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 of the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement signed with the United States and Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua).

In the last ten years or so, the Dominican Republic has been very active in international trade. It joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995, the year of its foundation. Free trade agreements with Central America and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) were signed in 1998. DR-CAFTA, a free trade agreement with the United States and the Central American States will soon be in effect, creating a free trade zone that will expand trade dramatically in the region. The Dominican Republic also benefits from the Caribbean Basin Initiative (U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act) and the Cotonu agreement with the European Union. Currently, and jointly with the fourteen states of CARICOM, the Dominican Republic is negotiating an Economic Partnership agreement with the European Union, and has initiated talks towards new free trade agreements with Canada, Mexico, and Taiwan. These current and potential agreements constitute a portfolio of opportunities for any international investor looking to expand its operations and export to any of these attractive markets.

Guzman Ariza lawyers are very familiar with these agreements, being involved, in some cases, in its negotiations, and are more than qualified to assist you in such areas as Technical Barriers to Commerce, Rules of Origin, Domestic Components, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property and Tariffs.