Ministry of Culture hires international firm for State arbitration case

Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Culture reported that the procurement process identified as CULTURA-CCC-PEOR-2026-001, published on the Public Procurement Transactional Portal, was carried out in accordance with Law No. 47-25 on Public Procurement, under the exception procedure applicable to legal representation services and the management of State interests.

In an official statement, the institution explained that the contract is supported by Article 78, sole paragraph, numeral 11 of the law and is intended to select an international law firm specialized in international arbitration to assume the legal representation of the Dominican State.

According to the Ministry, the process involved a rigorous analysis and evaluation based on multiple criteria, conducted by firms with international recognition. The assessment was overseen by an inter-institutional technical commission composed of representatives from the Legal Counsel of the Executive Branch, the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs (MICM), which acted as the coordinating body in line with the current legal framework.

The Ministry explained that the contract responds to an investment dispute notification filed in 2025 by a U.S. company against the Dominican State. The dispute is related to a contract signed in 2010 by the Ministry of Culture, which has been inactive for more than a decade.

Given the complexity of international arbitration proceedings, the Ministry determined that it was necessary to engage a firm with specialized experience and technical capacity to ensure a strong and effective legal defense of the State’s interests.

The Ministry of Culture reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, strict adherence to applicable regulations, and the protection of the Dominican State’s interests, emphasizing that all actions taken comply with the established legal framework.