SUMMARY

Pilar Castillo joined the firm in 2010 and became a partner in 2017.

She has a broad range of experience in shipping, aviation and commodities finance, as well as corporations.

Ms. Castillo is an experienced international shipping finance and transactional lawyer who participates in the most complex financings as well as sale and purchase transactions of offshore platforms and other type of vessels, assisting banks and ship owners. Her profound knowledge of Panama’s maritime, commercial and corporate laws allows her to solve issues that come along the way of the negotiations in an efficient and creative manner, and develop each unique transaction structure and closing logistics in the most practical way.

Ms. Castillo is also experienced in port operations, including maritime ancillary services, and works together with ARIFA’s M&A and Banking and Capital Markets teams by providing her maritime-port expertise in complex transactions.

Ms. Castillo frequently works with lawyers in other practice areas providing an IBT lawyer’s perspective on M&A transactions, and commodity finance and secured transactions located in Panamanian free zones.

As an active member of ARIFA’s Equipment and Aircraft Financing legal team, she has represented leasing companies and investors in the most complex transactions, and has been recognized for her extraordinary legal work in the multiple transactions arising from COPA Airlines’ expansion of its fleet of international transport based in Tocumen International Airport (the largest airline in Panama and one of the most important in Latin America). In light of the situations arising from Covid-19 pandemic, she continued advising multiple lessors in the restructure of operating leases with Copa Airlines. In 2016, Ms. Castillo was accepted as a IAWA member (International Aviation Women’s Association).