The Independent Lawyer Review - Boutique Law Firm In Panama - Residency, Visas, Banking, Real Estate

Ever thought about moving to Panama or setting up your business there?

If you’re looking for help with residency, real estate, or just making life smoother as an expat, this article is for you.

I recently sat down with the founders of The Independent Lawyer, the husband-and-wife team Ryan Bullock and Tamara Fernandez.

I’m actually their client myself, so you’ll get my honest take along with their expert advice.

Keep reading to see how they support people like us through every step, from visas to banking and beyond.

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Introduction: Meet The Independent Lawyer

Vova: Hey, welcome to this detailed overview and review of The Independent Lawyer.

It's a boutique law firm located in Panama City.

I’m excited to be joined today by the founders, Ryan and Tamara.

In this discussion, we’re going to explore the wide range of ways their firm can assist people — especially expats and business professionals — who are looking to establish themselves in Panama.

For full disclosure, I’m actually one of their clients!

My name’s Vova Even, and I’m an Amazon seller.

I also work closely with others in the Amazon space, helping connect like-minded entrepreneurs and digital nomads.

So it’s really great to be sitting down with both of you.

Why don’t you kick things off by introducing yourselves?

Ryan: We’re doing great, thanks.

Tamara: Yes, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here.

We’re really happy to join you.

Well, I’m Tamara Fernandez, and I’m a licensed lawyer here in Panama, just as Vova mentioned.

Ryan and I co-own and operate a boutique legal practice.

Ryan: And I’m Ryan.

I’m originally from the United States, and in addition to being Tamara’s business partner, I’m also her partner in life — we’re married.

We founded The Independent Lawyer together and have been building it as a joint effort from day one.

Tamara: That’s right.

Our firm mainly focuses on services tied to relocation.

So, this includes everything from helping clients obtain residencies and visas, to handling real estate transactions and corporate law needs.

We also provide some additional support services that naturally come with relocation, like guiding people through logistics and compliance.

Vova: That’s awesome.

As your client, I can say firsthand that the process has been smooth and supportive.

Right now, I’m in the middle of opening a local bank account, which is part of setting up my business and structuring my taxes more efficiently.

So far, it’s been a very professional and positive experience.

I actually learned about your services from my friend Dean Kuchel — he’s the founder of Digital Nomads Israel.

Dean highly recommended you, and now I can understand why.

In my case, I came to Panama because I wanted to get a feel for the country in person, meet people, and build some connections — which included getting to know you both.

But your services can also be done entirely remotely, which is super convenient for anyone who prefers that.

By the way, if you want to learn how to open a bank account in Panama, click on the image below, we have a full blog post dedicated to that, with a nice explainer video with Ryan and Tamara!

Founders’ Story: How Ryan and Tamara Built Their Unique Legal Practice

Vova: Ryan, earlier you mentioned that you and Tamara are married.

I think people might find it interesting — how did the two of you end up building this firm together?

Tamara: Well, I’ve been practicing law for quite a while now.

About ten years ago, I made the decision to become independent.

Since then, the number of clients has grown steadily and organically.

In recent years, the workload expanded so much that Ryan came on board to help me manage things more effectively.

He’s focused on business development — like improving our website and building the brand — while I continue to handle the legal side.

It’s really been a team effort from the start.

Ryan: Yeah, actually, Tamara and I were both in law school at the same time — just in different countries.

I studied law in the United States, since that’s where I’m originally from.

Meanwhile, Tamara was attending law school here in Panama.

Back then, when we were still dating and just starting out as a couple, we were already both on legal career paths, even if we didn’t know we’d end up working together one day.

After finishing law school, I moved down to Panama and got involved in the real estate sector.

I worked in that space for over ten years, gaining hands-on experience in property deals and legal structures tied to real estate.

While I was doing that, Tamara was steadily building her legal practice.

As she mentioned earlier, most of her early clients came through word-of-mouth referrals.

Over time, though, her practice really expanded, and the kinds of legal services she provided grew in complexity — especially around real estate transactions and business matters.

As the years went by, we realized that there was more and more overlap between what we were each doing professionally.

Eventually, Tamara said, “Why don’t we make this official? Let’s join forces and grow this thing together.”

And that’s exactly what we did.

We decided to build something unified under The Independent Lawyer brand.

What really defines the DNA of our firm is that we’re a boutique practice — everything we do is very personalized, very client focused.

But here's the challenge: as you begin to grow a business like this, there’s always that balance you need to strike.

On the one hand, growth is important.

You want to help more people and take on new opportunities.

On the other hand, you don’t want to lose that hands-on, tailored service that makes your firm unique in the first place.

So for us, teaming up as partners has been the key.

It’s helped us expand, while still maintaining that boutique, personal-touch approach that we really value.

Vova: That’s honestly pretty awesome — thanks for sharing that background.

-: Gentle Reminder :-

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Core Services Overview: Residency, Visas, Real Estate, and More

Vova: Now, earlier you mentioned that you offer a number of different services.

Could we maybe go through those one by one and take a deeper look into what each one involves?

Residency and Visas

Vova: Let's start with residency, since that seems to be one of your core offerings.

Can you explain what residency really means in Panama, and how exactly you help clients with it?

Tamara: Absolutely. In most cases, the first point of contact we have with a new client is through residency.

A lot of people come to Panama for a variety of reasons — they're looking for better weather, a more beneficial tax environment, or simply a more relaxed and affordable lifestyle.

Some people are just looking for a fresh start.

Panama offers a wide variety of visa options.

What we do first is study each client’s situation carefully to determine which type of visa or residency program best suits them.

There’s no one-size-fits-all here — every case is different.

Many people are also attracted to Panama because of its strong and stable banking system.

We use the US dollar, and the country has well-developed infrastructure.

It’s actually a regional hub for both business and travel, which makes it especially appealing for entrepreneurs and expats alike.

Ryan: Yeah, I’d say residency — specifically helping clients process visas — makes up a big part of our practice.

Honestly, it probably accounts for 60 to maybe even 70 percent of what we do.

While we also work with some local clients, particularly on real estate deals, most of the people who reach out to us are either thinking about moving to Panama or are already living here and want to make their stay official.

Sometimes they’re looking to invest or start doing business here, and other times they just want to enjoy life in Panama legally and securely.

So we assist them in making that transition — helping them come and stay in the country under the right legal structure.

When you break it down, what we’re really practicing is immigration law.

But among our clients, the term we most often use is “relocation”.

That word just resonates better and feels more accurate to what they’re trying to do — settle into a new country, build a life, or maybe even grow a business.

Panama is consistently ranked by publications like International Living as one of the top destinations globally for relocation.

Why?

Well, several reasons.

For one, we use the US dollar, which brings economic stability.

The political climate here is steady.

The weather is warm year-round, and it’s also a travel hub — Copa Airlines is based here, so you have direct flights to tons of major cities across the globe every day.

Another important point is that many clients don’t just stop at residency.

Once we help them secure their visa, they often return to us later for help with other things — like buying property, opening a bank account, starting a local company, or entering into a business partnership.

So even though the initial request is for relocation, it often leads to more comprehensive support.

Vova: That’s super helpful. And by the way, for anyone reading this, I've embedded your blog below.

The Indeoendent Lawyer Blog

If you’re curious about residency or any of the topics Ryan just mentioned, you can explore this blog for more in-depth posts.

So that pretty much covers residency. Also, if you want to learn more about popular residency visas in Panama, just click on the image below, and enjoy reading! :)

Real Estate Services

Vova: The next big topic you mentioned earlier is real estate.

Can you walk us through what that service includes?

Like, how exactly do you assist clients with real estate in Panama?

Tamara: Sure! Typically, once a client has found a property they love and want to move forward with, we step in to assist.

We handle the due diligence process to ensure the property is legally sound.

If the client won’t be physically present in Panama to finalize the purchase, we help draft a power of attorney.

We also prepare and review all necessary contracts, finalize the deeds, and make sure the transaction is properly recorded with the public registry.

We’ve represented both sellers and buyers in these transactions.

Ryan: Yeah, exactly.

Our work in real estate is mostly focused on transactional matters.

We're not the type of attorneys who handle complicated titling issues for land that doesn't already have a clear title — though we have participated in a few of those cases.

For the most part, our role involves buying and selling real estate, drafting and negotiating contracts, structuring deals, and making sure everything is aligned for tax efficiency and long-term value.

Vova: So let’s say someone finds a property here in Panama they want to buy.

Do they need to be physically present to complete the purchase?

For example, maybe when I'm here, I find a place I really like, but then I have to go home or continue traveling.

How would that work — do I need to be here in person at some point?

Tamara: That’s a great question, and actually, no — you don’t necessarily need to be in Panama to buy property.

I’ve had quite a few clients who purchased real estate here without ever setting foot in the country.

Although I always recommend coming to see the property and the neighborhood in person — just so you’re not buying completely blind — it’s not a legal requirement.

Once you’ve chosen the property and you’re ready to move forward, we can handle the process remotely.

If you’re still in Panama, we can draft and sign a power of attorney while you’re here.

But if you’ve already left, we can also arrange for you to sign the power of attorney abroad.

You’ll just need to get it apostilled, which is a way of legalizing the document for international use.

With that in place, I can legally sign all the necessary documents on your behalf and complete the deal for you.

Vova: Got it.

That really clears things up.

Is there anything else you’d want to add about the real estate side?

Ryan: Sure, just that many of our clients are what you might call inherently mobile.

These are people who split their time between countries — they might live part of the year in Panama and the rest in the US, Canada, Israel, South Africa, or elsewhere.

So we’ve set up our business specifically to support that kind of lifestyle.

Whether it's handling a real estate purchase, helping with a residency application, or even managing estate documents like a will, we’re always asking: When will you be in Panama?

Can we coordinate the paperwork remotely?

What’s the best way to exchange documents?

We’re regular customers of services like DHL and FedEx because we constantly send documents internationally.

That’s helped us build systems that allow clients to take care of serious legal matters without being physically present in Panama.

Vova: That definitely connects to what we talked about earlier with residency, right?

It seems like people don’t necessarily need to be here the whole time during that process either.

Tamara: Exactly.

For residency, I always ask clients to provide all the required documents in advance.

That way, we save time and avoid delays.

The residency process itself usually takes about five business days to get a provisional residency card once you're in Panama.

Most visa processes here are divided into two main steps.

The first step includes registering your passport, submitting your application, and getting your provisional residency card.

That card is valid for six months and allows clients to travel in and out of the country freely.

Then comes the second step — once the immigration office reviews and approves the application, they issue an official resolution confirming that the residency has been granted.

The client can return to Panama at any point within a two-year window to complete the final steps.

I’ve had clients who went back home and didn’t return until the next summer.

I simply held their resolution here and was ready when they came back to wrap everything up.

-: Gentle Reminder :-

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Corporate Law and Company Formation

Vova: All right, so the next major service I want to cover is corporate law.

I'm personally getting help from The Independent Lawyer in this area too, and I’ve found it super valuable.

But for everyone else reading — can you explain what corporate law actually includes and how you assist clients with it?

Ryan: Absolutely.

After residency and real estate, corporate law is probably the third major branch of our legal practice.

For us, corporate law mostly means helping clients incorporate businesses and establish legal structures like limited liability companies, private interest foundations, and other corporate entities.

We assist our clients with setting up these structures from scratch, but we also help them restructure existing ones — especially if they didn’t set them up correctly the first time.

We often describe this work in terms of “asset protection”, which is a phrase many people are familiar with.

When most folks think of asset protection, they immediately think about lawsuits — limiting liability if someone sues you.

And that’s definitely part of it.

If you’re holding an asset through a corporation or foundation, that asset is generally protected from legal claims targeting your personal assets.

If one entity is involved in a lawsuit or a creditor issue, other assets in separate entities are usually shielded.

But asset protection also goes beyond just lawsuits.

It can also mean protecting your assets from taxes you legally shouldn’t have to pay.

It’s about setting things up so your assets are easier to sell, transfer, or pass down to your heirs when the time comes.

Whether it’s for liquidity or legacy planning, having the right corporate structure matters a lot.

In this space, we work with both corporations and private interest foundations.

These are also useful tools in estate planning.

On top of that, there’s a lot of overlap between corporate law, real estate, and even relocation.

For instance, unless you're buying a primary residence here in Panama, most people prefer to hold real estate through a corporate entity.

It just makes the whole ownership process cleaner and more secure.

There are even visa options tied to corporations.

For example, under the Panama-Italy treaty visa, one of the paths to permanent residency is by becoming a shareholder in a Panamanian corporation.

So forming a company isn’t just useful from a legal or tax point of view — it can also be a smart move for immigration purposes.

And if you’re planning to invest in property with friends, family, or business partners, forming a corporation is the simplest and cleanest way to go.

You can divide the ownership by issuing shares to each person involved.

And when you do that, it’s a good idea to set up a shareholder agreement to outline the rules of that partnership — how decisions are made, what happens if someone wants to exit, and so on.

That’s another service we handle frequently.

Vova: Makes sense.

Remote Services

Vova: And just like the other services, do clients have to be physically in Panama to set up a corporation?

Or can that also be done remotely?

Tamara: Just like we did for you — we actually created your corporation before you even arrived.

So no, clients don’t need to be in Panama.

We can complete the entire incorporation process or set up a private interest foundation remotely.

It can all be handled via email, calls, and document exchange.

Vova: Okay, awesome.

-: Gentle Reminder :-

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Additional Support Services

Vova: So aside from residency, real estate, and corporate law — the main services we’ve already talked about — what else do you offer?

How else can you help clients who are coming to Panama?

Tamara: Great question.

In addition to those main areas, we also assist clients with several other services that come up around the relocation process.

For example, we help clients open personal or business bank accounts, get their Panamanian driver’s licenses once they’ve obtained residency, and review lease agreements if they’re renting a place to live.

These are all part of what we call “ancillary services,” but they’re just as important to helping people feel settled and legally secure here.

Ryan: Yeah, relocation really is the common thread that runs through most of our client work.

Interestingly, I actually went through this process myself.

I immigrated to Panama nearly ten years ago, and Tamara handled my residency application.

So as a couple, we’ve personally gone through many of the same steps our clients are facing — opening a bank account, applying for a driver’s license, setting up companies, investing in property, and trying to understand how the Panamanian market works.

Because we’ve experienced it ourselves, we’re able to offer a bit of a unique perspective.

We really get it — this isn’t just paperwork, it’s a life transition.

So even in areas we may not directly handle, we always aim to be a useful resource.

We try to guide our clients in the right direction, whether that means referring them to another trusted professional or simply helping them understand their next step.

Vova: That’s pretty awesome.

It’s clear that you’re not just running a law firm — you’re offering a full support system for people making a big move.

So just to make it easier for those reading or watching, I’m going to recap everything you offer in a quick bullet list.

That way, people can easily get a sense of how you might be able to help:

• Residency & Visas

• Real Estate Transactions

• Corporate Law & Company Formation

• Bank Account Opening Assistance

• Driver’s License Support

• Lease Agreement Review

• General Relocation Guidance

Let me leave a link to your blog again, so people can read more detailed posts about these services.

Blog of The Independent Lawyer

Why Choose The Independent Lawyer?

Vova: As I’ve mentioned before, I’m personally a client of The Independent Lawyer, and so far, everything has gone smoothly.

I’m happy with the process, and I think it’s valuable for people to hear that from someone who’s actually working with you.

This kind of connection can really help build trust.

So thank you again for being here.

Before we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to add?

Tamara: Just a big thank you for giving us this space.

We’re always happy to help anyone who’s considering relocating to Panama or looking to structure their business here with a smarter tax strategy.

We’re here to support you.

Vova: All right — thank you both!

Ryan: Thank you!

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Conclusion

That wraps up my conversation with Ryan and Tamara from The Independent Lawyer.

As someone who’s worked with them, I can say their help really made things smoother for me in Panama.

If you’re thinking about making the move, need help with paperwork, or just want clear advice on your next step, they’re a solid choice.

If you have questions or want to connect, don’t hesitate — reach out and see how they can help you get started in Panama.

P.S. - If you ever mention my name (Vova Even) when talking to the guys, you'll get a nice 10% discount for their services, I hope it helps you save a bit, and get help in Panama. Let's go!