Ricardo Lombana

Bio

Ricardo Alberto Lombana González is an attorney with significant experience in corporate and commercial law, shareholder conflicts and negotiations, contracts, project financing, mergers and acquisitions, both locally and internationally. He also specializes in legal matters related to media (traditional and digital/internet), freedom of expression, information, and journalism.

Throughout his professional growth and development, he has had the opportunity to represent clients in major local and international transactions at every stage: negotiation, due diligence, structuring, contract drafting, signing, closing, and execution. He has also advised clients on local and international infrastructure project financing.

Additionally, he has extensive experience in corporate law (corporate governance), commercial law, negotiation, and contract drafting. He currently provides legal counsel to prominent local and international companies.

Ricardo Alberto Lombana González is an Accredited Arbitrator at the Panama Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (CeCap) and, in this capacity, has served as an arbitrator in various arbitration proceedings.

Throughout his professional career, he has developed expertise in legal matters related to the media, covering topics such as information and communication law, access to information, freedom of expression, defamation, journalism, journalistic ethics, self-regulation, internet, social media, digital law, and related areas. He acts as a legal advisor and consultant for traditional media (newspapers, radio, and television) and digital media, as well as a lawyer and advisor for individuals and local/multinational companies on communication-related matters.

Ricardo Alberto Lombana González has also served his country as a diplomat, acting as Consul General of Panama in Washington, D.C., United States, and as Counselor at the Embassy of Panama in Washington, D.C., between 2004 and 2007. This experience allowed him to participate in significant bilateral negotiations, as well as to carry out intensive lobbying efforts in the United States Congress and before the Departments of State and Commerce. He worked as an associate attorney at Galindo, Arias & López; served as Counselor at the Embassy of Panama in the United States; and was Panama’s Consul General in Washington, D.C. He also served as Head of Information and Deputy Editorial Director of the newspaper La Prensa and was the first Delegate for Freedom of Expression and Information at the Ombudsman’s Office of Panama. For several years, he hosted Eco360, a nighttime analysis and interview program with a wide reach and political impact.

After a career spanning 15 years, during which he gained extensive experience and credibility, he founded his own firm in 2013: Lombana Law & Media.

Articles and Publications
He has published articles on various legal topics (corporate law, project financing, administrative concessions, among others), including issues related to freedom of expression, information rights, and communication law. He has also been a speaker at numerous national and international forums.

Teaching
He has served as a facilitator and professor of the module “Legal Aspects of Communications and Journalism” in the executive master’s program in journalism at Universidad Santa María La Antigua.

Affiliations
He is a member of the National Bar Association, the American Society of International Law, and was a member and director of the Journalists’ Forum. He has been part of the regional expert group for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on freedom of expression and incitement to hatred. He served as Member and President for three years of the Ethics Committee of the National Journalism Council. He is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Panama and the Panamanian Association of Business Executives.

Education
Ricardo Alberto Lombana González holds a degree in Law and Political Science from the University of Panama and a Master’s in International and Comparative Law from The George Washington University Law School (Washington, D.C.), where he was honored with the “Thelma Weaver Memorial Award,” given to the best international student. He also participated in the Joint Program of The George Washington University and the University of Oxford in International Human Rights Law and attended the Instruction Program for Lawyers at Harvard University.

Political Career
Ricardo Alberto Lombana González has twice been a presidential candidate for the Republic of Panama. In 2019, he ran as an independent candidate under the citizen movement Otro Camino Panamá, securing third place with 18.78% of the popular vote. Later, in 2024, he ran with the party he founded, Movimiento Otro Camino, achieving second place with nearly 24.59% of the popular vote.

Personal Interests
This Panamanian lawyer, diplomat, and communicator was born on November 26, 1973, in Panama City. He is passionate about work, baseball, good music, and humor. He enjoys playing the drums, the guitar, reading, and writing.