Biography
Vitelio Mejía Ortiz joined Pellerano & Herrera in 2014 as Partner of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution department leading the Aviation practice area. He has over 38 years of experience as a litigation attorney. He has practiced in both civil and corporate litigation as well as in administrative law. He has participated in several important concession projects and tenders, either as counsel to licensor government agencies or advising private concessionaires. He has also advised clients in structured financing of infrastructure projects and in the transferring of concession rights. He is a recognized expert in the field of air transport and aviation law.
Vitelio has been a member of the Board of Directors of several important companies in the aviation, real estate, tourism, and advertising and media industries. Additionally, he has participated in the drafting and formulation of laws for the tourism and aviation sectors.
Vitelio served as permanent representative of the Dominican Republic before the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and led the process in which the Dominican Republic accepted the Presidency of the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC) for the first time. He was also plenipotentiary representative of the Dominican Republic during the sessions in which ICAO adopted, among other transcendental decisions, the Montreal Convention which amended the Warsaw Convention.
Memberships
- Executive Branch, Deputy General Counsel, 1990-1992
- General Migration Directorate, Director, 1992-1996
- Airport Commission, Member, 1992-1996 1996-1999
- General Civil Aviation Directorate, Directorate, 1996-1999
- Civil Aeronautics Board of the Dominican Republic, President, 1996-1999
- Latin American Association of Air Space Law (ALADA), Member 1999
In 1999 he was awarded the Gold Medal by the Latin American Association of Air Space Law (ALADA), highest award conferred by this prestigious organization.
He has been recognized by Legal 500 in Dispute resolution and Who's Who Legal in Arbitrage.
In 2019 and 2020 Mejía was recognized as a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation.
Vitelio holds a law degree from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) in 1979. He started his career in Dominican law firm Castillo & Castillo where he became partner, and later, in 1990, he founded Mejia, Armenteros & Abreu where he was Managing Partner until joining Pellerano & Herrera. He has been professor of Civil and Administrative Law and has taken courses in Aviation Law at the International Aviation Management Training Institute (IAMTI).
