); PSA Panama International Terminal (Singapur); Sun International; Textron Financial Corporation; The National Bank of Greece; Under Armour Inc and UA Panama, S. de R. L.; Zurich Insurance Company

Languages:  

English, French, Gujarati, Portuguese, Spanish.