Quijano & Associates

Firm Details:

Website: www.quijano.com

Tel: +507 269-2641

Fax: +507 263-8079

Managing Partner: Julio Quijano

Number of Partners: 6

Number of lawyers: 12

Languages: English, Spanish

Firm Overview:

Quijano & Associates was founded in 1959 and takes pride in the worldwide recognition it is enjoying today as a Panamanian law firm devoted to prompt, efficient, reliable and trustworthy service, and particularly for its policy of attaching importance to each client’s individual needs, interests and requirements, in order to be able to provide custom-made solutions within an invariable framework of quality and reliability.

With a view to this long-standing policy, the firm always has at least two experienced lawyers heading the legal staff for each of the fields included in its scope of services in order to ensure promptness and avoid unnecessary interruptions or delays. One of the reasons why the firm’s clients single it out as one of Panama’s most reputed law firms is that, regardless of time zones or any other circumstances, it always replies within 24 hours on any business day.

More than half a century ago Quijano & Associates became the first Panamanian law firm to open offices in Switzerland, while at the same time establishing correspondent relations with some of the most esteemed firms of lawyers in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore. For several decades now the firm’s name has been well known in the three Americas, and, besides its main offices in Panama, today the Quijano Group has offices in Nyon (Switzerland), Belize, British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Liechtenstein, the Bahamas and Seychelles. In addition, it has also expanded its field of activities through its own trust company: Quijano Trust Corporation, and was appointed as special agents for corporate and maritime affairs of the Marshall Islands.

For most members of the managerial staff, Quijano & Associates was the first job in their lives, and the firm has always maintained an in-house attitude of respect, discipline and coordinated efforts. Therefore, in those fields that require overnight attention and solutions, such as shipping, banking and international investments, the firm has been able to establish a satisfied clientele in Europe, Asia and America.

Corporate Law:

Through the firm's headquarters in the Republic of Panama, its international offices and professional networks with presence around the globe, Quijano takes care of the incorporation, tax-compliant structuring, administration and operation of companies, foundations, succession planning and proper asset protection, to a clientele in a diversity of countries worldwide, while always being updated and compliant with all legal regulations in each one of the jurisdictions where it operates.

The firm has implemented different schedules which include a night shift allowingit to have a 24-hours operation to provide an expedite service to clients in all continents.

Estate Planning:

Quijano & Associates has been advising their clients on estate planning possibilities and providing the respective solution under the applicable legislation.

The firm's lawyers advise individual clients and their families about estate planning and organization in order to evaluate and determine the best and most efficient way to establish the distribution of an estate among beneficiaries or other successors while minimizing legal and fiscal costs and eliminating unnecessary expenses.

Depending on the specific needs and requirements of each client, their experts evaluate and determine the best and most convenient way of structuring the distribution of the patrimony to the beneficiaries, as well as legal entities such as companies, private interest foundations in order to provide personalized solutions vis-à-vis each particular situation for the administration and the protection of the patrimony’s assets and estate planning.

Legal Entities Formation:

The company formation practice includes incorporation of entities in the below mentioned jurisdictions as well as post incorporation services such as: changes in the companies’ structures, opening of bank accounts, custody services, accounting services through their affiliate STERLING TAX CORPORATION, economic substance requirements, among others.

Economic Substance:

Substance legislations are designed to protect the reputation of offshore jurisdictions by ensuring that income streams from certain activities are based on actual local activity to substantiate the use of low tax jurisdictions. As a result, many international finance centres have introduced their own substance legislation. This includes all the traditional offshore jurisdictions, including the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Bahamas and other strategically important jurisdictions.​

Investment Funds:

The firm's investment funds practice includes all matters related to the life of a fund in the BVI; establishment, management and termination.

It is important to take into consideration that pursuant to the regime which regulates the investment funds in the BVI, all funds must appoint and at all times have an authorised representative appointed. Quijano & Associates (BVI) Limited is capable of providing this service through their affiliate company, International Management and Advisory Services, Ltd. (IMAS).