Jorge M. Ruiz-Montilla

Biography

Mr. Ruiz-Montilla’s practice includes real estate, hospitality, tourism incentives, finance, corporate and mergers and acquisitions.

He has been at the forefront of Puerto Rico’s resurgence as a luxury hospitality destination through his work in the planning and development of world renowned Resorts, hotels and branded and unbranded luxury residential projects. Over the years he has been involved in many aspects of large-scale and complex commercial real estate, hospitality and corporate transactions, including resort and commercial developments, structuring of corporate acquisitions, planning and structuring timeshare, condo-hotel and condominium projects, negotiating lease agreements for all types of commercial developments, and the creation of governance structures for resort communities. 

He also acts as worldwide counsel for the world's leading zip-line operator, providing advice on its global expansion in jurisdictions such as Puerto Rico, Spain and Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates.

He has participated in drafting a number of laws and regulations providing incentives for the tourism and film industries in Puerto Rico, including the Puerto Rico Tourism Development Act of 2010, as well as laws and regulations related to the hospitality industry such as the Puerto Rico Condohotel Act and the Puerto Rico Vacation Homes Act. He has also worked as real estate counsel in various renewable energy projects in Puerto Rico, including Puerto Rico’s first wind farm.

Mr. Ruiz-Montilla is ranked as one of Puerto Rico’s Leading Attorneys in the Real Estate field by Chambers & Partners in both its Global and its Latin America Guides and by Legal 500. He is also ranked in in both the Hospitality and Tourism Law and the Real Estate Law fields of the Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide.

He is Treasurer and Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Coalition for Puerto Rico, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, which aims to provide legal assistance to non-profit organizations throughout Puerto Rico. He has also served as legal counsel to the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Construction Materials Merchants Association, a non-profit organization representing manufacturers, distributors and retailers of construction materials and as Treasurer and Member of the Board of Directors of the Ricky Martin Foundation, and Co-Chair of Libertad, the Foundation's main fundraising event in Puerto Rico.

Representative Transactions

Throughout the years, he has participated extensively in the acquisition, development, and financing of the following hospitality projects: Dorado Beach Resort, Bahia Beach Resort, Coco Beach Resort, Coco Beach Golf & Country Club, Costa Caribe Ponce Hilton Resort, Condado Vanderbilt, La Concha, Mandarin Oriental Barcelona and the W Vieques Resort. 

He has also acted as lead counsel in the master planning, financing and development of the Dorado Beach Resort luxury real estate projects including East Beach Residences, West Beach Beachfront Residences, West Point Beachfront Residences, The Enclave, Livingston Lakefront Estates, The Legacy, La Cala Estates and The Isles.

He is also extensively involved in various efforts to redevelop the former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads and surrounding communities.

Other representative transactions include:

• Acquisition and financing of four shopping centers containing approximately 600,000 square feet of retail space
• Acquisition of Industrial Rubber & Mechanics, Inc. by Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation
• Stock purchase of Sunbay Marina, Inc.
• Stock purchase of a large Puerto Rico distributor of industrial equipment
• Acquisition of a loan and REO portfolio containing in excess of 150 assets by Grove Gate Financial
• Stock sale of ISO Solar

Practices

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