Law Firm Directory

Browse all firms with extended profiles for Dominican Republic

Overview

The Dominican Republic has had one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America and the Caribbean over the last decade, and this trajectory is predicted to continue. President Luis Abinader is widely seen as a pro-business president and the country’s economy has strengthened significantly since suffering due to the Covid pandemic, with real GDP growing by 4.9% in 2022, driven by the country’s service industry.

The thriving real estate and tourism markets have played a key part, as various projects (including affordable housing projects) are underway, in addition to those which were put on hold in 2020 and 2021, compensating for other sectors of the economy.

While economic growth is forecast by the World Bank to slow to 4.3% in 2023 (in part due to global economic conditions), it is projected to increase to 5% the following year.  According to Latinvex, a provider of news and analysis of Latin American business, new data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggests that the Dominican Republic will experience Latin America’s highest growth rate over the five-year period from 2024 to 2028 and become the third richest country in the region in per capita terms by 2028.

Thanks to an uptick in foreign investors looking to invest in the Dominican Republic, there has been a great deal of project financing work of a cross-border nature, particularly geared towards the mining, energy and tourism sectors (which includes the development of new hotels, amenities and airports). In the banking and finance sector more broadly, a new law, which came into force in January 2023, overhauling the way that moveable assets are registered in the country, has made the system easier to use for foreign lenders.

In the energy sector, the law on incentives for the development of projects in the renewable energy space has made this area a growing source of work for the legal market.

Tax incentives are also available for foreign film productions in the Dominican Republic, leading to an increased amount of work in the entertainment sector. Firms are also highly active in matters relating to the baseball industry, including labour and contractual issues, as multiple Major League Baseball teams have training academies and operations in the country.

At a firm level, traditional full-service firms Pellerano & Herrera and Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández continue to dominate the market, although other domestic firms to note include OMG, Pellerano Nadal (which is continuing to expand at pace following its split from Pellerano & Herrera), Guzmán Ariza (which stands out in real estate and tourism matters thanks to its offices in key locations for these sectors), Jiménez Peña, Medina Garnes Abogados (a strong force in dispute resolution matters) and DMK Abogados.

While Squire Patton Boggs remains the most prominent international firm operating in the Dominican Republic, ECIJA DVMS, the Dominican branch of Spanish firm ECIJA, is making notable strides and Russin & Vecchi LLP has an established presence in the country through its Santo Domingo office Russin, Vecchi & Heredia Bonetti.


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