Our Team

Our lawyers combine legal depth, international experience and strategic insight to deliver practical, results-oriented solutions. Collaboration, responsiveness and excellence define the way we work.

Elizabeth Heurtematte

Founding Partner
Elizabeth Heurtematte is a founding partner of LOVILL and a leading advisor in corporate, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and banking and finance matters. She advises local and multinational companies on complex transactions with cross-border dimensions, including acquisitions, financing, corporate restructurings, regulatory processes, and the issuance of high-level legal opinions in securities and banking law. Alongside her corporate practice, she has built a distinguished focus in wealth and private client matters, advising families, entrepreneurs, and family offices on asset protection, succession planning, and long-term structuring. Her work is defined by strategic counsel at the intersection of corporate law, capital, and generational continuity.

Elizabeth leads some of the firm’s most sophisticated corporate and transactional matters, acting in mergers and acquisitions, structured financing, regulatory and licensing processes, and complex corporate reorganizations. Her practice spans high-value, multi-jurisdictional transactions involving energy, finance, retail, infrastructure, and consumer sectors, frequently requiring the coordination of Panamanian law with foreign legal frameworks.

Her work is characterized by technical precision and strategic foresight in transactions where risk allocation, corporate authority, and enforceability are central. Elizabeth regularly advises on financing structures, lender-facing documentation, and legal opinions required for cross-border operations, ensuring that corporate capacity, governance, and execution standards meet the highest international benchmarks. Clients rely on her ability to identify structural vulnerabilities, design practical solutions, and preserve transactional integrity in time-sensitive and highly regulated environments.

In parallel, she has developed a highly regarded practice advising families and private clients on complex corporate and wealth structures. She acts for family offices and closely held groups in high-value reorganizations, succession planning, and governance design, often involving multiple entities, jurisdictions, and generations. Her work focuses on safeguarding assets, strengthening governance, and enabling continuity across time—combining corporate architecture with a deep understanding of family dynamics, legacy, and long-term vision.

Elizabeth serves as a strategic advisor in matters where structure, capital, and generational purpose converge.

Elizabeth is deeply committed to giving back and to placing legal expertise at the service of the community. She views the law as a powerful tool whose impact extends beyond transactions and courtrooms, and believes that legal leadership carries a responsibility to strengthen institutions and expand opportunity. Guided by the conviction that the profession is built collectively, she values mentorship and the exchange of experience as essential to creating lasting impact.

“Elizabeth Heurtematte conducts magnificent oversight of our matters, ensuring we receive high-quality customer service and high responsiveness.” — Client Testimonial via Chambers and Partners”

Education

  • LLM in Law and Management. INIDEM Business School, Panama City, Rep. of Panama. 2013.
  • Juris-Doctor. Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago, IL, USA. 2003-2006.
  • George Washington University, Washington D.C, USA. 1999–2003.

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Bar Admissions

  • Admitted to practice law in the Republic of Panama

Memberships

National Bar Association of Panama.
Fellow of the Central American Leadership Initiative (CALI) Class X and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Practice Areas

Global Wealth and Private Client

Corporate and Business Law / M&A

Compliance / AML Regulations

Industries

Banking and Finance

Commercial & Professional Services.

Consumer Goods

Logistics and Distribution

Not for Profit.

Private Clients / Individuals

Real Estate

Awards and recognitions

CHAMBERS & PARTNERS LATIN AMERICA

Leading Lawyer in Band 3 for Corporate and M&A in Panama

Leading Partner Real Estate

2015 – 2026

THE LEGAL 500

Leading Individual in Corporate and M&A in Panama

2015 – 2025

LEXOLOGY

Recommended in Private Client & Offshore Services, Central America: Corporate, Central America: Private Client

LEADERS LEAGUE

Recommended in Recommended in Corporate Tax, M&A

IFRL1000

Notable Practitioner in Banking and Finance, M&A

CHAMBERS & PARTNERS GLOBAL

Representative Matters

Relevant cases

Represented seller, the largest logistics, security and mailing services company in Central America with headquarters in Guatemala in the sale of two business units dedicated to the secure transportation of valuables in Central America to a Spanish company which expanded its presence to 20 countries and increased its workforce to approximately 60,000 employees after the acquisition. Advised an international investment and insurance fund established in Asia in the acquisition of a major South African insurance company with presence in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. The transaction involved the sale of a pension fund, a trust and a life insurance company. Lovill gave the client multi-tier advice regarding all tax, regulatory, competition and corporate aspects of the sale. Advised a multinational company in the purchase of a logistics holding group. The sale involved the negotiation of several bonds to guarantee the obligations of the seller, in the event of non-compliance of its obligations, and a trust to secure payment for the shares. The client obtained comprehensive advice involving every step of the transaction, from the negotiation of the agreement to the payment of the corporate taxes to finalize the transaction. Represented a subsidiary of a global telecommunications operator and IT services company in the closing of its business operations in Panama, which included cancellation of their licenses, dissolution and liquidation process, settlement of debts, tax returns and distribution to partners resulting from the liquidation. Advised a family office to restructure their family patrimony and governance structure for the implementation of their family protocol. The service included formation, merging and dissolution of corporations, issuance of new shares, drafting of shareholders agreements, drafting foundation bylaws, confidentiality agreements, designations and guidelines for fiduciary agents, amongst others. LOVILL also led discussions and counseled family members in different aspects of their governance structure. Advised a family office to create a corporate and succession structure in connection to the profits generated by all their operative companies. We drafted a shareholder’s agreement to regulate corporate governance between the family, dividends and to limit the transfers of shares to non-family members. We also drafted the foundation bylaws to regulate the distribution of profits between the beneficiaries at death of the heads of the family. Our legal advice led the family to set up all their family businesses under one entity, providing simplicity in decision making, as well as creating an effective succession plan. Advises in regulatory and anti-money laundering matters an American multinational financial services corporation, dedicated to facilitating electronic funds transfers throughout the world. Carried out a legal audit for a real estate developer and hospitality management group focused on prevention against money laundering and compliance with Law 23 regime, including the preparation of the strategy and roadmap for their executives and compliance department. Advised Guarantor in a cross-border credit facility granted by Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) for US$142.5 Million Dollars and Citibank N.A., for US$11.8 Million Dollars, totalizing up to US$154.3 Million Dollars, for financing borrowers’ clients in acquisition of vehicles. Borrowers are the largest financier of prestigious car brands and leaders in vehicle financing in the Central American countries where they operate. Advised one of the main banks in Central America in the potential acquisition of a Panamanian general license bank. Lovill carried out the legal due diligence of the target bank and provided legal and regulatory advice to the client for its evaluation of the purchase of shares and merger with target bank. Advised lender, a private equity company whose mission is to help developing countries through supporting economic growth, employment and technology transfer investing in clean energy, financial services and agrobusiness sectors, in a term loan facility agreement of US$25 Million Dollars granted to the primary non-bank financial institution in Latin America and the Caribbean in infrastructure and energy financing.

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