OMG

Chief Director: Leonel Melo Guerrero
Partners: Juan Alcalde Fernández, Esperanza Cabral Rubiera, Rebeca García Vilalta, Mónika Melo Guerrero, Johanna Soto, Manuel Troncoso Hernández
Number of lawyers: 44

Firm Overview:
A leading full practice firm and one of the largest in the Dominican Republic, OMG is oriented toward strategic business planning and is known for its skill in handling the most sophisticated and demanding legal and business challenges. With exceptional depth of experience across a broad range of industry sectors, the firm has been at the forefront of many important deals and transactions, both local and international. OMG provides a complete range of legal services to a broad range of clients. The firm’s vast experience, combined with a groundbreaking approach to analysis and research, results in innovative solutions that meet the most specialised needs of its clients.

Main Areas of Practice:
Banking & Finance:
OMG has earned a strong reputation assisting clients in the financial sector. The firm’s approach to financing is grounded on providing value-added solutions to its clients’ needs in commercial lending, project financing, securities, and insurance. In addition to the more traditional lending structures, OMG is involved in the development of the securities market within the DR through its grasp of the needs of its clients. The firm has represented local and international financial institutions, multilateral organisations, securities participants and insurance providers, also in addition to its active participation in the field of financial regulation, both as a consultant to regulators as well as to private initiatives.

Corporate:
Having a comprehensive expertise in a broad range of industries and their legal needs, OMG assists clients in their strategic planning process and delivers concrete legal solutions. In the area of M&A, both local and international leading companies have entrusted OMG with the design and implementation of high profile transactions. In general, the firm’s practice focuses on identifying and reducing the risks and contingencies associated with the implementation of deals, taking into account the economic and political context, and always developing in each case the proper fiscal structure and an adequate corporate governance framework, as well as conducting the required tax planning. Other important areas of practice include spinoffs, restructurings, business planning, and corporate litigation. Furthermore, OMG has developed a sophisticated and innovative estate and wealth planning practice.

Government:
OMG understands that doing business successfully is contingent upon a sound interaction with public authorities. By understanding the policy objectives underlying norms, the firm strives to grant its clients a commercial advantage by striking the correct balance between production and regulation. The firm has a robust experience advising private enterprises, public institutions and regulatory bodies in all the specialised areas of legal practice, including financial regulation, telecommunications, social security, taxation, antitrust, energy and constitutional and human rights law. The firm’s interaction with public officials is grounded on strict adherence to the highest ethical standards, serving to solidify its standing as one of the preferred advisors to both regulated entities and governmental institutions.

Intellectual Property:
OMG understands that innovation is an essential part of development and that IP is one of the most important tools to achieve and encourage such innovation. The firm’s IP team offers the highest standards of efficiency and quality while handling all aspects of IP issues, including consultation, registration and maintenance of distinctive signs and inventions, copyright and related rights, entertainment law, defence of rights, dispute resolution, as well as negotiations and drafting of licensing, franchising and distribution agreements.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution:
OMG provides continuing legal representation to its clients in the management of their conflicts. The practice applies the tools of traditional litigation, arbitration, mediation or negotiation, depending on the circumstances of each particular case, the needs of its clients and the economics involved. The innovative approach implemented by OMG allows it to go beyond the evident conflict and focus on the client’s interests in order to develop the proper strategy to be implemented. The firm’s practice is devoted to the design of new legal solutions that focus on developing a client’s value chain.

Tax:
OMG’s tax team is regarded as a highly talented and innovative group of experts on income tax and VAT; it is also recognised for a practical bottom-line approach that looks for the most efficient organisational structures and measures the efficacy of the solutions proposed against the tangible net savings resulting from such solutions to clients. The firm undertakes tax planning projects on a stand-alone basis or as an integral part of its engagement in other projects or practices through a very dynamic cross-service structure.

Real Estate & Tourism:
OMG is well renowned for providing legal assistance with the highest and most sophisticated standards in the real estate, construction, hospitality, and tourism sectors. The team provides strategic legal counselling on a full range of transactions and assists clients in the design and implementation of corporate structures for the entire life cycle of their projects, acting for developers, hoteliers, portfolio managers, financial institutions, funds administrators and contractors.

Clients:
Altice, ABICOR, ADAFP, AG Mercantil, Agrega Partners, Alere Advisors, A.G.L. Asistencia y Gestión Logística, Ltd., Autogermánica, A.V. Blandino y Co., Banco Popular, Banco Promerica, Banco Santa Cruz, Banesco, BASF, Barceló Hoteles, Baxter International, Biogen, Capital DBG, Cap Cana, Cargill, CCN (Centro Cuesta Nacional), CIFI (Inter-American Investment Corporation), Citibank, Consorcio CAEI, Corporación Andifar, Dream Hotel Group, EGE Haina, Embassy of Switzerland in Santo Domingo, Encap Development, First Caribbean International Bank, Fundación INICIA, GCS Systems (tPago), GE Capital, Gerdau Metaldom, Greincor, Grupo Corripio, Grupo Rojas, Hotchkiss Ltd, INICIA, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Inter-American Investment Corporation, JPMorgan, Lajun Corporation, Lantica Media, Martí PG, MediaNet, Meliá, MercaSID, Oxygen Development, Philip Morris, Playa Hotels & Resorts, Primma Valores, Prohotel International, Putney Capital Management, Rigo Trading S.A., Rhythm & Harmony, Sans Souci Ports, Seguros SURA, Shearly Investments, Terra RD Partners, Tecnocom, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Total, Unilever, Unipago, Valora Partners, Vivus.