Dominican Republic 2023
Supported by the Association of Corporate Counsel
Regional legal and corporate regional vice president | Grupo MARTÍ
Director of legal documents | Ministerio de Hacienda de la República Dominicana
Vice president of specialised legal services and corporate governance | Banco Múltiple BHD
Vice president of legal, compliance, institutional relations, corporate affairs and human resources | Corporación Minera Dominicana (CORMIDOM)
Vice president of legal and government affairs | The AES Corporation
Legal and compliance manager | Bolsa y Mercados de Valores de la República Dominicana (BVRD)
General counsel and vice president of legal affairs | Playa Grande Golf & Ocean Club
In-house counsel | Corporación Hotelera del Mar
Senior legal manager permits and litigation | Empresa Generadora de Electricidad Haina (EGE HAINA)
Vice president of legal area and regulatory compliance | Banco Popular Dominicano, Banco Múltiple
Legal and compliance manager | UC – United Capital Puesto de Bolsa
In-house counsel | Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club
Notary lawyer | Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club
Executive vice president legal | Banco BHD y Centro Financiero BHD
Legal manager | CARDNET - Consorcio de Tarjetas Dominicanas
Regional in-house legal counsel greater Caribbean Region | Colgate-Palmolive
Legal and compliance director | Bolsa y Mercados de Valores de la República Dominicana (BVRD)
Ana María Estrada Báez is the legal and compliance director of the Bolsa y Mercados de Valores de la República Dominicana, a Dominican securities market infrastructure company, whose mission is...
Legal director, security and corporate affairs | Cervecería Nacional Dominicana
Legal director | Empresa Generadora de Electricidad Haina (EGE HAINA)
Assistant general counsel, legal operations - Latin America and Caribbean | Phoenix Tower International
Johana Ditren graduated with honours in law from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), in 2016. During her time at PUCMM, she excelled academically and actively participated in...
Director of legal | Dirección General de Migración
Legal director | Asociación de Bancos Múltiples de la República Dominicana (ABA)
Regional legal director Greater Caribbean Region and Latin America division compliance | Colgate-Palmolive
Legal manager of fiduciary business | Asociación Popular de Ahorros y Préstamos (APAP)
Legal manager | Barrick Pueblo Viejo
Mayra C. Jacobo Troncoso has law degree from Iberoamericana University of Santo Domingo – Summa Cum Laude, and a Master of Law in American Law with a concentration in International...
Vice president, general counsel - Latin America | Phoenix Tower International
Legal sub-director | Ministerio de Turismo de la República Dominicana
Ms. Batista has fourteen years of experience practicing law, focusing her practice on providing advice in the areas of real estate, contracts, corporate and commercial law, civil law, banking and...
Legal manager | TC Latin America Partners, Sociedad Administradora de Fondos de Inversión
Rachel’s journey began at the renowned law firm Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández, where she gained valuable experience as an associate in the corporate and M&A fields. It was during...
Director of legal and corporate affairs | Grupo Carol
Raul Alejandro Peña Medina has a law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), complemented by a master’s degree in legal practice from the same university, as...
Legal and regulatory compliance manager, operational risk and continuity manager | AFP Popular
It was true delight to lead the research for The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Dominican Republic, 2023, covering the best in-house legal talent within the region. The great enthusiasm of the lawyers that we spoke to was outstanding and inspiring, but the sheer level of innovative work that has been carried out in this region is even more spectacular. Interviews in this edition touch on the recent work that has been carried out by the responders, how they stay up-to-date with changes to laws and regulations within their work, and particular causes that they are passionate about.
In-house counsel in this edition, from a wide selection of industry sectors, shared their most recent work and experience within the past year. The responses varied greatly, but one trend that particularly stood out was the implementation of a digital transformation within their companies, a topic that is highly relevant in today’s environment, and one that requires intense legal support. For example, Elianna Peña Soto, legal director of Compañía Dominicana de Telefonos (CLARO), stated that ‘The legal team is also supporting the digital transformation, with the adoption of the digital signature in all its relationships and the digitalisation of its processes.’ Furthermore, Pamela De Los Santos Franco, legal and compliance manager at United Capital Puesto de Bolsa claimed that ‘Recently we have ventured in significant projects in the scope of digital transformation and data protection to optimise the experience of the brokerage firm’s clients and its expansion in the market.’ Seeing how the implementation of legal technology varied throughout different industries was truly insightful.
In spite of the overall uncertainty of global and local markets, esteemed counsel in this publication were delighted to share how in-house counsel stay up-to-date with changes in laws and regulations. Examples provided included reading recent law articles, attending conferences, and seeking advice from external counsel. For example, Natia Núñez Curiel, legal director of CODACERO, stated that ‘This can be achieved through reading the Judicial Bulletins of our Supreme Court of Justice, through active participation in the associations of our union and our company’s union, through subscription to legal journals, and reading news and communication media in general.’ Further, Rosalía Mena Fernández, director of legal advice at Grupo Globalia, suggested that it is crucial to ‘participate actively in different debate forums in which the main bills that affect our sectors are discussed.’
In-house counsel also took the time to share a cause, business related or otherwise, that they care about and why. The answers to this question were truly insightful, showing the passions and personality of the in-house lawyers in the Dominican Republic. Responses included gender equality, ESG, diversity and inclusion, and health and safety within the business.
We would like to congratulate and thank all the in-house counsel featured in this edition on their incredible achievements in the legal industry, and on joining the list of hundreds of the most trusted, effective and innovative in-house lawyers across the globe. It was a pleasure to speak to all included and gain insight into the markets of the Dominican Republic .
Elena Lewis | Lead researcher: GC Powerlist Dominican Republic 2023
It is Pellerano & Herrera’s pleasure to once again host the prestigious GC Powerlist for the Dominican Republic, recognizing the valuable work of General Counsel within the institutions they represent. This role continues to go far beyond legal consulting and has become an exclusive profile that requires a set of skills and deep knowledge of businesses and industries.
We extend our warmest congratulations to all GCs for their innovation, professionalism, and contributions to raising local business standards, in an ever-changing environment.
This year, Pellerano & Herrera commemorates its 70th anniversary with great pride and celebrating with many of the firm’s alumni, many of whom are recognized in this year’s GC Powerlist, makes it even more special. For Pellerano & Herrera, sponsoring this event is a continuum of its belief in creating social value and actively contributing to the development of legal profession, being the proud alma mater of over 500 lawyers and maintaining the first and only alumni program in the country.
We once again congratulate The Legal 500 for maintaining this commendable initiative in the region and continuing its exhaustive analysis of the Dominican legal market.
On Tuesday 16th September 2025, Legal 500 returned to Zürich to host the Diversity and Inclusion Forum: Switzerland, in partnership with Schellenberg Wittmer. The event consisted of insightful discussion, focusing on what diversity and inclusion mean in today’s world and how in-house counsel can put these principles into practice. The forum took place at the historic Zunfthaus zur Meisen – notably, the first guild to admit women as members, as was highlighted during the evening.
The evening began with a welcome address from Isabel Caine, Event Content Editor at Legal 500, who spoke to the continued importance of spotlighting diversity and inclusion in the current geopolitical environment – the need to continually apply and reapply, learn and relearn what we know about these topics as organisations adapt to today’s rapidly-changing climate.
Anya George, partner at Schellenberg Wittmer, then took to the stage, echoing these sentiments and highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusion to the firm.
Next, Karin de Witt, Director of Ethics, Compliance and Investigations at Lonza, delivered the keynote speech. Her lively and thought-provoking address set the tone for the evening’s discussions.
The first session of the evening, ‘AI in hiring: reducing or reinforcing bias?’, was moderated by Caroline Clemetson, partner at Schellenberg Wittmer. The panel was made up of Nora Rümbeli, Group Head Legal & Compliance Tech, Data & AI and Group DPO at VONTOBEL; Renate Lichtenegger, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Pocket App; Liliana Correia, Legal Counsel and HR Head at Swiss AI AG; and Thomas Schönholzer, General Counsel at The Swiss Post Ltd. The panelists engaged in an animated discussion regarding the pros and cons in-house counsel must consider if using AI to aid the recruitment process, from budget restraints and data protection issues to potential bias and the human element essential to hiring.
In light of recent social and political developments on a global scale, the second panel was entitled ‘Growing pressure on diversity and inclusion programs: balancing company values with compliance’. Moderator George Ayoub, partner at Schellenberg Wittmer, was joined on stage by Sandrine Wait, VP Head Legal Global M&A and Finance at Adecco Group AG; Ingrid Sollerer, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer and Executive Committee Member at Sandoz; and Rita Portmann Witmer, Head Legal WM Zurich at BNP Paribas (Zurich Branch). The panel considered how organisations’ diversity and inclusion initiatives may be affected by recent geopolitical changes. The panelists spoke passionately about how in-house counsel can best navigate these circumstances, ensuring that business continues but that employees’ voices are heard and company values are upheld.
The inclusive atmosphere encouraged audience engagement, with attendees posing insightful questions and interacting with the panelists, before Caroline Clemetson rounded off the evening with closing remarks.
Attendees and panelists then continued conversation and networking, while enjoying drinks and canapés. Legal 500 was honored to partner once again with Schellenberg Wittmer to provide a platform for these critical discussions.
