Jaime M. Senior

Practice Areas

Senior Partner at Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández and member of the Firm’s Management Committee. Mr. Senior practices in matters of civil, commercial and business organizational laws generally, with an emphasis on mergers & acquisitions, banking and financial transactions and foreign investment. Mr. Senior has been recognized by several international publications. Chambers & Partners distinguishes Mr. Senior as among the top lawyers in the country in its most recent Corporate/Commercial guide, noting that clients state that “he is an impeccable lawyer with great legal skills. He is a professional who inspires respect and trust." In its Real Estate & Tourism guide, notes that he "is instrumental when working with international counterparts," adding "he has a lot of experience and knowledge and also pays a great deal of attention to his clients".

Career

Mr. Senior holds a law degree of Doctor en Derecho, Summa cum Laude from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Santo Domingo, and a Juris Doctor from Cornell University Law School, and is admitted to practice in the State of New York. Prior to joining Headrick Rizik Alvarez & Fernández as a partner, Mr. Senior worked for six years as an associate in the New York office of Sidley Austin LLP.

Professional Memberships

• President of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Young Business Leaders (Asociación Nacional de Jóvenes Empresarios - ANJE).

• Member of the Board of the National Council of Business (Consejo Nacional de la Empresa Privada – CONEP), the umbrella organization for business in the Dominican Republic, and coordinator of its Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee.

• Member of the Board of the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution of the Chamber of Commerce of Santo Domingo.

• Chair of the Dominican Republic Country Chapter of the International Section of the New York State Bar Association.

• Member of the Executive Committee of the International Section of the New York State Bar Association.

• Weekly columnist for the “El Dinero” financial newspaper regarding legal and financial matters (“Econolegales”).

Work Highlights

• Counsel to Vinci Airports SAS in the acquisition of Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI, S.A. (Aerodom), operator of 6 airports in the Dominican Republic, including the airport in the capital city of Santo Domingo.

• Counsel to Centro Financiero BHD in its merger with Grupo Financiero León, one of the largest and most important transactions in the history of the Dominican financial sector. The transaction involved assets of over US$4 billion. Finalist for the “Latin America M&A Deal of the Year – Latin Lawer”.

• Counsel to CIFI (Corporación Interamericana para el Financiamiento de Infraestructura) and the Fondo de Inversión Cerrado Libre para el Desarrollo de Infraestructuras Dominicanas in a US$73 million loan, with a second phase of up to US$270 million, for the construction and development of the SIBA Energy thermal plant. Finalist for the “Latin America Banking & Finance - Project Finance Deal of the Year 2023 – Latin Lawyer.”

• Counsel to The Bank of Nova Scotia and other lenders in a US$463 million project finance loan extended to Phoenix Tower International and Phoenix Tower Dominicana. Finalist for the “Latin America Energy and Infrastructure Deal of the Year 2023 – Latin Lawyer.”

• Represented Maverick Foods in its acquisition out of bankruptcy of Munne SRL, the first such acquisition in the Dominican Republic.

• Counsel to Banco BHD, as lender, in a US$73 million Dominican Peso denominated loan extended to Inversiones Jabaque for the construction and development of the W Hotel in Punta Cana.

• Represented CIFI (Corporación Interamericana para el Financiamiento de Infraestructura) and the Fondo de Inversión Cerrado Libre para el Desarrollo de Infraestructuras Dominicanas I in a landmark Dominican Peso denominated loan in the amount of RD$3.7 billion extended to the owners of Blue Mall (a high-end shopping mall in Santo Domingo) and the JW Marriott Santo Domingo (a top hotel in the city).

• Counsel to Inversiones Popular and Banco Popular Dominicana, as arrangers and underwriters, and EGE Haina, as issuer, in the first of its kind issuance of “green bonds” in the Dominican securities market, for a total amount of US$100 million.

• Represented STOA Infrastructure and Energy, a French renewable infrastructure investment fund, in its investment in a 100MW wind farm project, called Los Guzmancito, including for its expansion, valued at US$128 million, and the multilateral financing associated with the project.

• Counsel to CIFI (Corporación Interamericana para el Financiamiento de Infraestructura) and the Fondo de Inversión Cerrado Libre para el Desarrollo de Infraestructuras Dominicanas I on a US$37 million secured project financing facility to Emerald Solar Energy S.R.L. finance the operation of a 25.0 MW photovoltaic power plant located in the Dominican Republic.

• Represented Imperial Brands PLC in its reorganization, spinoff and sale of its premium cigar business in the Dominican Republic, in a transaction valued at US$208 million.

• Counsel to Integer Holdings in its US$220 million acquisition of Oscor Caribe, a medical device company with extensive operations and manufacturing facilities in the Dominican Republic.

• Counsel to Grupo Cisneros in the financing (through a multilateral loan agreement for up to US$170 million) and the development of the tourist project Tropicalia – Four Seasons.

• Counsel to Banco BHD León and the Bank of Nova Scotia in a project finance loan extended to Haina International Terminals.

• Counsel to the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) in its issuance of US$50 million in bonds as a differentiated issuer in the local securities market.

• Counsel to Royal Gold, Inc., in a US$610 million minerals streaming transaction entered into with Barrick Gold, Inc., with reference to the Pueblo Viejo mine in the Dominican Republic.

• Counsel to Third Point and Discovery Land Company in their acquisition and project development of the Playa Grande Golf Resort.

• Representation of an international manufacturer in ongoing international arbitration and Dominican court disputes related to termination of a distribution agreement.

• Counsel to The Bank of Nova Scotia in a US$50 million project finance loan extended to Coastal Petroleum Dominicana.

• Acted as Dominican Republic legal counsel to Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. for the restructuring of its local business operations, carried out in connection with the acquisition by Energizer Holdings, Inc. of Spectrum´s global battery, lighting and portable power business.

• Represented MercaSID, S.A., in the acquisition of Unilever’s domestic manufacturing plant and related assets with respect to the cleaning and detergent business.

• Counsel to Citiinversiones de Títulos Valores, S.A., as underwriter and structuring agent, in two US$100 million bond issuances by EGE Haina in the Dominican Republic.

• Counsel to Citibank, N.A., Sucursal República Dominicana, as administrative and structuring agent of a US$80 million syndicated loan extended to Consorcio Minero Dominicano.

• Counsel to Grupo BHD in the purchase of shares in Centro Financiero BHD held by Banco de Sabadell in a transaction with a value of over US$150 million.

• Counsel to Point Blank Enterprises in its establishment as a free zone enterprise in the Dominican Republic as well as certain other related matters.

• Counsel to a South America-based conglomerate in the acquisition of the Manzanillo Port in the Province of Montecristi, Dominican Republic.

• Counsel to an international manufacturer of products regarding its review and planning of litigation strategy for products liability matters.

• Counsel to several international financial institutions regarding operations and services in the Dominican Republic.

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English and French.