Mary Fernández leads and associate and deputy director Gabriella Villanueva assists with the majority of Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández‘s IP work, collaborating to advise on trademark applications and portfolios for consumer goods clients, with the firm overseeing Grupo SID’s 1,900 trademarks. The pharmaceuticals sector is another key area, with the team advising Johnson & Johnson on its IP portfolio, handling 2,100 trademarks, and representing ORGANON in a patent protection case before the Supreme Court, aided by associate Luciano Jiménez. The firm both prosecutes and defends in trademark litigation, working on a dispute to pursue the annulment of a registration for a tourism client as well as defending technology and insurance clients against oppositions to their applications. Copyright matters are also covered, with the firm bringing lawsuits against illegal copyright collection agencies. Associate Melissa Marrero worked on the IP aspects of an acquisition and on trademark applications for a children’s entertainment client. Senior associate Miguelina Figueroa rejoined the firm after ten years as legal adviser to the government, becoming Headrick’s director of IP, life sciences and healthcare, while former practice co-head Lilly Acevedo joined the District Attorney Office.

Pellerano & Messina provides a breadth of services for its clients, regularly managing IP portfolios through brand development, bringing actions against rights infringement and representing clients in litigation against cancellation actions; for example, the firm defended a consumer goods client against the cancellation of its flagship trademarks. With cross-border experience, such as bringing trademark registration annulment actions for JJ Martin Group in El Salvador and Paraguay, the firm also provides local assistance for foreign IP services companies and law firms; it oversees the IP portfolios in the Dominican Republic for German IP services company Brandstock and Spanish/South American law firm H&A, while assisting with registration of IP rights in the Caribbean region for Panamian law firm Alfaro, Ferrer & Ramírez. Ana Messina leads all matters, aided by associates Adelin Villalobos, patents specialist Hemil Rodriguez and Carlos Tapia. Sectors of expertise include consumer goods, where the firm takes on trademark enforcement, and life sciences, where the firm is representing a client before the Supreme Court regarding a cancellation action.

Russin, Vecchi & Heredia Bonetti assists clients with litigation in administrative courts, such as filing oppositions against trademark applications before the National Trademark Office, all the way up to the Constitutional Court, before which the firm is representing a client in an image use claim. Practice head Rosa Campillo Celado and Mónika Fiallo Paradas act for a Dominican photographic services company in a dispute with Adobe regarding the ‘Photoshop’ trademark, representing the client before the National Trademark Office. The firm oversees trademark protection, publicity rights and copyright issues for sectors including pharmaceuticals, nutrition and consumer goods.

Guzmán Ariza‘s main body of work is registration of trademarks, as well as amending previous registrations due to changes of law. A highlight is the firm’s work with innovative 3D marks to avoid counterfeit goods, which it has registered successfully for oil and gas giant Gazprom and manufacturer Senninger Irrigation. Fabio J Guzmán-Saladín oversees all of the firm’s IP work, while senior counsel Leandro Corral has grown the firm’s client list significantly over the last year. The pair work on trademark registrations and renewals particularly for the manufacturing sector, but also advise food and beverage, tourism and pharmaceutical clients on matters such as criminal complaints of counterfeit products and registration of designs and products. The firm also advises Ecuador IP firm Moeller Gomez Lince & Cia on trademark registrations in the Dominican Republic for its clients.

OMG‘s IP practice is boosted by IP specialist and consultant Angeannette Tejeda, who has experience of IP law in the Andean Community. Department head Luis Eduardo Aquino often negotiates between foreign manufacturers and local distributors regarding IP rights; for example, he acted for distributor AG Mercantil in negotiations with Philips over exclusivity to distribute AVENT products. In turn, he advised Brazilian manufacturer Ourofino Saúde Animal on assignment of sanitary registrations during the termination of its contract with a distributor. The firm’s cross-border work also covers registrations of assets in multiple jurisdictions.

Lorena Pereyra heads the IP practice at Pereyra & Asociados, which handles registrations mostly of trademarks, but also trade names and logos, in the Dominican Republic for international clients. The firm oversaw a trademark application for Venezuelan company Behrens Laboratories, which involved a nullity application for a third-party registration of the brand. Pharmaceuticals is a predominant sector for the firm, as well as technology. Work also includes renewal of trademarks and trade names, oppositions of registrations and transfer of IP rights.

Ulises Cabrera acts for clients such as Rolex in filing opposition actions against others’ trademark applications in order to protect their IP. Protective strategies also include advice on unauthorised use of a trademark for GlaxoSmithKline, filing complaints for damage to the reputation of a trademark and defending clients against annulment actions for non-use. Patents and industrial designs for technology clients are also covered, with practice head Magdalena Almonte and associate Aidaluz Pimentel providing day-to-day advice to Xiaomi on its portfolio of distinctive signs and filing a patent application for Derrick Corporation, as well as the IP aspects of due diligence as part of an acquisition.