Congratulations to our tax team’s lead partners: Alfredo Guzmán-Saladín, Fabio Guzmán Saladín, Alberto Reyes Báez and their team.
Fabio Guzmán Saladín, partner at Guzmán Ariza, was elected as president of the Dominican-German Chamber of Commerce for the period 2020 – 2022, at its annual general assembly.
During his virtual speech at the assembly, he expressed his satisfaction for having been re-elected for a new term, thanking the Board of Directors and the members, and emphasized on how the Chamber is adapting to the new reality imposed by COVID 19 to “take advantage of opportunities and to leave a mark in this changing environment in which more than ever society needs our contributions as an organization to help boost the economy ”, encouraging all members to“ find where the opportunities for new businesses are and pursue them. “
In addition, he expressed that his term will focus on:
We are proud to announce that we have been recognized again this year by Chambers and Partners in their Latin America Guide for 2021 as a top-ranked firm in the Dominican Republic, in the areas of Corporate/Commercial, Real Estate & Tourism and Dispute Resolution.
What do they say about our ranked practices?
On Corporate/Commercial they highlight our “noteworthy practice, [which] debuts in these rankings, (…) [and] handles company incorporations, restructuring and M&A transactions, in addition to corporate and acquisition finance. Also advises on free trade zone regulations and tax implications of transactions.” Clients appreciate that “the team are very communicative and always respond to emails and phone calls,” adding: “They are very knowledgeable and help us understand the law from the Dominican perspective. They are also reliable and a pleasure to work with.”
On Real Estate & Tourism, “Powerhouse practice group with a longstanding tradition advising on complex real estate transactions and the development of tourism projects. [its] Strong team of highly experienced lawyers stands out for their breadth of expertise, which ranges from counseling hotel groups on day-to-day operations to project financing and acquisition deals. Provides further counsel on permitting and licenses, as well as environmental compliance.” Clients report that Guzmán Ariza Abogados is the best law firm they have worked within this area, with one source further praising that “they remain in contact with us 24/7 and provide a high-quality legal service.” Another client is quick to highlight the firm’s multinational vision and “their experience in the wider tourism market, not just in the Dominican Republic.”
On Dispute Resolution, our “Experienced conflict resolution team (is) usually found representing real estate developers, as well as tourism and hospitality clients in civil and commercial litigation, as well as bankruptcy proceedings. A client highlights “the excellent quality service that they provide,” while another says: “I always obtain what I need accurately and on time.”
How about our ranked individuals?
Our top-ranked individuals include our managing partner, Fabio Guzmán Ariza, who was recognized again this year as a senior statesperson in Real Estate & Tourism for his “(…) longstanding career in the real state and tourism field”. One client simply comments: “He is brilliant.”
Partner Julio Brea Guzmán also in Real Estate & Tourism. Their editorial review points out that “(…) Brea-Guzmán offers broad experience advising on real estate transactions and disputes” A client comments: “He is very well qualified, proactive, detailed and straight to the point.”
Partner Fabio Guzmán Saladín was ranked in the Corporate/Commercial category, as an up-and-coming individual, for being “a brilliant lawyer: very intelligent and intuitive,” a client remarks. Guzmán Saladín is known for advising clients on free trade zone regulations, company incorporations and corporate restructuring.
And special counsel Giselle Pérez Reyes was ranked in the environment category, for her experience “(…) on the environmental aspects of real estate and tourism projects (…)”. A source reports that “she does a great job; she manages her work well and generates confidence in the client.”
The Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution of the Puerto Plata Chamber of Commerce and Production swore in its new executive office for the period 2020-2022, which will be presided by Dr. Julio Brea Guzmán, partner of the firm Guzmán Ariza.
During his inauguration, Brea Guzmán promised to work on strengthening the pillars that sustain the CRC as an alternative system of justice to resolve commercial disputes in a transparent and reliable manner.
He called on teamwork to lead the CRC to its full growth potential, adding that “being the first tourist destination to have these means to provide confidence to investors, we have a social obligation with the CRC and with the Puerto Plata Chamber of Commerce; hence, we will strive to do an impeccable job so that the province earns a greater legal standing through arbitration.”
Guzman Ariza announced its partnership with ISFIN, a global advisory organization active in 75 countries that acts as a business facilitator between the Americas’ emerging markets and the Middle East, African and Asian markets. Its members include the most innovative and highly regarded independent law, audit and accounting firms in the world.
Prof. Laurent Marlière, CEO of ISFIN said of this partnership that “Many of the Caribbean markets are in transition. They generally have been in the radar of the US, the UK and the European Union for being tax-incentive jurisdictions. Whilst these markets reinvent themselves, LatAm and the Caribbean are on the radar of South East Asian and Middle Eastern funds, and ISFIN, with its strong local partners, is best positioned to direct new foreign direct investments to the area.”
The Dominican Republic is among the main recipients of FDI in the Caribbean and Central America, increasing its inflow to USD 3 billion in 2019, up 19% from the previous year, with an ever-increasing participation of Chinese investments.
The firm stated that this partnership will be a great advantage for FDI in the Dominican Republic, as the country amplifies its efforts to attract new investors, adding that the Dominican government has taken the right approach towards FDI by providing logistical support for establishing operations in the country, as well as tax incentives for targeted industries including textiles, tourism, film and renewable energy; and by allowing foreign nationals accompanying their businesses and residing in the country to be covered by tax incentives as well. Furthermore, foreign investors can enjoy the same rights and obligations as local investors do.
FDI has played an important role in making the Dominican Republic a leading economic and tourist destination. Today, the country is the largest and fastest growing economy in Central America and the Caribbean and the most visited tourist destination in the area.
Lawyer and author Fabio J. Guzmán Ariza, president of the firm Guzmán Ariza, Attorneys at Law, has just published the third edition of his book “Procedures in Civil and Commercial Matters after the Reforms of Law 845 of 1978″, in celebration of 42 years since the law was decreed, on July 15, 1978.
This title, which is part of the Monografías de Editora Judicial Collection, was first published in 1981, reprinted in 1996 with a second edition published in 2010. This book is a classic of the Dominican legal bibliography, whose content has been updated and expanded to include the jurisprudence and doctrine of the last decade.
As a result of an extensive research, its content examines, critically and interpretively, the default procedure as modified by Law 845 of 1978 and, especially, those aspects that lend themselves to contradictory interpretations.
The author assumes that the default procedure constitutes a guarantee established by law for the benefit of the litigator who has not been heard in court. In addition, it deepens in the modes of protection available: the special procedure before the court, the particular requirements of the judgments issued in default and the appeal for opposition.
Fabio J. Guzmán Ariza is a lawyer, author, editor, and linguist. He currently manages the law firm Guzmán Ariza, is a member of the Dominican Academy of Language and is also editor of the Gaceta Judicial magazine and president of its editorial board.
He is author or co-author of the language of the Dominican Constitution; Models for SRL and EIRL; Directory of civil, commercial and real estate jurisprudence of the Dominican Republic; Real Estate Registry Law No. 108-05, with its modifications, regulations and complementary norms, settled and indexed; and the Dictionary of Dominican Spanish, among others.
President Danilo Medina decreed on July 20th, 2020 a national state of emergency for a period of 45 days effective Monday, July 20th and the daily curfew has been set for a period of 20 days, as follows:
1. Deadlines for submission and payment of the following tax obligations are extended until 7/29/2020:
2. Taxpayers, including corporate entities or individuals with sole proprietorships, are exempt from payment of Income Tax advances for the June 2020 fiscal period, with due date 7/15/2020. This provision does not apply for large taxpayers who remain operating.
3. Taxpayers with December tax year closings who have not yet filed the IR-2 affidavit will be required to pay the previous month’s advance, regardless of any partial reductions that may have been authorized.
We are honored to share with you the virtual launch event for the online edition of the “Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Legal Spanish” (“DPEJ”). The event took place on Thursday, July 2, 2020 with the participation of many prominent people involved in this project, including Pedro Sánchez, president of the Government of Spain; Santiago Muñoz Machado, director of the Royal Spanish Academy and president of ASALE, also director of this publication, and Carlos Lesmes, president of the Supreme Court and of the General Council of the Judicial Power of Spain, among others.
Don Fabio J. Guzmán Ariza, president of the law firm Guzmán Ariza [minute 36:22 of the video], was also in attendance, to say a few words as member of the Dominican Academy of Language, and of whom Don Santiago Muñoz Machado expressed this kind words: «all my affection and admiration for his great linguistic culture. He issues a newsletter every afternoon and every day about the good use of Spanish in the world of law, mainly, but also of the language in general».
You can also watch a short version of the event, including the speech of don Fabio Guzmán Ariza, in the next video.
You can access the online dictionary at https://dpej.rae.es/
President Danilo Medina, decreed on June 12th, 2020 the extension of the national State of Emergency for an additional 17 days applicable to the entire Dominican territory, effective on Sunday, June 14th. All social distancing measures in force during the past State of Emergency period will remain in force until June 27th, and the daily curfew has been set from Monday through Sunday, from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.