Idaliz Guiraud: Pioneering Legal Expertise In Panama

With cross-border investment and second homes redefining the future for many people, legal consultancy is no longer just a service, it's a ticket to safety, liberty and possibilities. A vanguard of this residency revolution in Panama is Idaliz Guiraud, an experienced attorney and Guiraud Law founder, whose practice is at the juncture of legal knowledge and human trust.

With almost two decades of experience in law, business and real estate, Idaliz has established a boutique practice that provides customized legal service in immigration, banking, real estate and asset protection.

Idaliz’s path has been shaped by brazen personal choice. In early 2024, Idaliz decided to walk away from the traditional route and started a firm that is a reflection of herself i.e., accessible and honest. At Guiraud Law, clients are not files, they talk openly to their lawyers and are served by a close-knit, female-dominated team where every voice counts.

Making her way in an industry still beset by gender biases, Idaliz has gained respect not only through defying expectations, but through proving results. Her leadership has allowed the law firm to expand services to new markets such as Belize and the Bahamas, all while remaining anchored within the Panamanian legal sphere. From introducing immigration solutions such as the Golden Visa to designing secure bases for asset protection, Idaliz still evolves her practice to suit the new needs of international clients.

I believe our success comes from this collaborative female led approach

In a conversation with Global Woman Leader, Idaliz shares the values that power her, the obstacles she has overcome and her vision for a more inclusive, responsive legal profession.

Briefly share your career journey. What inspired you to establish Guiraud Law?

I am a Panamanian lawyer with a business degree, a postgraduate qualification, and a real estate license. I’ve been practicing law in Panama for almost two decades.

I decided to follow my own path and serve clients the way I believe is right. I founded Guiraud Law, a boutique law firm in February of 2024. The women-led team consists of around 14 people, and we also collaborate with other lawyers and assistants as required.

In this office, we focus on facilitating open communication with clients. They can speak directly with me, instead of going through an assistant. All our lawyers attend to clients personally. We aim to provide services that makes clients feel comfortable, supported, and confident they can reach us whenever they need assistance. That sense of protection is very important to us.

What core legal services does Guiraud Law specialize in?

The firm specializes in asset protection, real estate, and corporate services. We assist clients with Panamanian corporations and foundations, and provide support in setting up banking solutions for personal, corporate, and foundation accounts.

We also guide clients who wish to relocate to Panama, handling the entire process, including immigration procedures. Our core focus areas are immigration, asset protection, banking, and real estate.

We offer services such as opening corporations in Panama and establishing Panama Private Interest Foundations. We also set up personal, corporate, and foundation bank accounts. Our firm assists clients with immigration procedures and real estate investments, including the purchase process. These are the core areas our legal office focuses on. Additionally, we help clients create wills when they have assets in the country.

How has your journey been in Panama’s business landscape?

Over time I’ve found deep satisfaction in helping clients. It’s an emotional experience for us when we assist a family that wants to relocate to Panama, guiding them through the entire process of moving to a country they don’t know. Those are the moments when we truly appreciate the work we do.

We also take pride in helping clients organize their assets. We encourage those with investments outside their home countries to use Panamanian foundations to structure their holdings. This not only simplifies asset management and protection, but also functions like a will, ensuring everything is well-organized for their dependents.

How do you view the legal consulting market in Panama and its opportunities?

Currently, we’re seeing a high influx of clients coming to Panama as part of their 'Plan B', mainly from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. They’re looking for a place to live now or in the future. One of the most popular options is Panama’s Golden Visa. This immigration program grants permanent residency to clients who invest $300,000 in real estate. It’s a fast-track process, once we apply, the client can receive approval for permanent residency within 30 days.

What challenges do you face in law today? How do you help your team grow through them?

Being a young woman in the field of law has been a key challenge. A majority of my clients are foreigners and in many of their cultures, they're used to male lawyers. So at first, some clients seem surprised when they meet me. I think they expect someone older. But once we start working together, they realize that we know exactly what we're doing and that we deliver the best service possible.

In my office, we work as a team and make sure no one feels left out. I believe our success comes from this collaborative approach. There's no competition among us, we lead with empathy and focus on growing together every day.

What inspires you as a leader, and what's your vision for future growth?

What guides me every day is the commitment to be the best person I can be and to uphold strong morals and ethics. I try to take the best qualities from different people, so I would not say that I have just one single role model I admire or follow.

Currently, we’re working towards expanding our office so we can better serve our clients and reach more people internationally. I’ve also started working with Belize and the Bahamas to offer clients opportunities in other countries. My future goals include opening more offices both in Panama and abroad.

Idaliz Guiraud, Founder & Managing Partner, Guiraud Law

Idaliz Guiraud is the Founder and Managing Partner at Guiraud Law, having legal areas of specialization that includes Banking, Commercial, Immigration, Real Estate, Trade, Tax and Wealth Structuring. Besides her firm, she is also the General Counsel for Chile and Panama based wealth management firm CI Associates. Prior to this, she has worked as a Professor at the Universidad Latina de Panamá as well.