Mónica Villafaña advises local and international companies on the structuring, establishment, and development of their operations in the Dominican Republic. Her practice combines high-level legal experience with a practical understanding of how businesses operate and what their teams need to make decisions and execute them effectively.

Her work focuses on corporate and commercial law, contracts, foreign investment, mergers and acquisitions, competition law, and regulatory matters. She works closely with legal, finance, and business teams on transactions, reorganizations, expansion projects, and strategic decisions that require balancing risk, opportunity, and execution.

She has extensive experience advising companies entering the Dominican market, including the establishment of BPO operations, contact centers, outsourced services, and free trade zone operations. Her experience ranges from selecting and establishing the appropriate local structure to addressing the contractual, regulatory, labor, and real estate matters required to launch and scale an operation.

Mónica also has significant experience in agency and distribution matters and the application of Law No. 173, advising clients on the structuring of commercial relationships, registrations, terminations, distribution network reorganizations, and exposure analysis under this legal framework.

Throughout her career, she has advised multinational companies on corporate, commercial, and regulatory matters and actively participated in work related to the implementation and amendment of Law No. 479-08 on Commercial Companies, one of the major reforms of Dominican corporate law.

Her work has been recognized by Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500, and Latin Lawyer, whose directories have highlighted, among other qualities, her commercial awareness, communication skills, proactive approach, and practical perspective.

AREAS OF FOCUS

• Corporate & Commercial Law
• Market Entry & Establishment of Operations in the Dominican Republic
• BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), Contact Centers, Outsourced Services & Free Trade Zones
• Agency & Distribution – Law No. 173
• Commercial Contracts
• Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Reorganizations
• Foreign Investment
• Competition Law
• International Trade
• Public Procurement
• Regulatory & Strategic Advisory

EDUCATION

Mónica holds a Law Degree and a Master’s Degree in Corporate Business Law from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM).

She has completed specialized studies at the International Law Institute in Washington, D.C., in areas related to the U.S. legal system, common law, and international legal practice, as well as training in corporate governance and ownership structures.

She has also completed the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

RECOGNITION & PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Mónica has been recognized by Chambers & Partners Global, Chambers Latin America, The Legal 500, and Latin Lawyer.

She is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA), the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), the Asociación Nacional de Jóvenes Empresarios (ANJE), and the Dominican Bar Association. She has chaired the Legal Committee of the French-Dominican Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she currently serves as a member of its Board of Directors, and has participated in initiatives focused on the study and modernization of Dominican business legislation.

She is also an author and contributor to publications on commercial companies, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, agency and distribution, and business structuring.

Languages: Spanish · English · Basic French