Business Law and Corporate Law

Nine in ten Mexican businesses are family-controlled, and as the founding generation transitions, most families focus on governance documents while overlooking a critical factor: the legal condition of the business itself. Carter Ledyard & Milburn's new white paper reveals why legal readiness is the gateway to every succession option—from sales and recapitalization to continued family ownership—and what families must address before deal pressure arrives.

The Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office has restructured its organizational framework, expanding its Patent Directorate from 20 to 26 specialized examination divisions while dissolving eight existing units. These administrative changes, implemented through a series of normative ordinances in 2026, represent a significant reorganization of how patent applications will be processed and managed across different technical areas.

Digital footprints from emails, WhatsApp messages, and AI-generated documents are becoming decisive evidence in commercial litigation. As courts examine metadata, version histories, and collaboration records, companies face growing legal exposure from everyday digital communications that tell a more complete story than contracts alone.

Chile's Ministry of Economy has published a new regulation replacing the 2012 decree on credit card consumer information. The regulation introduces mandatory formats for disclosure documents, enhanced digital payment interfaces, and stricter requirements for promotional communications, fundamentally changing how credit card issuers must present financial information to consumers.

Brazil's Financial Activities Control Council imposed a R$ 7.4 million fine on an automotive company for anti-money laundering violations, while the US designation of PCC and CV as terrorist organizations creates new compliance challenges for Brazilian businesses. How are these developments reshaping corporate risk management and integrity frameworks across sectors?

Chile's Public Health Institute has opened a public consultation on updated guidance for its National Technovigilance System, establishing comprehensive post-market surveillance requirements for medical devices and in vitro diagnostics. The framework introduces stringent obligations for manufacturers, importers, and distributors, including mandatory technovigilance officer appointments, incident reporting timelines, and field safety corrective action protocols.

This document outlines the legal framework governing the creation, operation, and dissolution of civil associations in Mexico. It examines the constitutional foundations, regulatory requirements, and procedural obligations that nonprofit organizations must fulfill to maintain legal status and tax benefits under Mexican law.

We have discussed in our previous articles why we think you should move to Panama, and how to go about it.

No dia 10 de setembro, foram editadas duas medidas provisórias, MP nº 850/2018 e MP nº 851/2018

Panamá aprobó la Ley 526 de 2026, que introduce requisitos de sustancia económica para entidades panameñas integrantes de grupos multinacionales que obtengan rentas pasivas de fuente extranjera. La norma, vigente a partir del período fiscal 2027, no aplica de manera general a todas las sociedades o fundaciones panameñas, sino únicamente a aquellas que cumplan los supuestos específicos previstos en la ley.

En toda transacción puntual, ninguna parte quiere entregar su dinero o su activo primero. Una cuenta escrow resuelve ese dilema.

When two parties negotiate a purchase, a merger or any one-time transaction, the same tension always arises: the buyer doesn’t want to pay before receiving what was agreed, and the seller doesn’t want to hand over the asset without certainty of payment. An escrow account, or guarantee deposit account, exists precisely to resolve that dilemma.