Guzmán Ariza > Samana, Dominican Republic > Firm Profile
Guzmán Ariza Offices

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Guzmán Ariza > The Legal 500 Rankings
Dominican Republic > Labour and employment Tier 1
Clients appreciate Guzmán Ariza's 'good reputation, and the seriousness with which it handles cases'. The firm assists clients with a great variety of labour and employment matters, starting from employment contracts all the way to termination of employment, collective bargaining agreements, labour regulation compliance and employee assignment in the event of M&A activities. The firm has a broad local reach in the country, granting 'competitive advantage of local knowledge'. Many of the firm's lawyers are highly appreciated both by clients and the market. Rhadaisis Espinal's 'experience puts her at the top in her area of legal practice'; she co-leads the practice together with Rubén García. In Puerto Plata, Julio Brea Guzmán stands out for his 'deep professional knowledge of the areas'; he specialises in litigation, management training, employment audits, severance agreements, and employment policies and handbooks. Senior counsel Elvis Roque is also noted.
Practice head(s):
Rubén García; Rhadaisis Espinal
Testimonials
‘One can count on any of their lawyers to be able to advise on all labour issues. Their strengths include teamwork, quick response to requests, ability to put themselves in the shoes of the client and empathise with them, good reputation, and the seriousness with which they handle cases. In short, a firm that supports and sustains the client at all times.’
‘Julio Brea stands out, who combines the qualities of a great manager, such as deep professional knowledge of the areas he handles and his personal side makes him a unique advisor in his area.’
‘Elvis Roque has vast experience and knowledge in the labour area and brings a unique and highly valued approach. He is also a tireless professional who is available no matter the day or time.’
‘Guzman Ariza has offices in the most important cities, tourist destinations and real estate development geographical areas in the DR managed by partners. As a result, their expertise is not only national but local, giving GA the competitive advantage of local knowledge as well as the ability to learn and quickly react to events and information important to its clients.’
‘Rhadaisis Espinal’s legal knowledge, expertise and experience put her at the top in her area of legal practice. Her integrity, honesty, professionalism and personal responsiveness set her apart.’
Key clients
Club Med
Pawa Dominicana
New York Mets
Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort
SH Cacao CO Partners
Sosúa Ocean Village
Orica Dominicana
Grupo Laugama
Global PreMeds
TravelSmart
Digital Works
Acun Medya Global
Work highlights
- Negotiated for Club Med a collective bargaining agreement with the union representing its 1,300 employees.
- Assisting Pawa Dominicana after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Dominican Republic suspended Pawa’s operations; Pawa requested the Ministry of Labour to suspend the effects of its labour agreements.
- Representing the New York Mets in a lawsuit filed by a local company that allegedly represented a rookie player from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and subscribed a contract with his parents for training purposes.
Dominican Republic > Real estate and tourism Tier 1
Guzmán Ariza has one of the most recognised real estate departments in the Dominican Republic. It covers day-to-day matters and operations, permits and licences, in addition to project financing and acquisition deals for hotel chains. As a key differentiator, the team's expertise also encompasses projects regarding condominiums, luxury second homes and agricultural properties. Fabio Guzmán Ariza is a highly regarded real estate lawyer with longstanding experience in this area. Alfredo Guzmán Saladín is the head of the firm’s Bávaro-Punta Cana and La Romana offices; he has extensive experience in assisting multinational clients with transactions in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Julio Brea Guzmán also receives praise; he focuses on condominium transactions and litigation. Associate Achelis Santana is also noted.
Practice head(s):
Fabio Guzmán Ariza; Alfredo Guzmán Saladín; Julio Brea Guzmán; Rubén García
Testimonials
‘The personal treatment of Alfredo Guzman and Achelis Santana makes the client feel secure.’
‘One can count on any of their lawyers to be able to advise you on all the issues you handle with them. A firm that supports and sustains the client at all times.’
‘Achelis Santana is extremely careful with all the follow-ups. Guzman Ariza’s team works like a great machine: fast, efficient, impeccable.’
‘Julio Brea stands out.’
Key clients
Club Mediterranée
Meliá Hotels International
Anex Tours
12Tree Finance
Noval
Sunwing Travel Group
Viva Wyndham Resorts
Sosúa Ocean Village
Tierra del Sol Beach Hotel and Casino
Elof Hansson
Ani Villas
Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort
Dream City
Acun Medya
Athelia Blue Finance
Villas Infinity
Knauf GIPS
Blue Jack Tar
Dama Hoteles
Nader Enterprises
Work highlights
- Acted as outside general counsel to Club Med on all its legal matters in the Dominican Republic, including real estate transactions, government permits, corporate matters, and other areas.
- Acting as counsel for Meliá’s Dominican subsidiaries since 2005.
- Assisting Anex Tours in the acquisition of a 370-acre property in the Macao-Punta Cana area for $41m.
Dominican Republic > Corporate and M&A Tier 2
Guzmán Ariza‘s corporate team is noted for having ‘a lot of knowledge in the legal area and well-defined processes to achieve the objectives and work requested by the client‘. The firm is active in a significant number of bankruptcy cases in the country, and is the first port of call for restructurings involving trusts, as well as in the recognition in the Dominican Republic of foreign insolvency proceedings. Project finance transactions are another key specialism, in which co-chair Fabio Guzmán Saladín excels, especially in relation to construction, real estate, tourism, natural resources and infrastructure projects. Other key lawyers include co-chair Alfredo Guzmán Saladín, who is recognised for his experience in private public partnerships (PPPs), tax structuring and corporate restructurings in the hotels sector, and Alberto Reyes Báez, who serves as legal advisor to many international infrastructure and construction companies.Practice head(s):
Fabio Guzmán Saladín; Alfredo Guzmán Saladín
Testimonials
‘The team is well organised and teamwork is indisputable, they have a lot of knowledge in the legal area and well-defined processes to achieve the objectives and work requested by the client.’
‘Knowledge, professionalism, speed, follow-up and resolution.’
‘Fabio Guzmán Saladín stands out for his solid knowledge and prompt response rate.’
‘You can count on any of their lawyers to be able to advise you on all the issues you handle with them. Their strengths include teamwork, their quick response to requests made by the client, their ability to put themselves in the client’s shoes and empathise with them, their good reputation, and the seriousness with which they handle cases. In short, a firm that supports and sustains the client at all times.’
‘Julio Brea stands out, who combines the qualities of a great manager, such as deep professional knowledge of the areas he handles, with unique personal values.’
Key clients
Blue Orchard
Pan Am World Airways Dominicana
POSCO Engineering and Construction
12Tree Finance
Elof Hansson
Knauf GIPS
SH Cacao CO Partners
Acun Medya
Digital Works Company
Phillips 66
Trevi Galante
UBS Group Investment Bank
General Cocoa Company
Coffee America
Rep1 Baseball
Distinct Investment Holdings
Renova Expert
Abdelmaseh
Arconim Constructora
Adelca
Ava Airways
Kalexius
Arendal
Orica
Work highlights
- Advised 12Tree Finance Investment in the development of greenfield and brownfield investments in the Dominican Republic.
- Advised Emerald Solar Energy, a subsidiary of Canadian group Potentia Renewables, in a $37m financing through the Free Closed Investment Fund for the Development of Dominican Infrastructure, managed by Administradora de Fondos de Inversión Universal.
- Providing legal advice to Arendal in connection to the consortium negotiations with Barrick Gold, which operates an open pit gold mine in the Dominican Republic, and which hired Arendal for the extension of the Pueblo Viejo Gold Mine.
Dominican Republic > Dispute resolution Tier 2
Guzmán Ariza has a well-established litigation and arbitration practice. The department is under the leadership of the highly regarded Fabio Guzmán Ariza, who focuses his practice on civil procedure, labour, medical malpractice litigation and arbitration, while his team is particularly noted for handling numerous bankruptcy and restructuring procedures involving trusts, and for its expertise in white-collar criminal law. Rhadaisis Espinal is an expert in civil and commercial litigation, and Julio Brea Guzmán additionally covers administrative, real estate and condominium-related litigation. Alberto Reyes Báez acts for both corporate and individual clients in a broad range of business disputes.Practice head(s):
Fabio Guzmán Ariza
Testimonials
‘Guzman Ariza has offices in the most important cities, tourist destinations and real estate development geographical areas in the Dominican Republic managed by partners. As a result, their expertise is not only national but local, giving Guzman Ariza the competitive advantage of local knowledge as well as the ability to learn and quickly react to events and information important to its client’s cases. This capability is especially critical in Dominican Republic as it pertains to legal and corporate matters related to real estate transactions and tourism.’
‘Fabio Guzman Ariza has years of experience, respectability and professionalism and is straightforward. He is very personable and approachable and an outstanding human being.’
‘Rhadaisis Espinal: her legal knowledge and expertise, and experience places her at the top in her area of legal practice.’
‘Fabio Guzman Salazar has legal knowledge and expertise, business acumen, integrity, honesty and approachability.’
‘You can count on the fact that any of their lawyers are capable of advising you on all the issues you handle with them. Their strengths include teamwork, their quick response to requests made by the client, their ability to put themselves in the client’s shoes and empathise with them, their good reputation, the seriousness with which they handle cases. In short, a firm that supports and sustains the customer at all times.’
‘Julio Brea stands out. He combines the qualities of a great manager, such as his deep professional knowledge of the areas he handles, and his personable character, which makes him a unique advisor in his area.’
‘Elvis Roque has vast experience and knowledge in the litigation area and brings a unique and highly valued approach.’
Key clients
Pawa Dominicana
Club Med
JJH Capital Inversiones Extranjeras
Wells Fargo Bank
Sunwing Travel Group
Trevi-Galante
Meliá Hotels International
Edesur Dominicana
Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Resort
Consorcio de Construcciones Planificadas
Dominican Government (Bahía de las Aguilas)
Acun Medya
Cap Maison
Bartolo Colón
Work highlights
- Assisting Pawa Dominicana in its bankruptcy.
- Successfully defended the hotel Club Méditerranée against a $6m lawsuit filed by a cigar producing company for an alleged illegal eviction from premises in the resort.
- Representing JJH Capital Inversiones Extranjeras in a land use lawsuit.
Dominican Republic > Tax Tier 2
Guzmán Ariza‘s tax department contributes to the firm’s corporate practice and assists clients in the management of financial risks, especially those arising from commercial transactions, through dealing with the impact of financial obligations for corporate clients. Additionally, tax planning and regulatory compliance are also covered by the team, along with counselling in relation to fiscal audits, tax structures and tax exemptions. The team is co-led by Alfredo Guzmán Saladín, Fabio Guzmán Saladín (who also lead the real estate and corporate practices, respectively), and Alberto Reyes Báez; the team can also call on in-house tax advisor and CPA, Mariano Corral.Practice head(s):
Fabio Guzmán Saladín; Alfredo Guzmán Saladín
Key clients
Warner Gaming
Eden Roc at Cap Cana Hotel
Fuxion BioTech
Schrader Camargo
12Tree Finance GmbH
Club Med
Elof Hansson
Fastenal
Wolverine
Mammoet Caribbean
Francisco Martinez Group
Tecnove Group
SH Cacao CO Partners LP
ADELCA
Silva International Investments
Digital Works Company
Voith Hydro
Potentia Renewables
Noval
Work highlights
- Advised 12Tree Finance on the development of greenfield and brownfield investments, through the creation of a free zone park, thus obtaining better tax incentives and benefits.
- Advising Schrader Camargo on tax matters related to the incorporation of the Consortium Catalina 15, to provide services to the Punta Catalina thermoelectric power plant project.
- Assisting Fastenal in all corporate, contractual, tax and government matters.
Dominican Republic > Banking and finance Tier 3
Guzmán Ariza‘s banking and finance professionals include lawyers, business consultants, auditors and tax advisors; together, they make up a solid team, specialised in assisting with bankruptcy cases under the new Dominican bankruptcy and restructuring law, in which practice co-head Fabio Guzmán Saladín is a leading expert. Project finance is another key area of specialism for the department, which has experience in transactions for the development of construction, real estate, tourism, energy and infrastructure projects. Other key contacts include Alfredo Guzmán Saladín, who focuses on tax and project finance, and Alberto Reyes Báez, who frequently acts for international banks in financing matters.Practice head(s):
Fabio Guzmán Saladín
Testimonials
‘Guzman Ariza is one of our go-to firms in the DR.’
‘Fabio Guzman is an excellent lawyer and always good to have on deals.’
‘They are a very efficient and competitive team. They are very organised in all their areas.’
‘I’d highlight the responsibility and excellent communication.’
Key clients
Blue Orchard
Pan Am World Airways Dominicana
POSCO Engineering
12Tree Finance
UBS Group Investment Bank
General Cocoa Company – Coffee America
Distinct Investment Holdings – Renova Expert
Arconim Constructora
Potentia Renewables (Emerald Solar Energy)
Trevi-Galante
Work highlights
- Advised 12Tree Finance Investment in the development of greenfield and brownfield investments in the Dominican Republic.
- Advised Emerald Solar Energy on a $37m financing through the Free Closed Investment Fund for the Development of Dominican Infrastructure.
- Acting as legal advisor to Blue Orchard in connection with two loan agreements for $40m each given to Banco Lafise, a Central American bank with operations in the Dominican Republic.
Dominican Republic > Environment Tier 3
Guzmán Ariza is involved in environmental law matters in connection to its broader real estate and tourism practice. Also of note is its advice on environmental matters in the construction and entertainment industries. A large part of the team’s workload involves sustainability, compliance, permits, and technical and legal feasibility studies, as well as environmental impact assessments, statements and minimum impact certification, among other areas. Alfredo Guzmán Saladín and Giselle Pérez Reyes co-lead the practice.Practice head(s):
Alfredo Guzmán Saladín; Giselle Pérez Reyes
Key clients
Club Mediterranée
Anex Tours
12Tree Finance
Noval
Viva Wyndham Resorts
Ani Villas
Dream City
Athelia Blue Finance
Knauf GIPS
Nader Enterprises
Work highlights
- Advised 12Tree Finance on the development of greenfield and brownfield investments in the Dominican Republic, through the creation of a free zone park.
- Representing Althelia’s Sustainable Ocean Fund SICAV-SIF’s project to provide financing of $5m for the development and management of the Arrecifes del Sureste Marine Sanctuary.
- Assisted Potentia Renewables with the legal due diligence, as well as in the environmental compliance and the required studies to obtain the final concession on three wind farms in the Dominican Republic, of 50MW, 40MW and 25MW each.
Dominican Republic > Intellectual property Tier 3
Holders of well-known trade marks, patents, industrial designs and copyrights are among Guzmán Ariza's main clients in the IP space. The team is particularly noted for its expertise in connection to the registration of IP rights in the Dominican Republic – a service which it usually provides after having assisted with the opening of subsidiaries or joint venture operations in the country. Infringement, unauthorised use, registration disputes, opposition to patent modifications and anti-counterfeiting matters are also among the group's areas of experience. Practice head Fabio Guzmán Saladín is a member of the Dominican Intellectual Property Association and International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, among others.
Practice head(s):
Fabio Guzmán Saladín
Key clients
Kikkoman Corporation
Gold Star Tobacco
Sunwing Travel Group
Agrovet
Senninger Irrigation
Rud Starcke
Industria Farmo Química
Moeller Gomez Lince & Cia
Xponentiall Fitness
Inversiones Austral
Masonite Corporation
Productora de Capsulas de Gelatina
Indufar C.I.S.A
DLA Piper
Celltrion
Vision Mundial Internacional (World Vision International)
Sapporo Holdings
Coffee Marks Limited – Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority
Industrias Laford
GuanZhouXibinTrading
HairTalk
Sensor Development Corporation
TLC Products
Creative Recreation
Jardinova
Work highlights
- Registered copyrights belonging to World Vision International regarding its strategies and system for child care programme called Criando con Ternura.
- Assisted Kikkoman to modify the information pertaining to its trade mark registration, presenting the documents and registration of the trade mark worldwide to argue that the trade mark must be protected.
- Registered seven of Gold Star Tobacco’s trade marks.
Guzmán Ariza > Firm Profile
Guzmán Ariza is the only national law firm in the Dominican Republic, with seven offices strategically located to serve the clients in every major business and tourism centre in the country. The firm is client-oriented and offers a full range of services, across a wide variety of practice areas, through the best team of multilingual lawyers.
Our practices have earned us a reputation in the local and international business community as a respected and trusted firm that produces results.
We are internationally connected. As members of SCG Legal and GGI Geneva Group International — we are able to assist the clients effectively in international transactions throughout the world.
Main areas of practice
Corporate: Guzmán Ariza has extensive experience counselling clients in all stages of their business ventures in the Dominican Republic, the largest economy of Central America and the Caribbean. The team of lawyers advises local and international clients in organizing start-ups, managing risks while growing in the market, incorporating new partners, seeking funding for expanding operations, bankruptcy and restructuring procedures or just helping them in complying with all local laws that relate to doing business in the Dominican Republic.
Real estate: Guzmán Ariza’s Dominican real estate department is unsurpassed in its skill, experience and geographical reach. Real estate lawyers work as a cohesive team with other disciplines, including tax, financing, environment, and litigation to ensure that all issues that could impact a transaction are properly and thoroughly addressed.
Mergers and acquisitions: Guzmán Ariza is actively involved in complex corporate transactions in which whole or portions of businesses are transferred, divested or restructured. Members of the corporate team include two partners with both law and MBA degrees, as well as in-house tax and accounting counsels, which generally results in smooth transactions with less time spent on due diligence and negotiations.
Banking, finance and securities: The firm’s expert team of attorneys advises international financial institutions, as well as companies seeking traditional or alternative sources of funds, in the negotiation, structuring, documentation and execution of all types of financial transactions related to the industry.
Project finance: The firm has deep expertise in advising clients in any type of financing transaction involving large infrastructure and industrial projects, regardless of the role its clients may play in them.
The firm has a comprehensive team of experts in corporate law, taxation, banking and finance, securitization, restructurings, and other legal disciplines, ready to efficiently and securely put together all kinds of transactions in project finance.
Tourism : The attorneys at the firm have extensive experience providing counsel and all legal services needed for any tourism-related activity in the Dominican Republic and offer clients “area-specific” advice, as well as counsel on the regulatory framework and incentives through the CONFOTUR Law, applicable to all business activities and transactions within the industry.
Foreign investment, international trade: Guzmán Ariza offers a wide range of services to clients in international trade and investment. The firm’s lawyers have the knowledge and expertise to advise clients on trade agreements, double taxation and international conventions involving the Dominican Republic.
Litigation: The firm has a large team of lawyers with extensive litigation and arbitration experience to handle all disputes its clients may find themselves involved in before local courts, once all negotiations and alternative solutions have been explored, expended or discarded.
Environment, climate change: Guzmán Ariza advises clients on all environmental regulatory, compliance and transactions required for the development of projects in the country. The attorneys help clients with the structuring, financing and implementation of the projects, as well as all transfer, operation and restructuring agreements related to them.
The lawyers counsel local and foreign companies and individuals in different industries and practices, among others; taxation, PPP, infrastructure, cinema, sports, energy, mining, trusts, wealth preservation, manufacturing, food and beverage.
Other offices: Bávaro – Punta Cana, Sosúa – Puerto Plata, Las Terrenas, La Romana – Casa de Campo, Samaná, Cabrera.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Commercial and Corporate | Fabio Guzmán-Saladín | fabio@drlawyer.com | |
Commercial and Corporate | Alberto Reyes-Báez | areyes@drlawyer.com | |
Real Estate | Alfredo Guzmán-Saladín | aguzman@drlawyer.com | |
Real Estate | Julio Brea-Guzmán | jbrea@drlawyer.com | |
Real Estate | César Calderón | ccalderon@drlawyer.com | |
Finance (project finance/banking/insurance/securities) | Fabio Guzmán-Saladín | fabio@drlawyer.com | |
Finance (project finance/banking/insurance/securities) | Alfredo Guzmán-Saladín | aguzman@drlawyer.com | |
Mergers and Acquisitions | Fabio Guzmán-Saladín | fabio@drlawyer.com | |
Mergers and Acquisitions | Alfredo Guzmán-Saladín | aguzman@drlawyer.com | |
Litigation and Arbitration | Fabio J Guzmán-Ariza | fguzman@drlawyer.com | |
Litigation and Arbitration | Rhadaisis Espinal | respinal@drlawyer.com | |
Litigation and Arbitration | Julio Brea-Guzmán | jbrea@drlawyer.com | |
Foreign Investment | Fabio Guzmán-Saladín | fabio@drlawyer.com | |
Foreign Investment | Alberto Reyes-Báez | areyes@drlawyer.com | |
Tourism and Hospitality | Julio Brea-Guzmán | jbrea@drlawyer.com | |
Tourism and Hospitality | Alfredo Guzmán-Saladín | aguzman@drlawyer.com | |
Taxation | Fabio Guzmán-Saladín | fabio@drlawyer.com | |
Taxation | Alfredo Guzmán-Saladín | aguzman@drlawyer.com | |
Construction | Alberto Reyes-Báez | areyes@drlawyer.com | |
Construction | César Calderón | ccalderon@drlawyer.com | |
Labour and Employment | Rubén J García | rgarcia@drlawyer.com | |
Labour and Employment | Rhadaisis Espinal | respinal@drlawyer.com | |
Energy and Environment | Fabio Guzmán-Saladín | fabio@drlawyer.com | |
Energy and Environment | Giselle Pérez-Reyes E: gperez@drlawyer.com | gperez@drlawyer.com | |
Sports and Entertainment | Alfredo Guzmán-Saladín | aguzman@drlawyer.com | |
Sports and Entertainment | Rubén J García | rgarcia@drlawyer.com |
Staff Figures
Other fee-earners : 45 lawyers plus 9 other free earners Total staff : 125Languages
English Spanish Dutch French German Italian Portuguese RussianMemberships
SCG Legal Geneva Group International (GGI)Other
Partners : 8- Labour and employment
- Real estate and tourism
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution
- Tax