
Headrick was founded in 1985 by William C. Headrick, Roberto Rizik Cabral, Francisco Alvarez Valdez and Mary Fernández Rodríguez, who had worked together previously and had gained experience in diverse areas of Law.
In that moment, the Firm was known for being one of the first to house partners that were not relatives.
The beginning of the 2000s brought about important events, not only for the Firm, with the incorporation of Marisol Vicens Bello as partner and Sarah De León Perelló, Tomás Hernández Metz, Luisa Nuño Núñez, and Julio Camejo Castillo who followed suit years later, all of which contributed to the strengthening of the professional team, but for the multiple transformations that took place in the country, economically and politically speaking. This decade also saw the retirement of Dr. William C. Headrick, who despite retiring as an active partner in the year 2002, remained as Of Counsel or external consultant. That year also brought about the transformation of our facilities, moving out of the house where our offices were located and into the sixth floor of one of the most important commercial buildings in the city of Santo Domingo, located in the most important commercial district that is currently the center of the city, occupying thereafter an important part of the fifth floor of the building.
Headrick knew how to adapt to the transformation lived by our economy, which went from being eminently agricultural (sugar cane) to one characterized by the provision of services, the development of new industries like tourism, free zones of exportation, telecommunications, the electrical industry, the elimination of differences of treatment to the local and foreign investors, the openness to trade, the passing of various reforms and bills that transformed the legal endeavor as: the General Electricity Law, the Law on Environment and Natural Resources, the General Law on Social Security, the Monetary and Financial Law, the Public Companies Reform Law, among others. Some of the Firm’s partners were actors in some of these scenarios, and, as a consequence of this new panorama, the members of the Firm prepared to respond to the needs of the existing and new clients.
In addition to its nine partners, Headrick has a team of more than thirty associate attorneys as well as a group of highly qualified paralegals and administrative staff who provide services with our usual standard of excellence.
All of this has enabled Headrick to acquire an excellent reputation and to be considered as one of the leading firms in the Dominican Republic.
About Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández
Founded in 1985
50 people in their team
Practice areas
Languages spoken
Practice areas
Lawsuits & Disputes
The increase in commercial transactions and the slow pace of ordinary justice have led to a rise in the use of alternative mechanisms for conflict resolution. At Headrick attorneys are aware of the importance of achieving justice in fast and effective ways, which is possible through the methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution. The Firm has taken part in the resolution of disputes through mechanisms of negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration both institutional and ad-hoc in several local and international cases. The Firm has rendered services in civil and commercial arbitration, cases of international arbitration, all types of negotiations and has as well participated as arbitrators in some proceedings.
Business
The Firm has wide experience in this practice area, as many of the Firm´s clients are companies that require continuing legal advice in their operations. Our Corporate Law Department regularly provides such services as the formation of companies and limited liability entities for individuals; required acts and processes from the formation to the dissolution of a company or limited liability individual entity; legal audits; purchase and sale of shares or businesses; mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, dissolutions and any kind of reorganization; and strategic alliances. The Firm has participated in large-scale and complex acquisitions of relevant corporate groups, mergers of banks and corporate groups, the restructuring of companies resulting from privatizations, and corporate reorganizations. The Firm has specialized in the General Law of Business Organizations and Individual Limited Liability Entities, having worked actively on such matter and published important articles on that statute.
Insurance
The Firm has among its clients a complex of the most important insurance and reinsurance companies in the Dominican Republic, to which it provides support in their compliance with administrative regulations as well as the settlement of claims. The Firm has assisted foreign insurance companies in establishing branches in the Dominican Republic, in the rendering of international insurance and brokerage services and in the making of reinsurance contracts. The Firm, by means of its Partners, has had an active participation in the discussion of the Dominican Social Security System regulations.
Intellectual Property
Headrick’s Intellectual Property/Life Sciences & Healthcare Department is the largest for a full practice firm and the most wide-reaching when compared with other Firms in the Dominican market. Headrick´s team has 2 partners, 6 associates and 2 paralegals that work full time in IP, life sciences and healthcare services, including regulatory work performed for the food and beverage sector.
The Department is recognized for being well diversified and able to handle high profile cases, by developing strategies for clients who seek advice on TM prosecution, patents, copyright, and litigation. Presently, our TM portfolio now surpasses the 8,500 count. This IP practice walks alongside with the regulatory work for food and beverage, and drugs companies, and the work demanded by healthcare providers, the Government itself and multi-national pharmaceuticals, that request advise for better procurement practices, distribution contracts, transactions and all other aspects that could impact access to medications and medical supplies.
Headrick works for international clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Novartis, Merck, Molson Coors, The Hershey Company, Caesars Entertainment, Hilton Worldwide, Arla Foods, Grünenthal, Chinoin, and key local players such as Grupo Puntacana, S.A., Mejía Arcalá (local distributor for Milex) and Grupo SID (Induveca, Mercasid, Agua Crystal).
Employment & Labor
The Firm has the privilege to represent large enterprises, both local and international, in this area. Representation involves the rendering of advice on employment and other aspects regulated by labor law, as well as in transactions and litigation before courts or labor authorities. A Partner of the firm is one of the 6 members of the commission appointed by decree of the President for the modification of the Dominican Labor Code, dated 1992. The draft presented for such proposes is now in a phase of negotiation between the labor, business and governmental sectors.
Real Estate
Headrick renders advising and consulting services in real state matters. The Firm offers assistance in the purchase, sale and development of real property, as well as in the acquiring the necessary documentation in order to carry out said negotiation and to protect real property rights. It has been actively engaged in real estate development, from housing areas to shopping centers to tourist projects, offering advice on the legal structure and configuration, drafting of framework contract and real estate litigation. As part of its work in the drafting of the Law on Mortgage Market and Trust Development No. 189-11, Headrick drafted a reform for the procedure of real state execution.
Elder Law
Headrick has assisted clients in the legal processes related to organization, administration and disposition of estate, in the framework of the main legal provisions of the Dominican Republic, including, but not limited to, those regarding intestate succession, gifts and other mechanisms for the transfer of rights or assets. Likewise, the Firm has extensively worked in the estate planning of its clients, which is done using different judicial mechanisms, such as trusts. The Firm participate in the drafting of the Trust Law Project, now Law 189-11.
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