Biography
Mr. Ruiz-Montilla’s practice includes real estate, hospitality, tourism incentives, finance, corporate and mergers and acquisitions.
Over the years he has been involved in many aspects of 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 has worked as real estate counsel in a number of renewable energy projects in Puerto Rico, including Puerto Rico’s first wind farm, and has extensive experience in real estate matters related to the petroleum industry’s retail operations.
Mr. Ruiz-Montilla 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 the 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.
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 the Real Estate Law field 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 is also the 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. For over five years, he served 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
Some of his 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.
- Acquisition, development, and financing of the following hospitality projects: Dorado Beach Resort, Coco Beach Resort, Coco Beach Golf & Country Club, Costa Caribe Ponce Hilton Resort, Condado Vanderbilt, La Concha and the W Vieques Resort.
- Master planning, financing and development of the Dorado Beach Resort luxury real estate projects including East Beach Residences, West Beach Beachfront Residences, The Enclave, Livingston Lakefront Estates, The Legacy, La Cala Estates and The Isles.
- 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.
Practices
News & Publications
News
- September 26, 2019
- McV NewsAugust 21, 2019
- McV NewsSeptember 11, 2018
- August 24, 2018
- McV NewsAugust 21, 2018
- McV NewsAugust 28, 2017
- McV Hospitality Practice Team NewsAugust 17, 2017
- An McV AlertOctober 18, 2016
- July 14, 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
- June 2, 2015
Publications
- An McV Recovery Financing AlertAugust 12, 2021
- An McV Corporate AlertJuly 8, 2020
- An McV Tax & Health Care AlertMay 5, 2020
- An McV Real Estate & Finance AlertMay 5, 2020
- McV Hospitality Practice Team AlertMarch 15, 2020
- An McV Recovery Financing Practice GroupFebruary 5, 2020
- An McV Recovery Financing Practice Team AlertAugust 29, 2019
- An McV Litigation and Real Estate AlertAugust 23, 2019
- May 30, 2019
- An McV Recovery Financing Practice Team AlertMarch 1, 2019
- An McV Recovery Financing Practice Team AlertSeptember 14, 2018
- An McV Real Estate & Tax AlertJanuary 24, 2018
- McV NewsOctober 4, 2017
- An McV Retail AlertAugust 17, 2017
- An McV Tax AlertJuly 19, 2017
- An McV Retail AlertApril 5, 2017
- An McV Retail AlertDecember 1, 2016
- An McV Retail AlertDecember 1, 2016
- An McV Bankruptcy & Debt Restructuring AlertOctober 21, 2016
Bar Admissions
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- U.S. Court of Appeals First Circuit
Education
B.B.A., University of Florida
J.D., Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law
Certified Legal Specialty
- Civil Law Notary
Memberships
Puerto Rico Bar Association
Puerto Rico Notary Association