Ricardo Arango

Ricardo M. Arango joined the firm in 1987 and became a partner in 1995.

Mr. Arango is Head of the firm’s Capital Markets and Banking Practice Group; and Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group.

Mr. Arango’s practice focuses on securities regulations; banking and finance; mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures; and taxation.

In the area of capital markets and banking, Mr. Arango regularly advises clients in connection with medium term note programs, commercial paper programs, syndicated term and revolving loan agreements, project and structured financing,144-A Reg-S notes, securitizations, and initial public offerings.

In the area of merger and acquisitions, he has acted as lead counsel in the largest transactions in the country and regularly advises clients in connection with stock purchase agreements, asset purchase agreements, and merger agreements.

Mr. Arango has been instrumental in the creation of many financial structures that are common place in Panama today and has participated in such landmark transactions as the Republic of Panama’s Brady Bonds offer; the first securitizations of credit cards receivables, toll road payments, DPRs and residential mortgages in Panama; the IPOs of Bladex, Copa and Panamerican Beverages on the NYSE; Telefónica’s acquisition of BellSouth; the public tender offer by Bancolombia of Banagrícola; and the merger between Banco General and Banco Continental, resulting in Panama’s largest bank.

Mr. Arango headed the Presidential Commission that drafted Panama’s current securities act. He also drafted the rules of operation of LatinClear, Panama’s clearing and settlement agency.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Arango worked in New York.

Law Practice:

ARIAS, FABREGA & FABREGA has built one of the preeminent practices in capital markets and banking in Panama, serving leading financial institutions around the world and in Panama.

The firm has unique expertise both in international and domestic financial transactions and regularly advises clients in connection with 144-A Reg. S offers, initial public offers, commercial paper programs, medium-term note programs, project and structured finance transactions, securitizations, private equity funds, mutual funds, sovereign bonds, syndicated term loans and revolving credit facilities, among others.

ARIFA is widely recognized for its innovation in this field, having pioneered and developed many financial structures and instruments that are in common use today. The firm is also acclaimed for its expertise in structuring complex cross-border transactions.

In the regulatory area, ARIFA regularly advises banks, securities firms and other financial institutions in their dealings with local banking and securities regulators.