Biography
Mr. Cabañas assists clients in structuring corporate, real estate and tax incentive driven transactions in Puerto Rico, including complex tourism, energy and infrastructure projects.
He also represents clients before Puerto Rico taxing authorities, including negotiating closing agreements and private letter rulings with the Puerto Rico Treasury Department on various tax matters; among others, the structuring and restructuring of Puerto Rico operations, the distribution of earnings and the taxation of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, trusts and nonresident investors.
He participated in the conceptualization and drafting of various Puerto Rico tax and tax incentive laws and their regulations, including the recently enacted Tourism Industry Support Act of 2016, the Puerto Rico Tourism Development Acts of 1993 and 2010, the Puerto Rico Development Act of 1993, the Timeshare and Vacation Club Act of 1988 and and the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Codes of 1994 and 2011.
He is ranked as one of Puerto Rico’s Leading Attorneys in the Tax field by the renowned international publication Chambers & Partners in its Latin America Guide. Mr. Cabañas is also ranked in the Tax Law field of The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide.
He regularly lectures on various tax matters, including the Puerto Rico tourism incentives program and partnership taxation. Mr. Cabañas, who is a Certified Public Accountant, served in the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Society of Certified Public Accountants and also served as president of various of its committees. From 1990 to 1994 he was an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business Administration at the University of Puerto Rico.
Mr. Cabañas is a former member of the firm's Policy Committee.
Representative Transactions
Some of Mr. Cabañas’ recent engagements involve the structuring of several major hospitality developments, public private partnership projects and renewable energy projects, including:
- Leading the tax and tax exemption teams in the transactions for the establishment of the six-star Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton Reserve, the Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve Residence, as well as the Hyatt Place Bayamon & El Tropical Casino and the Manatí Hyatt Place & Casino.
- Leading the team that addressed Puerto Rico tax considerations for Autopistas Metropolitanas de Puerto Rico LLC, an Abertis/Goldman Sachs consortium that was awarded a concession to operate and maintain two major toll roads in Puerto Rico, This is the first public-private partnership project developed under the Puerto Rico Public Private Partnerships Act of 2009.
- Leading the tax and tax exemption teams in the creation and establishment of Puerto Rico’s first and largest renewable energy project.
Practices
News & Publications
News
- McV NewsAugust 21, 2019
- McV NewsAugust 21, 2018
- McV NewsAugust 28, 2017
- McV Hospitality Practice Team NewsAugust 17, 2017
- October 13, 2016
- June 7, 2016
- 17 McV Attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico© 2016September 11, 2015
- Twenty-six McV Attorneys Recognized in Chambers & Partners Latin America GuideJune 22, 2015
- Tax Co-Chairs AppointedAugust 5, 2014
Publications
- An McV Tax AlertNovember 18, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertSeptember 18, 2020
- An McV Sales & Use Tax AlertAugust 3, 2020
- An McV Sales & Use Tax AlertJuly 24, 2020
- An McV Sales & Use Tax AlertJuly 7, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertJune 15, 2020
- An McV Tax & Health Care AlertMay 5, 2020
- An McV Corporate & Tax AlertApril 28, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertApril 21, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertApril 21, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertApril 20, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertApril 20, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertApril 20, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertApril 17, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertApril 6, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertMarch 31, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertMarch 26, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertMarch 26, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertMarch 24, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertMarch 20, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertMarch 18, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertFebruary 7, 2020
- An McV Tax AlertNovember 14, 2019
- An McV Tax AlertOctober 29, 2019
- An McV Recovery Financing Practice Team AlertAugust 29, 2019
- August 26, 2019
- An McV Tax AlertJune 11, 2019
- An McV Tax AlertFebruary 13, 2019
- An McV Tax AlertDecember 10, 2018
- An McV Tax AlertDecember 7, 2018
- An McV Tax AlertDecember 3, 2018
- An McV Tax AlertNovember 29, 2018
- An McV Tax AlertNovember 29, 2018
- An McV Tax AlertJune 27, 2018
- An McV Tax AlertJune 26, 2018
- An McV Tax AlertApril 24, 2018
- An McV Real Estate & Tax AlertJanuary 24, 2018
- An McV Government Affairs & Tax AlertDecember 19, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertNovember 3, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertOctober 10, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertOctober 4, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertSeptember 29, 2017
- An McV Tax Litigation AlertAugust 24, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertAugust 16, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertJuly 31, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertJuly 19, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertJuly 5, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertJune 29, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertJune 21, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertMay 18, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertApril 19, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertMarch 21, 2017
- An McV Tax Exemption AlertMarch 17, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs and Tax AlertMarch 8, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertJanuary 9, 2017
- An McV Securities & Tax AlertDecember 19, 2016
- An McV Tax AlertOctober 26, 2016
- An McV Tax AlertOctober 5, 2016
- An McV Tax AlertOctober 4, 2016
- An McV Hospitality AlertAugust 11, 2016
- An McV Tax AlertJune 15, 2016
- An McV Tax AlertJune 13, 2016
- An McV Tax AlertJune 3, 2016
- May 6, 2016
- March 8, 2016
- March 1, 2016
- January 7, 2016
- Tax Litigation, September 9, 2015
- Tax & Retail, January 12, 2015
Bar Admissions
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit
Education
B.S., Georgetown University
- Major: Foreign Service
Master's Degree, University of Massachusetts
- Major: Accounting
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
Memberships
Puerto Rico Bar Association
American Bar Association
Puerto Rico Society of Certified Public Accountants