Decision Assessments · Spanish
Compare defined outputs and exclusions.
Explore (Spanish)LEGAL & STRATEGIC ADVISORY · PANAMA
Continuity of judgment for decisions that cannot be isolated.
A Retainer relationship built around context, preventive judgment, decision support and agreed capacity, with individual scope and transparent terms.
01
Context, access and governance—not discounted legal hours
A continuing relationship helps preserve business context, identify priorities and connect decisions across legal, commercial, technology and execution questions. The value is informed continuity and preventive judgment, not an unlimited legal department or a promise to handle every issue.
The right format follows the decision portfolio, actual capacity and agreed responsibilities. The options below require individual assessment and written acceptance; no new engagement, team, review cadence or response commitment is activated by this page.
02
Strategic Counsel
For organisations needing continuity across recurring strategic decisions, preventive risk review and contractual triage. A proposal can define priorities, decision support, executive review and escalation boundaries around the business context.
Scope, frequency of reviews, capacity and fee are individually agreed. There is no public fixed price or standard new response commitment. A monthly executive review is not promised until its content and capacity are accepted.
03
Executive Counsel · individually scoped strategic format
For CEO- and board-related decisions requiring coordinated consideration of strategy, suppliers, negotiations or a defined portfolio of initiatives. The mandate identifies who decides, what support is provided and what remains the client’s responsibility.
This strategic format is different from the historical Business Counsel family’s Executive Counsel plan listed below. It does not inherit that plan’s USD 2,500 fee, 35-hour limit or response terms. Existing contracts retain their accepted plan and version; a transition requires a prospective proposal and consent.
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Strategic Office / Outside General Counsel
A tailored relationship for an agreed portfolio, governance needs and coordination of specific workstreams. Specialist, analyst, project-management or counsel support is included only when the actual people, availability, responsibilities and terms have been expressly agreed.
The label is not a general power of representation, an outsourced department without limits or an existing multi-partner team. It is not a fourth automatic fixed-price plan. Pricing, coverage and capacity require an individual proposal.
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Define the relationship before reserving capacity
The engagement identifies covered entities, authorized contacts, priorities, deliverables, channels, boundaries and the allocation between availability, non-legal advisory and legal work. Group-wide coverage, exclusivity, discounts and unlimited projects are not presumed.
Any executive review should make decisions, high risks, deadlines, owners and next actions visible. Cadence and deliverables depend on the accepted engagement. Management retains its decisions, and specialist or authority responsibilities remain distinct.
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Business Counsel · existing plan family
The following historical plans remain visible with their current published information. They are a secondary option, not a price anchor for the strategic formats above. Availability for new clients must be checked; the table alone neither reopens nor closes a plan.
Existing obligations are not overwritten by a marketing name. Proposals and changes identify the accepted plan and version. Executive Counsel in this section is the historical combined-capacity plan, not the individually scoped strategic format above.
| Condition | Start-Up Counsel | Business Counsel | Executive Counsel · historical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base monthly fee | USD 600.00 | USD 1,200.00 | USD 2,500.00 |
| Total if 7% ITBMS applies | USD 642.00 | USD 1,284.00 | USD 2,675.00 |
| Maximum combined capacity | 6 hours/month | 15 hours/month | 35 hours/month |
| Ordinary initial response | 1 business day | 4 business hours | 2 business hours |
| Additional non-legal advisory, base | USD 120.00/hour | USD 100.00/hour | USD 85.00/hour |
| Additional advisory with 7% ITBMS, if applicable | USD 128.40/hour | USD 107.00/hour | USD 90.95/hour |
| Outside ordinary hours | Not included | Not included | Only an agreed justified contingency |
| Executive review | As needed | Monthly | Monthly or fortnightly |
| Additional legal work | Applicable fee and authorization | Applicable fee and authorization | Applicable fee and authorization |
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Start-Up Counsel
Start-ups, small businesses, family businesses and professionals with recurring contracts and preventive questions.
Maximum combined monthly capacity: up to 6 hours, with no carry-over. Ordinary initial response: 1 business day during business hours; this is not delivery of a completed document.
Base monthly fee USD 600.00; total USD 642.00 if 7% ITBMS legally applies. If that tax is not applicable, the monthly total is USD 600.00. Third-party costs and out-of-scope work require a separate agreed budget.
Previously authorized additional non-legal advisory: USD 120.00/hour, or USD 128.40 if 7% ITBMS applies. This is not a legal hourly rate and does not automatically apply to other projects.
- Ordinary corporate, commercial and preventive employment advice for the employer.
- Preliminary review of standard contracts and communications; identification of risks and next steps.
- Initial compliance orientation and focused support to compare commercial decisions.
- Basic matter follow-up; meetings according to need and agreed capacity.
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Business Counsel
Growing businesses, subsidiaries and B2B operations with frequent supplier, personnel and technology decisions.
Maximum combined monthly capacity: up to 15 hours, with no carry-over. Ordinary initial response: 4 business hours during business hours; this is not delivery of a completed document.
Base monthly fee USD 1,200.00; total USD 1,284.00 if 7% ITBMS legally applies. If that tax is not applicable, the monthly total is USD 1,200.00. Third-party costs and out-of-scope work require a separate agreed budget.
Previously authorized additional non-legal advisory: USD 100.00/hour, or USD 107.00 if 7% ITBMS applies. This is not a legal hourly rate and does not automatically apply to other projects.
- The ordinary Start-Up Counsel scope, with enhanced priority.
- Review of NDAs and recurring contracts; ordinary negotiation and corporate-governance support.
- Questions about technology contracts, data, continuity, responsibilities and compliance.
- Preliminary analysis of alternatives, processes, business cases and initiative governance.
- A monthly meeting and monthly matter report within available capacity.
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Executive Counsel · historical plan
Groups, multinationals and organisations with complex decisions requiring continuity of legal and strategic judgment in Panama.
Maximum combined monthly capacity: up to 35 hours, with no carry-over. Ordinary initial response: 2 business hours during business hours; this is not delivery of a completed document.
Base monthly fee USD 2,500.00; total USD 2,675.00 if 7% ITBMS legally applies. If that tax is not applicable, the monthly total is USD 2,500.00. Third-party costs and out-of-scope work require a separate agreed budget.
Previously authorized additional non-legal advisory: USD 85.00/hour, or USD 90.95 if 7% ITBMS applies. This is not a legal hourly rate and does not automatically apply to other projects.
- The ordinary Business Counsel scope, with executive priority and direct contact with Rodrigo Romero.
- Management support, position preparation and focused participation in executive meetings.
- Ordinary technology and data advisory: responsibilities, service levels, continuity and supplier exit.
- Strategic prioritisation, Digital Transformation, Strategic Development & Business Innovation, processes, indicators and management systems.
- A monthly or fortnightly meeting and executive report according to the agreed scope.
- Previously defined exceptional escalation of critical contingencies; not permanent on-call coverage or emergency representation.
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Legal fees and capacity controls
The 6-, 15- and 35-hour figures are combined operational ceilings, not a promise to perform any number of legal acts for the monthly fee. Describing a payment as availability does not reduce an applicable professional minimum.
The allocation between availability, advisory and legal services is defined before work begins. Each legal act retains the applicable minimum under Acuerdo 609-A and relevant amendments; its category, valuation, allocation and balance are recorded. A written opinion, contract or filing is not automatically priced as a general verbal consultation.
If the applicable legal fee or scope exceeds the allocation, the additional work and fee are proposed separately before execution. The client may approve or defer it; silence and retrospective repricing do not create an automatic extra charge.
At approximately 80% of capacity, an operational notice reports usage, open matters and options. Additional scope and price require written approval. Reading, analysis, meetings and preparation actually devoted to the matter are recorded; time is not multiplied without an agreed basis. Unused capacity is not transferred or accumulated.
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What remains a separate engagement
A Retainer supports ordinary prevention, questions, review and decisions. A project defines a deeper assessment, implementation, transaction, registration or audit without charging twice for the same work.
- Litigation, arbitration, hearings, judicial collection and contentious representation are not included or assumed because a matter is urgent.
- New companies or foundations, immigration and work permits, trademarks, reorganisations, due diligence and M&A are outside the monthly scope.
- Complete bids, complex contracts, investigations and full design or implementation of compliance, ISO 9001, QMS software, processes or transformation are separate projects.
- Official charges, notaries, registrations, translations, certifications, travel and other third parties require their own authorization and accounting.
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Choose the appropriate level of work
Digital Transformation and strategy · Spanish
Strategic Development & Business Innovation and complex projects.
Explore (Spanish)Quality and management systems · Spanish
Gaps, processes, controls and readiness.
Explore (Spanish)- 01
Qualification Call
15 minutes at no charge to identify the category, assess fit and agree a next step—not an opinion or document review.
- 02
Decision Assessment
A defined question, evidence perimeter and deliverable with an individual fee.
- 03
Project / Special Engagement
A separately scoped transaction, transformation, implementation or other accepted phased project.
- 04
Continuing Counsel
A strategic format or an appropriate historical Business Counsel plan, subject to confirmed capacity and the accepted contract.
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How the relationship operates
- 01
Assess and accept
Identity, covered entities, conflicts, actual capacity, goals and authorized contacts.
- 02
Agree and reserve
Written scope, dates, final fee, legal/advisory allocation, channels and express acceptance of renewal.
- 03
Attend and record
Matter opening, priority, capacity records and valuation of each legal act under the applicable fee framework.
- 04
Review and escalate
Agreed reporting and notice near 80% usage; approve extra capacity, a separate project or deferral of new work without abandoning accepted obligations.
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Hours, initial response and exceptional contingencies
Ordinary hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Panama (UTC−5), excluding holidays. Response time for an out-of-hours request begins at the next business opening. An initial response means acknowledgement, initial framing and a next step—not a completed deliverable.
For the historical Business Counsel plan, an ordinary first substantive position is sought for the next business day. For historical Executive Counsel, it is sought within four business hours when the matter and documents permit. Definitive operating commitments are confirmed in the contract according to capacity, not by merely submitting a request.
Historical Executive Counsel may agree exceptional escalation of an unforeseen event materially threatening operations before the next ordinary opening. A 60-minute acknowledgement is a target subject to availability and acceptance, not 24/7 coverage, immediate representation or a substitute for public emergency services.
A contract submitted late for next-day signature, an ordinary question, a tender with a known calendar or an email marked urgent is not automatically an emergency. Channels and the contingency perimeter must be expressly agreed; representation before authorities is not guaranteed.
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12 months, monthly billing and 30-day notice
The ordinary initial Retainer term is 12 months, automatically renewing for successive 12-month periods unless either party gives written notice of non-renewal at least 30 calendar days before expiry. These terms require express acceptance in the contract; browsing is not acceptance.
Billing occurs at the beginning of the agreed monthly cycle, preferably on the 1st or 16th. It is not payment of all 12 months in advance. Contractual renewal is not authorization to debit a card automatically: current payments use a link for the agreed invoice, and any recurring charge would require separate authorization.
Ordinary early termination requires 30 calendar days’ notice to reorganise capacity. It does not automatically accelerate the remaining annual fees. Immediate termination or restitution for breach, unavailability or mandatory rights remains protected.
There is no refund merely for non-use of capacity expressly agreed, actually reserved and maintained available during the period. An invoice alone does not establish an irreversibly earned fee. Unperformed work, unincurred third-party costs and applicable mandatory rights remain subject to the appropriate accounting and restitution; there is no absolute no-refunds rule.
Where a separately scoped phase reserves time or resources, the period, amount and earning criteria must be expressly agreed beforehand. Thirty days’ notice supports reorganisation; calling an advance a reservation does not by itself justify retention or duplicate charges.
Send cancellation, non-renewal, rescheduling or billing questions to tercero@rodrigoromero.co or WhatsApp +507 6614-3188, with the matter or invoice reference. Keep evidence of sending; do not include card numbers or credentials. The Spanish policy details acknowledgement, effective date and accounting without restricting mandatory remedies.
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Direct responsibility and a separate acceptance gate
Rodrigo Ernesto Romero Jurado is the responsible independent professional. No exclusivity, unlimited capacity or non-existent team of partners is promised. New formats and transitions require an individual proposal, capacity check, conflict clearance and written acceptance; existing contracts keep their accepted conditions.
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Before an engagement is accepted
The website’s contracting, privacy, payment and cancellation policies are currently available in Spanish. The accepted engagement records its language and version; this overview is not a new set of contract terms or an automatic foreign-law equivalent.
Terms and engagement conditions · Spanish
Scope, acceptance, professional obligations and governing law.
Explore (Spanish)Cancellation and refunds · Spanish
Notice, reserved capacity, work performed and mandatory rights.
Explore (Spanish)Privacy · Spanish
Purposes, personal data, rights and contact channels.
Explore (Spanish)Contracting and payments · Spanish
USD pricing, applicable taxes and external payment links.
Explore (Spanish)Frequently asked questions
Before work begins.
Do unused hours accumulate?
No. They are a ceiling for reserved monthly capacity, not a transferable time balance. This does not remove a refund or remedy due for breach or professional unavailability.
Does the monthly fee cover litigation, company formation or immigration?
No. Litigation, hearings, filings, companies, trademarks and other special matters are excluded. A separate request requires assessment and written acceptance; representation is never assumed.
Are notaries, registration costs and taxes included?
Third-party costs require separate approval and accounting. The historical table shows the base fee and the total if 7% ITBMS applies; the proposal confirms tax applicability and the final amount before payment.
What happens when capacity is reached?
A notice near 80% usage identifies open matters and options. Additional capacity, a separate project or deferral requires agreement, with no unauthorized charges or abandonment of existing obligations.
Can the Retainer cover consulting?
Yes, within the agreed combined scope. The historical USD 120, USD 100 and USD 85 additional rates apply only to non-legal advisory. Each legal act retains its applicable professional fee.
Can I cancel or choose not to renew?
Yes. The ordinary annual term renews unless written non-renewal notice is given at least 30 calendar days before expiry. Ordinary early termination also uses 30 days’ notice, preserving mandatory rights and the proper accounting for work, capacity and costs.
Does renewal authorize an automatic card charge?
No. The contract and payment authorization are different. Current payment is by an invoice-specific external link; a recurring charge requires separate authorization.
Does Executive Counsel mean permanent availability?
No. The historical plan has ordinary priority and only an agreed mechanism for exceptional critical contingencies. The new individually scoped strategic format has its own accepted terms, not an inherited 24/7 promise.
When is Strategic Office / Outside General Counsel relevant?
When a defined portfolio, governance needs or specialist coordination calls for a tailored relationship. Actual capacity, people, responsibilities and price must be agreed; it is not an automatic fixed-price fourth plan or a general appointment.
Subject to conflict clearance, available capacity and written acceptance. No urgent matter or deadline is accepted through a booking.
Preliminary evaluation
Define the continuity your decisions require.
A no-charge 15-minute Qualification Call to understand the category of decision, assess fit and identify a responsible next step. It does not include advice or document review.