Latin America - Dominican Republic

Guzmán Ariza

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Guzmán Ariza is well known for advising on major real estate and tourism-related transactions in the Dominican Republic, while clients also benefit from its presence in the key locations of Punta Cana, Puerto Plata and Samaná. The firm stands out for its expertise in project financing and acquisitions, acting for prominent multinationals including Club Med. The sizeable team is led by experienced managing partner Fabio Guzmán Ariza, Alfredo Guzmán Saladín (an expert in corporate and commercial matters in the real estate and hospitality sectors), Julio Brea Guzmán (who plays a key role in real estate and condominium projects), Rubén García and César Calderón. The team was further strengthened at top level by the addition of senior counsel Patricia Guzmán from DMK Abogados in October 2022 and the promotion of Marianne Olivares in June 2023.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Good communication and legal knowledge. They understand the country's legal and political system.'
  • 'What gives me the greatest peace of mind is that I can always count on the collaboration of Guzmán Ariza - my calls and emails are always answered. We have had experiences with other firms that simply do not answer or it is impossible to communicate with the lawyer in charge of our files or even know for sure which lawyer handles a file. With Guzmán Ariza that does not happen, it is quite the opposite.'
  • 'I can say without fear of being wrong that Guzmán Ariza's ethos is transmitted to all the lawyers and staff in general. Alfredo Guzmán and Marianne Olivares are our trusted advisers. As an in-house lawyer, it is reassuring for me to sit down and discuss a strategy with both of them because we work together to achieve an objective - that's something you don't get at other law offices.'

Key clients

  • Club Mediterranée (Club Med)
  • Meliá Hotels International
  • Anex Tours
  • 12Tree Finance
  • NOVAL Properties
  • Sunwing Travel Group (Nexus Tours, Royalton)
  • 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
  • Althelia Blue Finance
  • Villas Infinity
  • Knauf GIPS
  • Blue Jack Tar
  • Dama Hoteles
  • Nader Enterprises
  • Grupo Roble/Real Hotel & Resorts/Grupo Poma
  • Hotels Association of Cap Cana
  • Vafiadis
  • Cap Cana
  • The Mosquito Hotels Group

Work highlights

  • Assisting Club Med with obtaining and renewing all operating licences for hotel, restaurant and tourist activities.
  • Assisted Melia Hotels with the amendment and renewal of a commercialisation agreement with one of its main tour operator partners (Manatí).
  • Representing Althelia Blue Finance in the Althelia Sustainable Ocean Fund project in the Dominican Republic.

Lawyers

Next Generation Partners

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Fabio Guzmán Ariza, Alfredo Guzmán Saladín, Julio Brea Guzmán, Rubén García, César Calderón