Business International Law Firm in Dominican Republic

Guzmán Ariza

Main Office

Ernesto de la Maza #35
Mirador Norte
Santo Domingo 10114
Dominican Republic

(809) 255-0980

(809) 255-0940

www.drlawyer.com

Contact Mr. Fabio J. Guzman

Published Articles

Law Firm Overview Free Consultation

Guzmán Ariza is an experienced, dedicated law firm located in Dominican Republic. Our firm was founded in 1927, more than 80 years ago. Today, we are the first and only national law firm in the Dominican Republic, with 27 lawyers distributed in seven offices covering the Santo Domingo metropolitan area, including Juan Dolio and Boca Chica, the northern part of the island –Sosúa, Cabrera, Las Terrenas, Samaná, San Francisco de Macorís– and the southeast –Punta Cana, Bávaro, Miches, Macao.

Since we have offices in every major tourist center in the Dominican Republic and in the city of Santo Domingo, we are the only Dominican law firm capable of offering clients local service anywhere in the Dominican Republic, by area-savvy attorneys who live and work where the problem and the courts are, not a hundred miles away. Lawyers in our firm have concentrated their practice in servicing the business and personal needs of international corporations and individuals, especially in the following areas: real estate, litigation, business and corporate law, international trade, public procurement law, trademarks, international tax law, immigration, international adoptions, and quick divorce.

Our attorneys and staff can communicate with our clients in many different languages: Spanish, English, French, German, Creole, Portuguese, Italian, Russian and Catalan. Our fees are upfront and easy to understand. We won’t charge you by the time spent working on your case. Instead, we will charge a reasonable fixed fee and, in certain matters, an incentive fee if the results are favorable to you. With a fixed fee, our interests are aligned with yours: we both want to obtain the best result in the least amount of time. Our lawyers are encouraged to work toward a speedy solution to your problem, not to burn the clock. Also, you’ll be able to budget easily for your legal costs. We are the first and only large law firm in the Dominican Republic to do this.

Several core principles have guided our practice since the times of our founder: Knowledge of the Law; Honesty and Responsiveness in Dealing with our Clients; Cost-effectiveness. Because of our commitment to these values and our pledge to deliver topnotch legal services, we have earned a reputation within the international business community as one of the most trusted and respected law firms in the Dominican Republic.

Year this Office was Established: 1927

Languages: Spanish, English, French, German, Portuguese and Italian.

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Trademark Search Reports; Slogan Registration; Trademark Infringement Monitoring; Legal Assistance in the Prosecution of Counterfeits; Sanitary Registration (Drug Marketing Approval); Buying and Selling of Commercial Real Estate & Residential Real Estate; Economic Development; Real Estate Litigation; Title Insurance; International Tax Law; International Adoption.

Practice Areas Description

Our practice areas include:

- Real Estate

Guzmán Ariza has been the #1 real estate law firms in the Dominican Republic for decades. Our lawyers (solicitors) have advised more clients, in more locations, than any other firm in the Dominican Republic. Since we have offices in every major tourist center in the Dominican Republic, we are the only Dominican law firm capable of offering international clients local service anywhere in the Dominican Republic, by area-savvy lawyers who live and work where the real estate is located, not a hundred miles away. You will find a Guzman Ariza lawyer ready to serve you on the north coast of the Dominican Republic (Montecristi, Luperón, Puerto Plata, Sosúa, Cabarete, Rio San Juan, Cabrera, Nagua, Las Terrenas, Samaná and Las Galeras); the northeast (Las Terrenas, Samaná, San Francisco de Macorís); the Santo Domingo area, including Boca Chica and Juan Dolio; the east ( Bávaro, Punta Cana, Bayahibe, La Romana, Miches); and the southwest (Barahona and Pedernales).

- Business and Corporate Law

Our lawyers are actively involved in all aspects of business law. A large portion of our practice is devoted to helping foreign individuals and international corporations set up their operations in the country. Firm lawyers have expertise in numerous business areas, including business organization (formation and dissolution), contract law, employment law, mergers and acquisitions, duty-free zones and international trade. We are also pioneers in the field of public procurement law, recently created as a result of the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement signed with the United States and Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua).

- Litigation

Our lawyers have long experience in representing clients in real estate, commercial, employment, civil, estate and probate, intellectual property and medical malpractice litigation at all levels of the court system of the Dominican Republic, including the Supreme Court. Our trial attorneys have been recognized as preeminent in their fields for many years. In 1962, our founder was the lead counsel for the prosecution in the trial of the murderers of the Mirabal sisters, the national heroines killed for their opposition to the Trujillo dictatorship. In 2002, Guzmán Ariza was the leading Dominican law firm assisting the families of the victims of the crash of American Airlines Flight #587 in New York in November 2002. Today, we routinely represent clients in multimillion dollar cases all over the Dominican Republic.

- Trademarks

Guzman Ariza attorneys believe that specialization leads to maximizing efficiency and service value for our trademark clients. In an effort to reach this goal, we have limited our Intellectual Property practice to three complementary areas: trademark registration, trademark litigation and sanitary registration (Drug Marketing Approval). Our specialized trademark lawyers provide trademark owners and international attorneys with an all-inclusive service covering all aspects of Dominican Trademark Law, ranging from the drafting and filing of the trademark applications to client representation in trademark infringement litigation.

- International Tax Law

Tax law shapes the nature of almost every international business transaction and has a significant impact on the way international corporations behave. Substantial value can be created by timely tax planning that takes into consideration the dilemmas and opportunities of international taxation, such as double taxation, foreign tax credit and anti-abuse/anti-avoidance rules. A principle of taxation accepted worldwide states that corporations and individuals have the right to arrange their affairs so as to minimize their taxes. Our lawyers are specialized in this field and are ready to help you structure your transactions in the most tax-efficient manner.

- Immigration

Our firm is very active and successful in obtaining residency papers for foreign nationals retiring or doing business in the Dominican Republic. Lawyers in our Santo Domingo office have an extensive experience in working together with international immigration law firms and agencies, providing their multinational clients with swift and reliable corporate immigration solutions in the Dominican Republic. Applicants for resident status must be in good health, have sufficient means and a clean police record. The application may be filed while the applicant is present in the country under a tourist card or visa. A foreign national, who has lived in the Dominican Republic as a permanent resident for two years or in certain cases, six months, may apply for Dominican citizenship (naturalization). Naturalization is not automatic but granted at the discretion of the government. There is no economic citizenship program in the Dominican Republic providing for automatic citizenship upon the investment of certain amount of funds in the country.

- Quick Divorce

A special provision in Dominican divorce law allows foreigners to obtain a divorce in the Dominican Republic in one day without any residency requirement, provided that both spouses are in agreement and consent to the jurisdiction of the Dominican Court. Only one of the spouses must travel to the Dominican Republic to be present in court. The other spouse may be represented by a lawyer in our firm after executing the required power-of-attorney. In any case a lawyer from our Santo Domingo office will accompany you at all times in court. The divorce judgment will be handed down the day of the appearance in court. The divorce documentation, including authentication by the parties' embassy in the Dominican Republic, is sent by courier to both parties a few days after the court appearance.

- International Adoption

Our firm is currently the leading law firm dealing with international adoptions in the Dominican Republic, representing adoption agencies from the United States, Canada and the European Union. Our lawyers in Santo Domingo will guide you through every step of your adoption process.

- International Trade

Involvement exemplifies Guzmán Ariza’s experience in trade agreements. We dedicate a large part of our practice to helping foreign individuals and international corporations meet their operational and strategic business objectives in the country. We have actively participated in the negotiation of the most important international trade agreements, giving us intimate knowledge of the local impact of their contents on your business. When DR-CAFTA was enacted, we pioneered the field of public procurement law in the Dominican Republic to meet the objectives of that trade agreement.

Our presence in and attention to trade issues enable us to monitor provisions that impact your business, such as technical barriers to commerce, rules of origin, domestic components, and tariff. Armed with timely information, we can anticipate legal changes and guide your business for the long term.

- Foreign Investment

Guzman Ariza has advised investors on investments and trade incentives in the Dominican Republic through the decades. As a firm with national presence, we know the investment health of localities around the island and combine this with our legal expertise to help you maximize the enormous investment opportunities available in the country in tourism, real estate, free trade zones, renewable energy, telecommunications, mining, sports, etc. No project is beyond our legal capability, nor is any project too small. Whatever your interest, we will help you achieve your investment goals in the Dominican Republic.

- Tourism

Guzman Ariza is positioned to assist you in meeting the legal requirements of any tourism-related activity because we are present, knowledgeable, and cost effective. When the Dominican Republic's tourism industry first took root along the North Coast, we were there in 1985 opening an office in Sosua and focusing on tourism-related activities as a main practice area, the first large law firm in the country to do so.

- Securities

Guzman Ariza is well versed in the areas of law that complement the registration and public offering of equity and debt securities on the Dominican Republic stock market. Our attorneys can properly structure your business to meet stock market requirements, assist and represent you in regulatory, reporting, compliance and enforcement issues, manage your relationships with market participants, and provide advisory services in general corporate matters related to the Dominican stock market and its regulations.

- Government Relations

Guzman Ariza is the first and only national law firm with daily presence in all major tourism and business centers around the country including the capital city, Santo Domingo, where the national government offices are seated. Also, within the ranks of our accomplished attorneys are former legal counsels to various departments of the Dominican government. This combination of presence and personal knowledge of the internal workings of government, not only at the national, but also at the provincial and municipal levels, permits us to lobby local officials, policymakers and legislators effectively and ethically to get the best deals for our clients domestically.

- Public Procurement Law

Guzmán Ariza is the pioneer in public procurement law. When we saw the opportunities for our international clients presented in the DR-CAFTA international trade agreement, we worked to establish the field of public procurement law in the Dominican Republic to meet the objectives of that agreement. Today, we are experts in the field. We will counsel you on how to register as a bidder, meet demanding and specific terms and conditions, and comply with the procurement laws to successfully bid on any government project.

- Labor Law

Labor relationships in the Dominican Republic are governed by Law No. 16-92 of May 29, 1992, commonly known as the Labor Code, which is characterized by its strong and sometimes inflexible protection of the rights of the individual employee.

- Criminal Law

Guzman Ariza is strategically located in all of the major tourist centers around the country and can provide you with immediate and informed assistance should you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being the accused, or the victim, of a criminal act. By knowing the local authorities of these major areas, we can navigate the criminal process and the concurrent civil action more expediently and ensure that your rights are protected.

- Renewable Energy

Guzman Ariza’s service in the renewable energy sector is informed and responsive. We are attuned to continually evolving legislation and international initiatives that address the intertwined challenges of mitigating climate change and obtaining energy security for the Dominican Republic. We rapidly deploy the information you need to invest wisely, and apply our legal expertise to help you develop, produce, transport, and market your green project. Our practice areas span energy, tax, environment, finance, real estate, public procurement, contracts, business and companies, intellectual property, and labor and employment. We will help you procure your site, obtain regulatory approvals and permits, secure intellectual property rights, negotiate construction contracts and clean technology licensing agreements, and meet labor and employment requirements. The time to “go green” in the Dominican Republic is now, and Guzman Ariza has the background and dedication to clients needed for a vital renewable energy investment.

Affiliations

State Capital Group

Partners

	Mr. Julio A. Brea Guzmán Attorney Litigation, Real Estate, Condominium Law , Civil Procedure Law		Ms. Rhadaisis Espinal Attorney Civil Litigation, Real Estate, Civil Law
	Mr. Ruben J. Garcia Attorney Employment, Litigation, Real Estate, Sports and Recreation		Mr. Fabio J. Guzman-Ariza Senior Partner Agency and Distributorship, Appellate Practice, Business Law, Civil Litigation, Commercial Law
	Mr. Samuel Ramia Attorney Administrative Law, Adoption, Divorce, Government, Immigration		Mr. Christoph Sieger Attorney Business Law, International Investments, International Trade, Property Law, Real Estate

Associates

	Mr. Cesar Calderon Attorney Business Law, Litigation, Real Estate		Ms. Milagros De la Cruz Attorney Business Law, Corporate Law, Immigration
	Mr. Fabio J Guzman-Saladin Associate Business Law, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Trademark		Mr. Nelson Jaquez Attorney Business Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate
	Ms. Yanira A. Mejía Attorney Business Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate		Ms. Ana Virginia Miranda Attorney Business Law, Real Estate
	Ms. Fátima Olivero Attorney Business Law, Real Estate		Mr. Elvis Roque Attorney Litigation, Real Estate

Of Counsel

Mr. Jose Luis Guerrero
Attorney
Appellate Practice, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation, Class Actions, Commercial Litigation

Mr. Stanley Hernandez
Attorney
Commercial Law, Commercial Litigation, Consumer Law, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property

Representative Clients

Honda Motor Company
Phillip Morris International
General Motors Corporation
Caterpillar
Polyone Corp.
GNC
Consumer Reports
The Singer Co
Deckers Outdoors Corp.
BBM International
The World Bank
Potomac Tobacco Co.
The Bank of Nova Scotia

Sol Melia Hotels
Schneider Electric
Alcatel
Bando Chemical Industries
Hipertin Barcelona
Sotogrande
Masonite
Rexall Drug Co
Isla Dominicana de Petroleo
Importadora La Plaza
Nazario Rizek, C. por A.
Maxim

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