Mergers & Acquisitions

Panama: A Business-Friendly Jurisdiction for Corporate Consolidation

Panama's economy and legal system foster business combinations, strategic acquisitions, and corporate restructurings. Companies from tech, logistics, and industrial sectors have chosen Panama as a base for expansion through well-structured M&A transactions.

Quijano & Associates provides comprehensive legal support to ensure deals are efficient, transparent, and compliant with domestic and international regulations.

M&A Legal Services

Our team offers:

• Legal and tax due diligence of target companies
• Drafting and negotiation of share or asset purchase agreements
• Structuring of mergers, demergers, and acquisitions
• Regulatory filings with the SMV or relevant authorities
• Post-closing integration and restructuring planning

We work closely with Corporate, Labor, and Tax Law departments for seamless execution.

Local and International Clients

We represent:

• Local companies aiming to grow through strategic acquisitions
• Foreign investors entering the Panamanian market
• Multinational groups undergoing regional reorganization

Our approach is tailored to client needs, providing secure, efficient, and industry-specific legal structures.

Representative Transactions:

• Advised the law firm representing an exclusive clothing chain in the acquisition of the company that owns the two Panamanian companies that own the entire operating structure of said chain in Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, Chile, Peru and the Dominican Republic, which consists of 12 companies in 9 jurisdictions and 26 retail stores, a transaction valued at more than US$ 90 million.
• Legal advice to a private investment fund that acquired 100% of the Panamanian company that owns an exclusive North American chain of retail stores located in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
• Legal advice to the largest private education organization in the Republic of Panama, in the acquisition of 50% of the shares of the limited liability company that owns a mixed-use land that will be used for the construction of a university city in Panama (including - in addition to the campus - student housing, commercial premises, hospital, parking lots and other complementary uses), with an estimated final investment of US$100 million; as well as the acquisition of 3,000 square meters of a business complex located in Costa del Este, one of Panama's most prestigious commercial and residential areas, for the development of a higher education center within the commercial center.
• Legal advice in connection with the sale of shares of the holding company of an important beverage company in Panama, in addition to the sale of shares of the bottling company, totaling US$ 6.4 million.
• Advised in the acquisition by a leading European group in the field of mobile emergency medical services of a controlling interest in a business group operating in Panama through its subsidiary.
• Advised on the sale of shares of a regional automotive group to an investment fund from Chile, a regional transaction for approximately US$10 million.
• Advised on the purchase of shares and financing of an international telecommunications group, a regional transaction for approximately US$22 million.
• Provided legal advice and representation to UNIVERSAL KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS INC., GLOBAL EDUCATION SERVICES INC. and EXCELENCIA Y SUPERACION, S.A., in the process of acquisition of all the shares of Universidad Interamericana de Panamá S de RL., all of which included the contractual and corporate work and the administrative procedures before notification, request for prior verification and issuance of favorable concept to economic concentration before the Authority for Consumer Protection and Defense of Competition (ACODECO).
• Legal advice to a private investment fund that acquired 100% of the Panamanian company that owns an exclusive North American chain of retail stores located in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
• In a transaction of more than US$ 32 million dollars, and in full compliance with the Superintendency of the Securities Market of the Republic of Panama, we provided legal advice to the fund that acquired the company that owns the newest shopping center located in the most prestigious commercial district of Panama.  The acquired company is an issuer of corporate bonds (Series A and B) whose issuance is regulated by the Superintendence of the Securities Market of Panama, so prior notifications had to be made to all bondholders and the regulatory body.  In addition, the acquired company has more than 40 lease agreements in force with some of the commercial premises within the shopping center.
• Advising the law firm representing an exclusive clothing chain in the acquisition of the companies that own the two Panamanian companies that own the entire operating structure of said chain in Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, Chile, Peru and the Dominican Republic, which consists of 12 companies in 9 jurisdictions and 26 retail stores, a transaction valued at more than US$ 90 million.
• Legal advice to the largest private education organization in the Republic of Panama, in the acquisition of 50% of the shares of the limited liability company that owns a mixed-use land that will be used for the construction of a university city in Panama (including - in addition to the campus - student housing, commercial premises, hospital, parking lots and other complementary uses), with an estimated final investment of US$100 million; as well as the acquisition of 3,000 square meters of a business complex located in Costa del Este, one of Panama's most prestigious commercial and residential areas, for the development of a higher education center within the commercial center.
• Legal advice regarding the merger of two licensed financial advisory firms, both regulated by the Superintendency of the Securities Market of Panama.  Consequently, in order for this merger to take place, we have proceeded with all the requirements of the regulator and have requested the appropriate approval from the Superintendency.
• Legal advice in connection with the sale of shares of the holding company of an important beverage company in Panama, in addition to the sale of shares of the bottling company, totaling US$ 6.4 million.
• Advised in the acquisition by a leading European group in the field of mobile emergency medical services of a controlling interest in a business group operating in Panama through its subsidiary.
• Legal advice for the sale of 25% of the shares of a Panamanian company by a group of existing shareholders. This company operates a prestigious Colombian restaurant chain with more than 100 branches in different countries around the world.
• Legal advice for the acquisition of a 30% stake in an important Panamanian company specialized in craft beers.
• Advising on the structuring of a trust for the leasing of aircraft for a leading commercial airline in Colombia.
• Led the corporate legal structuring and incorporation of a trust related to the development of a real estate project with an approximate value of US$200 million dollars in which low-income housing will be built in Panama.
• Legal assistance to a company expert in the distribution of lubricants, fuels, filters, batteries and tires for the automotive and industrial sector in general, with presence in five (5) Latin American countries and aiming to be the largest distributor of Chevron products in the world.
• Legal advice to the buyer in the acquisition of 75% of the shares of an educational company, so that the buyer becomes the owner of 100% of the shares of such company. The entity is currently composed of 14 schools distributed in 5 educational platforms.
• We acted as advisors in the merger process between a tax consulting firm and a consulting group; with the objective of creating a new accounting firm.
• Legal advice in connection with the acquisition of 100% of the shares of a brokerage firm by another brokerage firm, and subsequently, to coordinate all procedures related to the Change of Control of the brokerage firm before the Superintendency of Securities Market.
• We advised a bank in the acquisition of a company, which will be used in a real estate development project located in an island complex. This complex consists of two islands, connected by a bridge, with areas of 103,251 m² and 87,552.95 m² respectively. It is a private residential community with heliport, yacht club, located in the center of Panama City and with direct connection to the sea.
• Legal assistance to the seller in the due diligence process, negotiation, drafting of contracts and corporate resolutions in the sale of the target company to be acquired. The company is a multinational company dedicated to providing customized exploratory drilling services in the most demanding sectors of the industry: mining, hydrocarbons, agribusiness, construction, urban development, public sector, among others.