Inspiring Women in Law Q&A: Michelle Germán González

"The laws, bodies and institutions in Latin America facilitate, support and protect foreign investment"

​​​​​Latin Counsel has spoken to Dominican lawyer Michelle Germán González, CEO of BMG Asesores with offices in Madrid and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Michelle is currently a legal representative and advisor to companies, international organisations, embassies and consulates accredited in Spain, as well as to the Central American Integration System (SICA) and the Central American Tourism Promotion Agency (CATA). She is also external advisor to the Government of the Dominican Republic for Europe and, since 2020, she has been a member of the Advisory Committee of the Ibero-American Court of Arbitration (CIAR), based in Madrid (Spain).

She also specialises in Family Law and Labour Law.

Michelle is a practising lawyer at the Madrid Bar Association and a graduate of the APEC University in the Dominican Republic, as well as of the Francisco de Vitoria University in Madrid. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Corporate Business Law, as well as an Official Master’s Degree in Business Law from the Antonio de Nebrija University of Madrid and a Master’s Degree in Business Consultancy from the Real Centro Universitario El Escorial.

In addition, Michelle participates and collaborates in the radio programme EL TORO TV (formerly Intereconomía), dealing with current legal issues, as well as giving conferences and publishing articles on topics of legal and social interest.

Latin Counsel: What made you decide to become a lawyer?

Michelle Germán González: The usual answer is "I dreamed of becoming a lawyer since I was a child", and in my case, the answer is the same. Somehow I associated law and being a lawyer with power and knowledge. And, although it may seem a haughty answer, the truth is that it was the first reason that made me inclined to study Legal Science - Law. The intensity of that sense of power that I saw in lawyers, that power to always have the answers, to have knowledge perhaps hidden from others, to be able to apply and execute those formulas and theories, and, above all, that independence that is inherent in that degree.
Law is a very broad career, although it may not seem so at first glance, and it allows you access to many doors, without limiting yourself. A lawyer can be a manager, an advisor, a company administrator or simply dedicate himself independently to the practice of law.
And it was precisely this quality that, when I grew up, accompanied the feeling of power, having the INDEPENDENCE of being able to practice law at any time and place. Not to depend on being an employee, but to see that I, Michelle Germán, without further ado, am a lawyer, independent and can practice and represent individuals and legal entities that require it or need it.

Latin Counsel: What would you have liked to do professionally if you were not a lawyer?

Michelle: I think I am one of the few people who have always wanted a particular profession.
I remember that when I finished school, my two older brothers were already studying at university, and at a university that did not offer a law degree. According to my mother, I had to study another degree, firstly because to study law you had to read a lot and that was not my forte and, secondly, because my brothers were at another university and I had to be at the same one as not to return alone, for safety’s sake.
I initially agreed, and at the age of 17 I began to study Business Administration at the university where my brothers were already studying, like a young girl obedient to her parents’ wishes. And so I stayed there for two eternal terms.
But it turned out that I wanted to be a lawyer. I saw myself as a lawyer, I saw myself raising my voice in defence of people’s rights. I saw myself going to court smartly dressed, which is something  loved about the women lawyers who were a reference in my country. That was what I wanted, and I could no longer pursue a different career.
So I researched universities with law schools, enrolled and then told my parents: "Either I study law, or I don’t study at all. I was born to be a lawyer."
So I don’t have a career that I would have liked to pursue if I wasn’t a lawyer. Life would have just taken me in a different direction.

Latin Counsel: What made you move to Madrid to develop your life project?

Michelle: That’s where the feeling that something is missing comes in. As a professional, in the Dominican Republic, I had the honour of working for one of the most important law firms, "Abogados & Notaría Ulises Cabera", and had a wonderful experience, on a personal and professional level, at only 21 years of age.
And so I decided to take the opportunity to come to Spain to do an Official Master’s Degree in Business Law at the Antonio de Nebrija University in Madrid. It was a unique and professionally enriching experience, based on the foundation I had already acquired and what I was able to see and experience with other professionals and fellow students.
I discovered a new way of living and developing law, so I collaborated in several legal projects, until I started my own path with my own firm, building a personal and professional life in Spain.

Latin Counsel: What do you miss most about the Dominican Republic?

Michelle: Many things; family, friends, the culture, the food, the weather, and that intimate day-to-day life that reminds me of my childhood and early adult life.
It is wonderful to have experiences, in other countries, in other cultures and with other people, with ideas and traditions that are completely different from your own. It is the true way to evolve, to grow and to reach out to all kinds of people. Cultural diversity does not drive us apart, it brings us together, because there is always a turning point where ideologies share, support and complement each other.
But it is even more wonderful to return to your country, to your homeland and realise that you are still you, more evolved, more mature, more aware, with a broader culture, but the same young woman who one day left to do a Master’s degree and her own experiences took her to a place that has welcomed her as its own and where she also has a life.

Latin Counsel: Can you tell us about any experiences you have had or know of where diversity and inclusion have been key to the success of a project?

Michelle: As a legal representative of the Central American Tourism Promotion Agency (CATA) and the Central American Integration System (SICA), I have been part of, advised and experienced great integration projects between the countries that make up the system. These countries are so diverse, socially and culturally, that it would seem that we are not talking about countries within Central America, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic and even Belize, with a completely different language from the previous ones, united to develop a tourism strategy to increase their visibility and attract tourists to their geographical area. And so it was, a project, a union of so many cultures and diversity, which makes it so attractive that the public, especially Europeans and North Americans, are fascinated by the idea of getting to know the diversity of all these countries that make it up.
This is the origin of the MULTIDESTIN package, which is its star product, and which allows you, in a single tourist package, to bring together this diversity and get to know all these countries. A joint effort of all its members and that has been the key: its diverse nature, presented as its greatest attraction.

Latin Counsel: What have been your greatest professional challenges and successes?

Michelle: Without a doubt, as a foreigner and at a very young age in practice, being able to gain a space as a legal professional in a foreign country, so large and diverse, and with so many talents in the area, has been my biggest challenge. I must say that it has not been an easy task, but with effort, discipline and responsibility I have been breaking the barriers. I am also very grateful for the support of many colleagues.
As a foreign lawyer and professional and a woman, I had to prove to myself that I was capable of developing professionally with the same capacity as my national colleagues.
The real success is to keep going. Currently, I have the honour of representing international organisations and institutions, including the Government of the Dominican Republic itself, which I have assisted in proceedings in Spain. I also have the privilege of being a member of the Advisory Committee of the Ibero-American Court of Arbitration (CIAR) in Madrid, the wonderful opportunity to run a Madrid-based law firm, BMG Asesores, as well as the honour of giving lectures and writing articles on current legal issues and of participating in the media, especially in the radio programme on El TORO TV (formerly Intereconomía), where I address current legal issues on a weekly basis.

Latin Counsel: How have you managed to grow as a professional while raising a family and being a present mother to your son?

Michelle: Becoming a mother pushed me even more to achieve my professional goals. Having to dedicate quality time to my son made me focus on making the most of and perfecting the time spent at work. And to understand that family time is as important as work time, and that it is a non-negotiable time.
It is certainly an ongoing challenge, but it can be done. I consider myself a 100% professional and a 100% mother.
To grow professionally, combining your life as a mother, you must be able to prioritise, make the most of your time and execute each objective in its own time, protecting and always trying not to encroach on family time.
I love what I do, I am passionate about my professional work. And, together with this, I value that my greatest treasure is my family.
My key to achieving a balance between family and work is to establish times, to cut at a certain time and in certain circumstances; in my daily schedule there is a sacred space where I am no longer the lawyer, but the wife / mother / partner, and everything else is paused at that time.

Latin Counsel: How do you see Latin America in terms of diversity and inclusion?

Michelle: Latin America in its very essence is the greatest example of diversity, with a rich and diverse history of indigenous cultures, African slavery, European colonisation and so much global immigration that you could not speak of its people as a single ethnic group.  This diversity is evident in race, class, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation and gender identity, language, and so on.
Increasingly, in Latin American countries, it is recognised that people have multiple identities that shape their experiences. This is an important part of the driving force behind development, not only economically but also as a way of enriching people.
And all this has led to the inclusion of all this diversity as a matter of course. Welcoming and valuing it as an indispensable component to reduce poverty and achieve the goal of sustainable development and to evolve as a country and as a person.

Latin Counsel: What would you tell investors about investment opportunities in Latin America?

Michelle: Latin America is made up of several countries with different economic, political and cultural conditions, all of which offer great business and investment opportunities. We must bear in mind that for Latin America, investment has been officially considered an indispensable factor for development, and for this reason both public and private laws and institutional bodies have been created to facilitate, support and protect foreign investment.
According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in 2022 alone, Latin America and the Caribbean will receive 224.479 billion dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI). This is more than 50% higher than in 2021, and is due to the fact that governments, the public and private sector, are betting on this investment.
The Dominican Republic, for example, is a model economy for the region that, despite the situation generated by the covid-19, has remained stable and growing with socio-political stability and legal security.
Many clients and acquaintances ask me which are the most attractive sectors to invest in, and the answer is always the same: it depends on the country and the risk that can be assumed. One sector that never fails is the tourism sector, but other very attractive sectors are technology, manufacturing, energy and agriculture.
But it is important to note that each city and country has its own particularities and investment risks, so it is necessary to carry out detailed research before any investment decision.

Latin Counsel: What advice would you give to women lawyers who are just starting out in their careers?

Michelle: The career starts when you finish your university studies. Law, like most professions, is a career of persistence, not speed.
It is important to keep up to date, to read, to be competitive. Women have to break even more barriers than men, so you have to believe, visualise successful people and set goals, implement good habits with discipline and perseverance, believe in yourself and go forward. Never be a conformist.
When we finish our degree, we realise that at university we are not fully prepared for life, for this exercise, we see judges as real wolves thirsty for the blood of this new lawyer who doesn’t know what to say. But the truth is that these judges, prosecutors, solicitors, and experienced lawyers have also been down this road, and they are more aware and more caring than we think.
There are many of us lawyers, but it is very important to innovate, to use new trends, new technologies, new changes and apply them to this profession that has been so ambiguous until recently. Law is not what it used to be, as a professional there are many tools to make yourself known, to express what you think, to talk about law, so use them.
And this is the summary of my advice: BELIEVE, above all in yourself, and use all the tools you have at your disposal, break the mould and dare to let your essence flourish.

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