Johanna C. Soto

Practice Areas

Founding Partner and Head of Corporate practice at Business Law Studio, she specializes in corporate law and business law, especially mergers and acquisitions, tax and estate planning, corporate reorganizations, strategic alliances, project financing and contract engineering. Passionate about the art of designing optimal corporate and contractual structures to conduct business, her professional approach involves minimizing risk exposure while capitalizing on legal opportunities, optimizing the efficiency of businesses, deals, and transactions. This includes designing in each case the most efficient tax structures and an adequate corporate governance framework. She also offers support to companies to implement technologies and AI solutions to make more efficient their processes.

Publications

- Private Equity Dominican Republic, Chambers Private Equity 2020 Global Practice Guide, 2020.

- Latin Lawyer Reference Mergers & Acquisitions 2019.

- Legal Strategy for an Optimal Business Structure in the Dominican Republic based on Tax Planning, 2016.

- Getting the Deal Through -Acquisition Finance Chapter for the Dominican Republic (2013, 2014 y 2015).

- IFLR Mergers & Acquisitions Chapter– Dominican Republic 2014.

- Protection of Secret Technology in the Technology Transfer or Know-How Agreement, 2004.

- Personal blog “Business, She Wrote” Through this platform, JCS has written articles on topics such as tax planning, business strategies, and the intersection of technologies (artificial intelligence, blockchain, smart contracts) and the corporate world.

Personal

- Master’s in Legal Strategy from Instituto OMG (2017).

- Master’s in French and International Private Law from Université Pantheón-Assas Paris II (2006).

- Graduated magna cum laude from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (2004).

- Accredited by the Tax Association of the Dominican Republic as a Certified Tax Consultant (2012).

- Studies in “Fintech: Foundations, Payments and Regulations” and “Cryptocurrency and Blockchain: An Introduction to Digital Currencies” from Wharton University of Pennsylvania (2022).

- Studies with honors in “AI & Law” from Lund University (2023).

- Real Estate Transactions -Instituto OMG (2022).

Career

OMG (2006 – 2023)

- Partner and head of the Corporate Department and M&A practice area (2020-2023)

- Director and head of the Corporate Department and M&A practice area (2014-2020)

- Corporate Department Manager (2008-2014)

- Senior Associate (2006-2008)

Instituto OMG/ IOMG (2020-2023)

- Former Director of Instituto OMG’s Law Degree (2020 -2023).

- Professor of Due Diligence, Structure of Business Transactions I and II- Master of Business Transactions of Instituto OMG (2020-2023).

- Professor of Contracts- Master of Legal Strategy of Instituto OMG (2023).

Languages Spoken

English and Spanish