Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández

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Celebrating the 27^th anniversary of its founding, Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández has grown to be one of the largest law firms in the Dominican Republic, but continues to distinguish itself as a firm in which its experienced partners provide hands-on service to clients of every size. The Firm’s attorneys are known for their practical experience, responsiveness and commitment to providing high quality legal services at cost-effective rates.

The Firm has been consistently recognized as one of the top law firms in the Dominican Republic by Chambers Global 2012 and numerous other publications. “This firm is at the very forefront of the Dominican Republic's thriving corporate and real estate sectors and is a top choice for IP matters”, says Chambers Global 2012. The Firm’s partners have also been recognized by Chambers Global 2012 in “Band One” in each of the practice areas reviewed by Chambers: Corporate/Commercial, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property and Real Estate & Tourism. IFLR 1000 2011 also recognizes the Firm as Tier 1 in the financial and corporate area. The Firm is the exclusive Dominican Republic member of the international attorney network TAGLaw.

Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández was founded by William C. Headrick, Roberto Rizik Cabral, Francisco Alvarez Valdez and Mary Fernández Rodríguez with the goal of providing high quality legal counsel to local and international clients in all areas of law. Marisol Vicens Bello, Sarah De León Perelló, Tomás Hernández Metz, Kirsys Reynoso, Luisa Nuño, Hipólito García and Julio Camejo are also partners of the firm. Currently, the Firm currently has 30 associates in addition to its 10 partners.

Practice Areas:

Corporate Transactional Practice: Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández provides legal counsel to its clients in all aspects related to corporate and securities laws. The Firm has a broad transactional practice, both in transactions solely within the Dominican Republic as well as cross-border transactions. The Firm is continually involved in a number of national and cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, securitisations, corporate reorganizations, real estate, project finance, tax, and trusts and estates. The Firm participated in one of the largest and most complex international securities offerings by a local company; the Firm represented several New York-based investment banks in derivatives transactions and matters of enforceability of ISDA Agreements under local law ; HRAF also participated several large corporate and bank acquisition transactions in the Dominican Republic.

Banking and Finance:  From its founding, the Firm has been counsel to some of the largest banks in the Dominican Republic and many of the international banks and financial institutions with operations in the country. The firm has extensive experience in international finance, syndicated loans, medium term note programs and other financing techniques. The Firm has focused on building a strong asset finance and banking practice, and provides legal assistance to local and foreign financial institutions in a wide array of such matters.  For example, the Firm assisted BNP Paribas in a US$54MM loan to the Dominican Government to finance the construction of the Autopista del Coral; likewise the Firm served as counsel to Citibank in a US$50MM loan to Tricom.

Litigation: Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández’s attorneys are widely experienced in litigation before the courts and administrative tribunals of the Dominican Republic, as well as in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution methods. The Firm participated in many of the largest white collar fraud cases in Dominican history, representing the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic in prosecution and recovery cases that arose from the 2003 Dominican financial and banking crisis. . HRAF also served as counsel to a client in an international arbitration before the ICC in a distribution matter involving US$11MM.

Other Areas: The firm has ample experience and provides legal services related to foreign investment, intellectual property, telecommunications, energy law, international commerce, industrial free zones, employment and labour law, real estate, privatization, administrative law, sports law, aviation law, trusts and estates and maritime law.

We further indicate that the Firm has recently incorporated three new departments: (i) environmental, (ii) regulatory matters and (iii) tax.

a) The Environmental department is led by partner Julio Camejo. The services in this area have included assistance in the compliance of environmental regulation in the Dominican Republic, such impact studies for industrial and tourist projects, among others. Likewise, the firm assists clients in the obtainment and compliance of environmental issues concerning conventional energy and renewable energy projects developed in the country. The Firm has also provided legal representation in civil, administrative and criminal cases involving alleged liability for damage to the environment. The Firm assisted Baxter Healthcare in a mayor environmental suit. Likewise, the Firm assisted a local client in the settlement of a fuel oil spill in a river near

b) The Regulatory Matters department is led by senior associate Lilly Acevedo and supervised by partner Mary Fernández. The Firm has developed this practice area/department in addition to its very active and recognized Intellectual Property department. It concentrates on regulatory matters, through which it serves advice to national and foreign clients dedicated to the manufacture and/or distribution of regulated products, such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, veterinarian, personal hygiene,  food and beverage, i.e. in regards to existing laws and regulations that affect the commercialization, promotion and publicity of those products, including sanitary issues and consumer protection, as well as in the obtainment of the relevant authorizations necessary for their distribution in the country.  Certain representative clients within this department we find: (a) Pharmaceutical: PFIZER, WYETH, GLAXOSMITHKLINE; (b) Hygiene: CLOROX; (c) Cosmetics: LABORATORIOS KIN; (d) Food and beverages: MARS, MERCASID and INDUVECA.

The Tax department is led by partner Kirsys Reynoso, whom has been recently appointed as President of the Tax Association of the Dominican Republic (Asociación Tributaria de la República Dominicana), branch No. 62 of the International Fiscal Association (IFA). She is also a Certified Tax Consultant (CTC) of this association and is specialized in International Fiscal Planning by the ADEN Business School and the University of San Francisco.

The services in this area include consultations and advise in matters related to compliance with Dominican tax legislation and international tax planning for local and foreign clients investing in DR.  Also our tax department has served as a legal support to international law firms and audit firms who require legal opinions to be used and referenced in litigations and arbitrations concerning and/or related to Dominican tax issues involving their clients. 

Gustavo Mejía Ricart  Avenue No. 106

Torre Piantini, 6th floor

Santo Domingo

Dominican Republic
Tel: +809 473 4500
Fax: +809 683 2936

http://www.hrafdom.com