Flavio Darío Espinal
Flavio Darío Espinal is a managing partner and founder of FDE Legal.
Flavio Darío Espinal is managing partner and founder of FDE Legal, a law firm offering a wide range of legal services in the Dominican Republic. With over 40 years of experience, he focuses his legal practice on corporate and business law, administrative law, constitutional law, financial and banking law, regulation and compliance, corporate governance, international trade and foreign investment, government affairs, and alternative dispute resolution.
Dr. Espinal has served as legal advisor to the Executive Branch (2016-2020), ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United States (2004-2009), and permanent representative of the Dominican Republic to the Organization of American States (OAS) (1996-2000). Throughout his professional career, he has combined private law practice with consulting and national and international public service. He has also worked both in private practice and in public service on the preparation and drafting of legislation, regulations, international agreements, and reports on relevant legal issues.
Flavio Darío Espinal was a member of the commission of jurists appointed by the Executive Branch to draft the preliminary draft that served as the basis for the 2010 Constitution, as well as the commission of jurists appointed to draft a set of laws to complement that Constitution. The prestigious positions and government appointments he has held have had a significant influence on the development and modernization of the Dominican Republic’s legal system.
He has been one of the most influential and respected law professors in the country and is a prolific writer with numerous articles and books to his credit. He is also a regular presence in the country’s media, offering important analysis and opinions on local and international legal, political, and economic issues.
Memberships
– Founding member of the Institutionality and Justice Foundation, Inc. (FINJUS), Dominican Republic
– Dominican Bar Association
Honors and Awards
– Silver Supreme Circle, JAYCEES ’72
– 2002 Pedro Henríquez Ureña National Essay Award, for the book Constitutionalism and Democracy in the Dominican Republic, awarded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Dominican Republic
– 1995-1996. Institute for the Study of World Politics, Washington, D.C., USA.
– 1994-1995. Bradley Foundation, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, USA.
– 1994-1995. Dupont Foundation, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia, USA.
– 1991-1994. Scholarship recipient of the LASPAU Program (Latin American Scholarship Program for American Universities) of the Government of the United States of America.
– 1991-1994 Scholarship recipient of the Fulbright Program of the Government of the United States.
– 1990 “Outstanding Young Person,” JAYCEES ’72, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Education
Bachelor of Laws (Summa Cum Laude), Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Dominican Republic; Master’s Degree in Government Affairs, University of Essex, England; and Doctorate in Government and Public Law from the University of Virginia, United States. He also completed the Negotiation Program for Lawyers at Harvard Law School.
