Mr. Richard Alphonse BALLARD VARGAS

Born in Panama,in 1956. Degree in Law and Political Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Panama, Law School, 1983. Master of Arts, Webster University, Geneva, Switzerland, 1988. Worked in Switzerland from 1984-1997.

Fields of Practice: Aeronautical Law, Civil Law, Corporate Law, International Banking Law, International Contracting and Assets Protection.

Languages: Spanish, French and English.

Mrs. Iana QUADRI de BALLARD

Born in Viña del Mar, Chile, 1966. Degree in Law & Political Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Panamá, Panama, 1994. Studies in International Public Law at the Interamerican Juridical Committee in Rio de Janeiro, Getulio Vargas Foundation, 1998. Post graduate Degree in Public Law from the Latin-American University of Sciences & Technology (ULACIT), Panama, 2002. Master Degree in Commercial Law from the Latin-American University of Sciences & Technology (ULACIT), Panama, 2007 (Magna Cum Laude). Post graduate Degree in Taxation from the Universidad de las Américas, Panamá, 2007. Independent practice of law from 1994-1997. Legal Counsel, Panama’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs,1997-1999. Assistant Director of the Juridical and Treaties Affairs Department, Panama’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1999. Director of the Juridical and Treaties Affairs Department, Panama’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2000-2008. Joined Ballard and Ballard as Senior Partner in 2008.

Fields of Practice: International Public Law, Administrative Law, Criminal Law, International Private Law and Civil Law.

Languages: Spanish and English.

Mr. Carlos Alberto BONILLA GARCIA

Born in Panama 1945. Degree in Law & Political Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Panama,1972. Post Graduate degree in Collective Labor Relations from the Gonzalo Facio University, Costa Rica 1987. Master in Private Law, Columbus University, Panama 2004 . Experience: Head of the General Labor Inspector Directorate, Panama’s Ministry of Labor 1971-1973, General Director of Panama’s Ministry of Labor, 1973-1974, Deputy Minister of Labor, 1974. Director of the Legal Department, Electoral Tribunal, 1974-1979. General Secretary of the Electoral Tribunal, 1989-1990. Assistant Professor of Labor Law and Governmental Structures, Columbus University, Panama, 1979-1983; Tenured Professor of Labor Law and Governmental Structures, Columbus University, Panama, 1983-2001; Professor of Introduction to Law, Columbus University 1994-2001; Dean of Columbus University since 1994.

Fields of Practice: Labor Law, Civil Law, Administrative Law, Electoral Law, Criminal Law, expert in Procedural Law.

Languages: Spanish.

Mr. Joaquín Oscar BENAVIDES AROSEMENA

Born in Panama 1973. Degree in Law & Political Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Panama, Law School,1998. Post Graduate degree in Commercial Law from the Latin-American University of Sciences & Technology (ULACIT), Panama, 2001. Master Degree in Entrepreneurial Law from the Latin-American University of Sciences & Technology (ULACIT), Panama, 2001. Studies in International Public Law at the Interamerican Juridical Committee in Rio de Janeiro, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2002 Attorney of the General Directorate of Juridical and Treaties Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Panama.

Fields of Practice: International Public Law, Administrative Law, International Private Law, Civil Law, Immigration Law, Commercial and Corporate Law.

Languages: Spanish and English.

Ms. Pilar Valentina EPIFANIO ORLANDO

Born in Panama 1979. Italian and Panamanian citizenship. Degree in Law and Political Science from the Universidad Santa María la Antigua, Panama, 2002. Master Degree in Mercantile Law from the Universidad Santa María La Antigua, Panama, 2009. Independent Practice since 2003 and as lawyer for a local Real Estate office in Real Estate and Property law. Admitted to the Bar, 2002.

Fields of Practice: Administrative Law, Business Law, Commercial and Contract Law, Corporate and Business, Estate and Trust, General Practice, Property and Real Estate, Trusts and Wills, Offshore Services.

Languages: Spanish, Italian, English.

Ms. Dilay Lineth BOLAÑOS MONTALVAN

Born in Panama, 1980. Degree in Law and Political Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Panamá, Panama, 2005. Worked independently as legal assistant in civil and criminal law cases 2004-2006. Master Degree in Mercantile Law from the Universidad Santa María La Antigua, 2009.

Fields of Practice: Corporate Law, Property and Real Estate, Civil Law (Contracts), Commercial Law, Trusts and Offshore Services and Assets Protection.

Languages: Spanish, French, English.

Mr. Natanael PINEDA RODRIGUEZ

Born in Panama 1979. Attended Law School at the Universidad Nacional de Panamá, Panama and graduate from law school at the University of the People's Friendship, Moscow, Russian Federation, obtaining his license in case law (jurisprudence), with emphasis in International Public Law, 2004. Worked in the Embassy of Panama in Moscow, 2003 and in the 2nd Tribunal of Colon, Civil Tribunal, Panama, 2005. Admitted to the bar in Panama 2005.

Fields of Practice: International Public Law, General Litigation, Civil Law (Contracting), Administrative Law, Criminal Law, Family Law.

Languages: Spanish, Russian, English.

Dr. Natalia MULFORD HOYOS

Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, 1981. Graduated First in her class from the Law Program, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia, 2004. Post Graduate Degree in International Business Law from the Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, 2007. Worked in Colombia as Investigations Coordinator for Barranquilla, Centro de Estudios sobre Desarrollo Económico (CEDE), Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. Joined the Firm in 2004 in our Panama offices and opened our Colombian offices in Bogotá in May 2005 as resident partner. Publications, "Situación Actual del Arbitraje Internacional en Colombia", March 2004.

Fields of Practice: Corporate and Business law, Foreign and Local Investment, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Offshore Services and Assets Protection.

Languages: Spanish, English and French

Dr. Pablo Ricardo CALDERON PASQUEL

Born in Ecuador, 1972. Degree in Law and Doctor in Juris from the Pontificia Universidad Católica,del Ecuador. Master in Business Administration from the Université du Québec á Montréal (UQAM), 2002-2004. General manager and Senior partner ROMERO BARBERIS law firm, 2000-2007. General Manager and Senior Partner of LEGAL SERVICES law firm, 2007 to present. Member of the Bar of Pichincha, Ecuador. Currently as lawyer of the courts, Mr. Calderón is the legal counsel of Ecuador’s Ministry of Economy and the Central Bank of Ecuador, among other public and private entities.

Fields of Practice: Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Criminal Law and Government Procurement.

Languages: Spanish and English

Me. Antoine BAGI

Born in Switzerland, 1955. Baccalaureat in Philosophy, 1976. Degree in Law, University of Fribourg, Switzerland, 1983. Granted the degree of lawyer by the Canton of Geneva, 1987. Member of the law firm BAGI & ASSOCIES, Mr. Bagi practices law in the Cantons of Vaud and Geneva since 1987. Member of the Order of Lawyers of the Canton of Vaud and of the Swiss Lawyers Federation.

Fields of Practice: Business Law, Commercial and Contract Law, Company Law, Banking Law, Civil Law, Private International Law, Intellectual Property Law, Litigation and General Practice.

Languages: French, English, Italian and German.

Mr. Andrea Herbert EGGER (Of Counsel)

Born in Zürich, Switzerland 1954. Degree in Law from University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Doctorate in Law, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. LLM, Columbia University, New York, U. S. A.

Experience as in-house Counsel for Banks and Holding Companies, Zürich and Geneva, Switzerland.  Independent practice since 1991.  Admitted to the Bar in New York (U. S. A.) and Switzerland.

Fields of Practice: Corporate and Banking Law.

Languages: German, English and French.

Mrs. Isabel FERNANDEZ

Born in Panama, 1976. Obtained her Degree in Law and Political Science from the Universidad Santa María La Antigua, Panama, 2000. Master of Law (LLM) in International Commercial Law, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2001. Master of Law (LLM) in Environmental Law, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, 2002. Experience: Counsel of the Anti-Terrorism Department, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Panama, 2003.  Legal Counselor of the Embassy of Panama in Washington, DC and member of the Embassy’s lobbying and promoting team for the ratification of the US-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement at the U.S. Congress, 2005-2008. Experience in Political campaigns in San Juan, Puerto Rico, including President Obama’s primary election in Puerto Rico. Since April 2009, Associate and Business representative of Ballard & Ballard in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Member of the Colegio Nacional de Abogados de Panamá (Panamanian Bar Association), Washington International Trade Association (WITA), American Society of International Law (ASIL).

Fields of practice: International Commercial Law, Environmental Law, Administrative Law, Public and Private International Law.

Languages: Spanish and English.