Biography
He concentrates his practice in the representation of hospitality industry clients. He has structured joint ventures for investments in hospitality projects and has represented developers in all aspects of the financing of these projects, including the negotiation and execution of credit agreements, guaranty agreements and mezzanine financing arrangements. He has also represented developers in the negotiation and execution of hotel management agreements with some of the principal hotel brands in the world and has represented both landlords and tenants in the negotiation of complex commercial leases and has represented U.S.-based clients in the negotiation of joint venture agreements in South America and Central America.
Mr. Pavía was Vice-Chair of the Practice Group until 2018. He ranked as one of Puerto Rico’s Leading Attorneys in the Corporate and Real Estate fields by the renowned international publication Chambers & Partners in its Latin America Guide. He is also ranked in the Real Estate field of The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide. He is a former partner of the law firm of Winston & Strawn, a 1,000 lawyer multinational law firm, where he represented the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico on all federal relations matters and also represented the Local Redevelopment Authority for Naval Station Roosevelt Roads.
He has extensive experience advising clients on contracting with governmental agencies in Puerto Rico, and he also designs and implements legislative and executive branch strategies for clients with specific needs in those areas. From 1991 to 1993 he served as deputy director and general counsel of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, the Washington, D.C. office of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In 2008 he was Co-Director of the Obama for America Puerto Rico Primary Campaign, responsible for coordination of all aspects of the primary campaign in Puerto Rico, including representation before the Puerto Rico Elections Commission. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, prior to which he negotiated all aspects of the National Democratic Party's Platform regarding Puerto Rico. He has served as member of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and of the Puerto Rico Hotel Development Corporation.
Representative Transactions
Some of his representative transactions include:
- Lead counsel for the developer of a $185 million urban entertainment center, with a 177-room hotel, a 6,000 person concert hall, movie theaters, restaurants, bars, and a first of its kind urban zip line, financed through multiple multi-layer credit facilities, tax credits, key money, and tenant contributions.
- Local counsel in the acquisition of a $135 million portfolio of warehouses, and renegotiation of leases.
- Lead financing counsel for the developer of $105 million hospital with 104 beds, financed through multiple credit facilities and tax credits.
- Lead counsel on a $101 refinancing of credit facilities covering four hotel properties with over 450 hotel rooms and two casinos.
- Lead counsel for the developer of a $30 million hotel with 165 rooms in Orlando, Florida.
- Counsel for the purchaser of a 135 unit timeshare project.
- Lead counsel for the developer of a $45 million hotel and timeshare property with 107 rooms, financed through multiple credit facilities and tax credits.
- Lead counsel for the re-structuring of a hotel and timeshare tourism project with 244 condominium units.
- Lead counsel for of the developer of a 104-room hotel with a casino, financed through a $23.9 million senior credit facility, with a guarantee from the Puerto Rico Tourism Development Fund, and a $6 million subordinated municipal loan.
- Lead counsel for of the developer of a 126-room hotel, financed through a $18.6 million senior credit facility, with a guarantee from the Puerto Rico Development Fund, and a $3 million investment by the Hotel Development Corporation.
- Lead counsel to a U.S.-based health services organization in the acquisition and financing of a 108-bed acute care mental health facility, through a divestiture ordered by the Federal Trade Commission.
- Lead counsel to a U.S.-based health services organization in the sale of stock of various entities owning and operating acute care mental health facilities.
- Lead counsel for the restructuring of a $120 million secured debt for the development of a residential, tourism and marina resort.
- Counsel to a Regional Center approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to process EB-5 visa investments and to its related lending company, in structuring a $91 million transaction for the development of a 225 room full service hotel with a casino.
Practices
News & Publications
News
- McV NewsAugust 21, 2019
- McV NewsAugust 21, 2018
- McV Hospitality Practice Team NewsAugust 17, 2017
- October 13, 2016
- June 7, 2016
- September 28, 2015
- Twenty-six McV Attorneys Recognized in Chambers & Partners Latin America GuideJune 22, 2015
- May 19, 2015
Publications
- An McV Health Care AlertNovember 8, 2022
- An McV Health Care AlertJuly 14, 2022
- An McV Health Care AlertMarch 24, 2022
- An McV Health Care AlertJune 8, 2021
- An McV Corporate AlertApril 13, 2021
- An McV Corporate AlertJanuary 19, 2021
- November 13, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertOctober 30, 2020
- An McV Health Care Practice Team AlertOctober 21, 2020
- An McV Health Care Practice Team AlertSeptember 2, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 10, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 9, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 9, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 8, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 8, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 7, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 7, 2020
- An McV Tax & Health Care AlertJuly 1, 2020
- An McV Tax & Health Care AlertMay 5, 2020
- An McV Corporate & Tax AlertApril 28, 2020
- An McV Corporate AlertApril 14, 2020
- An McV Health Care AlertApril 13, 2020
- McV Hospitality Practice Team AlertMarch 15, 2020
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 6, 2019
- McV Cuba Practice Team AlertSeptember 17, 2019
- An McV Health Care Practice Team AlertAugust 20, 2019
- An McV Government Affairs AlertAugust 7, 2019
- An McV Government Affairs AlertAugust 5, 2019
- An McV Government Affairs AlertAugust 2, 2019
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJuly 26, 2019
- An McV Health Care Practice Team AlertJune 11, 2019
- An McV Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnerships Practice Team AlertDecember 19, 2018
- An McV Corporate & Health Care AlertJune 20, 2018
- An McV Government Affairs AlertApril 2, 2018
- An McV Government Affairs AlertFebruary 14, 2018
- An McV Government Affairs AlertJanuary 15, 2018
- An McV Corporate AlertDecember 28, 2017
- An McV Corporate AlertDecember 27, 2017
- An McV International & Cross Border Transactions AlertDecember 11, 2017
- An McV Corporate AlertNovember 30, 2017
- An McV Corporate AlertNovember 29, 2017
- An McV Cuba Practice Team AlertNovember 17, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 8, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 1, 2017
- An McV Health Care AlertOctober 13, 2017
- An McV Health Care AlertAugust 16, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertJuly 19, 2017
- An McV Cuba Practice Team AlertJune 23, 2017
- An McV Government Affairs AlertNovember 9, 2016
- An McV Corporate AlertJune 22, 2016
- March 16, 2016
- An McV Corporate AlertMarch 11, 2016
- Amendments Ease Financing Rules on Exports and Further Facilitate Travel to CubaJanuary 28, 2016
- Government Affairs, October 21, 2015
- Cuba Practice Team, September 21, 2015
- Cuba Practice Team, July 1, 2015
- Cuba Practice Team, January 15, 2015
- Obama Administration Charts a New Course for U.S. - Cuba RelationsDecember 23, 2014
Leader, International & Cross Border Transactions
Bar Admissions
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- Massachusetts
- District of Columbia
Education
A.B., Cum Laude, Princeton University, 1986
1986-87, Fulbright Scholar, Bogotá, Colombia
J.D., Harvard Law School, 1990