Mr Ramon Varela > Morgan & Morgan > Panama, Panama > Lawyer Profile

Morgan & Morgan
MMG TOWER, 23RD FLOOR
AVE PASEO DEL MAR, COSTA DEL ESTE
PANAMA CITY
Panama

Work Department

Business & Corporate Law

Position

Ramon Varela is currently a Partner and heads the Energy and Projects practices of the firm.

He also has a leading role in the Corporate Law practice, counseling clients in matters related to mergers and acquisitions, joint-ventures, securities, corporate governance and regulatory law.

Prior to joining Morgan & Morgan, Mr. Varela served as an associate in the Commercial Law Department of a well-known local firm, reviewing matters related to mergers and acquisitions, project finance, contracts, environmental law and securities.

With almost 20 years’ background in corporate law, including project finance matters, Mr. Varela’s experience includes major areas of infrastructure projects, including transportation, ports and energy. His practice focuses advising clients involved in the generation of energy, including hydro, wind, natural gas and solar projects. He led the Morgan & Morgan team that represented The AES Corporation in the development of the Changuinola I Hydroelectric Project, one of the most important private investments in the country. He also led the Morgan & Morgan team advising a group of lenders in a credit facility of up to US$300 million for the financing of four wind farms, with an aggregate capacity of 215 MW, in Coclé Province; Republic of Panama, expected to be the largest wind farm in Central America. In addition, Mr. Varela is currently advising The AES Corporation in the development of an integrated gas to power facility in the Telfers Islands in the province of Colon, at the North Coast of the Republic of Panama. The project consist of a 380MW net combined cycle gas-fired power plant and an onshore LNG import terminal with an 180,000 m3 storage tank, as well as the construction of power evacuation facilities to interconnect the generation plant with the existing electricity transmission network.

Mr. Varela has also served as speaker at conferences and workshops related to the energy market in the country, to discuss the investment needs of the energy sector and new energy projects in Panama.

His client portfolio includes developers, operators, EPC contractors, investors and government authorities who are actively involved in the energy sector.

Chambers & Partners, IFLR 1000 and Legal 500 have recognized Mr. Varela as a leading lawyer in corporate and M&A, project finance, government contracts, energy and infrastructure.

Mr. Varela obtained a B.A. in 1995 from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. and a J.D. in 1998 from The George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C.

Mr. Varela is admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama.

Lawyer Rankings

Panama > Banking and finance

(Leading individuals)

Ramon Varela – Morgan & Morgan

Winning high praise from clients for its ‘technical capacity‘ and ‘extensive knowledge‘, Morgan & Morgan fields a broad banking and finance practice, encompassing commercial loans, real estate finance, debt refinancing and financial regulatory issues. The firm has also established an active insolvency-related practice (following the introduction of new legislation in Panama) and has growing expertise in the fintech and start-ups space. The financing of high-profile infrastructure and energy projects is another core source of mandates. The team is headed by Kharla Aizpurúa, whose wide-ranging practice takes in syndicated loans, project finance and M&A in the banking sector, and the highly experienced Inocencio Galindo. Ramon Varela and Ana Carolina Castillo, who was promoted to partner in January 2023, are key names to note on the energy and project finance front, and the team also includes Francisco Arias, Roberto Vidal, international associate Miguel Arias M and senior associate Alejandro Vasquez, who joined from Fabrega Molino in June 2022.

Panama > Projects and energy

(Leading individuals)

Ramon Varela – Morgan & Morgan

Morgan & Morgan is hailed by clients for its ‘strong and well-coordinated team‘ in the energy and projects sphere, whose ‘diverse abilities‘ enable the firm to assist clients across the full spectrum of public procurement, permitting, financing and construction matters. The team is widely revered for its strength in the financing and development of significant infrastructure projects – its impressive recent record includes advising on the expansion of the Panama City metro system – but it is also highly experienced in energy projects, with an emphasis on the power industry. Its wide-ranging client base includes banks and multilaterals, public bodies and major developers. Ramon Varela, a go-to specialist in the energy sector, leads the team. Inocencio Galindo also brings his strong corporate and finance background to bear in the financing of public infrastructure projects, while Kharla Aizpurúa, Aristides Anguizola, who has notable expertise in the mining industry, and Ana Carolina Castillo, who was elevated to the partnership in January 2023, are also key members of the practice.