Biography
Carolina León joined the firm in 2006 and became Partner in 2019, leading the Energy and Telecommunications practice areas. She has over 15 years of experience, concentrating her professional practice in the areas of foreign investment, corporate law, regulatory, structuring and negotiation of contracts, mergers and acquisitions, labor law, free zones, distribution relationships or franchises and telecommunications.
Carolina has extensive experience in transactions involving the acquisition and sale of corporations and real estate properties. She has successfully negotiated agreements between buyers and sellers and represents clients in the obtaining of financing for such transactions. In addition to these matters, she has acted as a local counsel in the implementation of multi-jurisdictional syndicated loans related to the energy sector, telecommunications and infrastructure.
In addition to these matters, Carolina has particular experience in representing clients in all aspects of hotel and tourism projects, including hotel development, project financing, and property acquisitions. She has also assisted in the acquisition of concessions for mining, as well as concessions for conventional and renewable energy projects.
Carolina has advised renowned international companies such as Shell Company and LVMH Moët Hennessy in their local distribution operations; Medtronic, Carnival Corporation and Smurfit Kappa in their day-to-day operations; and JetBlue Airways, Louis Vuitton, Barrick Gold Corporation and Uber in labor law.
Among her relevant transactions:
• Assistance to Carnival Corporation in the legal structure, construction and implementation of the cruise port Amber Cove, located in Maimón, Puerto Plata, which is one of the largest cruise industry investments ever made in the Dominican Republic.
• Assistance to ICU Medical in the $1 billion global acquisition of the Hospira Infusion Systems business from Pfizer Inc.
• Advised AccuMED Corp, one of the largest manufacturers of textile-based medical and orthopedic devices, in the sale of 100% of its shares in the local subsidiary, with manufacturing operations within the Free Zone sector.
• Advised the Smurfit Kappa Group in the acquisition of all the industrial assets of one of the largest corrugated cardboard manufacturers in the country at that moment, Cartonera Rierba, S.A.
• Legal assistance to Emerson Electric Company in the spin-off of Emerson Network Power's operations in the Dominican Republic, as part of a global corporate restructuring.
• Legal assistance to Goldman Sachs, Citibank, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse AG (London Branch), Deutsche Bank AG (London Branch), J.P. Morgan Limited and other European banks in financing the Altice Group’s USD1.8 billion acquisitions of Orange Dominicana, one of the country’s leading wireless operator, and Tricom, the second largest landline service provider.
• Legal advice to McAffee in its spin-off of Intel Corporation, and establishment of McAffee's local operations in the Dominican Republic.
• Legal advice to The Bank of Nova Scotia in the debt restructuring of one of the largest Dominican fuel retailer in the Dominican Republic.
• Legal assistance to International Finance Corporation and Inter-American Investment Corporation in the financing and capital investment made in a telecommunications services provider.
Carolina received her Bachelor of Laws, Magna Cum Laude, from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in 2004. In 2005, she obtained a Master in International Business and completed postgraduate studies in International Business with concentration in Latin America and Asia, from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain. In 2006 she received a Master’s Degree in Laws (LLM), from Instituto de Empresa (IE) Business School in Madrid, Spain. She has attended courses and seminars on issues related to trade, corporate taxation, legal protection of economic interests of consumers and the Dominican corporate law, trusts, among others. She has been recognized by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and IFLR1000.
She is a member of the Bar Association of the Dominican Republic and is fluent in both Spanish and English.
