About

The team that oversees the legal affairs for the expansion of the Panama Canal is headed by Agenor Correa, a legal professional with experience of over 19 years in the Panamanian public sector. Having held a number of legal roles within the Authority since 2005, Correa has participated in the drafting and review of bidding documents worth millions of dollars and has also participated in the defence of his employer in various claims, disputes and arbitrations involving construction contracts. Correa took leadership of the legal function shortly after its inception and immediately introduced regular working meetings aimed at unifying the criteria and opinions, keeping lawyers informed of issues developing within the organisation. This close interaction generated significant improvements in the department’s ability to respond to queries or problems without delay. In addition, Correa has implemented a pragmatic approach to his team’s work, focused on business needs, which has resulted in a change in perception of legal from an obstacle to an ally; the team of five lawyers and three assistants is now consulted earlier on in business processes. In the course of his role, Correa has gained invaluable knowledge of a great number of topics and areas of construction law and arbitration. ‘Through the business aspects of this project, and crises that I had to face, I have grown both personally and professionally’, Agenor shares. ‘Once the expansion was completed and I could watch the first ship by the new locks, I realised that all work, studies and legal efforts bore fruit’.