Richard Montes de Oca

Richard Montes de Oca is the founder and Managing Partner of MDO Partners, a boutique law firm focusing on Corporate, Real Estate and International Law as well as Global Compliance and Business Ethics.

Mr. Montes de Oca is responsible for the firm’s vision, strategic management, marketing and operations. He is an AV Preeminent-Rated attorney in Corporate, Contracts and International Law, which is the highest level of professional excellence ranking. He focuses on corporate governance, corporate finance, mergers and acquisition transactions, and securities, with representative transactions valued at over $5 Billion. He also has extensive experience representing clients in the areas of global compliance and business ethics.

Throughout his career, Mr. Montes de Oca has represented significant clients in a number of international corporate transactions and global compliance matters throughout the world, including Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, France, the Galapagos Islands, Germany, Haiti, Honduras, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain, St. Kitts, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom and Venezuela. The firm’s representative clients include Fortune 500, middle-market and startup companies as well as public-private partnerships in the aerospace, automotive, construction, cruise, financial services, food and beverage, hospitality, medical devices, restaurant, technology, travel and tourism industries.

Prior to establishing MDO Partners, Mr. Montes de Oca was the Associate Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of Royal Caribbean Cruises where he managed the Legal Department’s Corporate, Finance and Operations team, which provided legal services to over 20 departments and he advised senior management on all aspects of corporate governance, securities and finance matters as well as mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Montes de Oca’s representative transactions while at Royal Caribbean include a $1.2 Billion Revolving Credit Facility, a Euro 1 Billion Bond Offering, a Euro 1 Billion acquisition, a $300 Million Bond Offering, the finance of five separate cruise ships worth several hundred million dollars each and the sale of 50% interest in a significant joint venture.

Mr. Montes de Oca launched and managed Royal Caribbean’s Global Compliance and Ethics program, which focuses on fraud, anti-corruption, anti-trust, confidentiality, insider trading, conflicts of interest, labor and employment and various other areas. In this role, Mr. Montes de Oca was responsible for promoting the company’s ethical culture, conducting risk assessments, drafting and training on corporate policies, managing the company’s confidential reporting hotline, conducting internal investigations and auditing and monitoring the program. He also oversaw the company’s Records Management and Contracts Management programs.

Prior to joining Royal Caribbean, Mr. Montes de Oca was Senior Counsel at World Fuel Services and an attorney at Holland & Knight in the Securities and International Transactions practice groups.

Mr. Montes de Oca received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Miami where he was Symposium Editor of the Inter-American Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board, the Society of Bar and Gavel and the Center for Ethics and Public Service. He received his Masters of Business Administration from Florida International University. He received his bachelor’s degree with high honors from the University of Florida.

In the community, Mr. Montes de Oca is actively involved with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce where he serves as Chair of the International Relations Committee. In that capacity, Mr. Montes de Oca has led the Chamber’s trade mission to Mexico (2013) and participated in trade missions to Colombia (2014), Brazil (2013), Chile (2012) and Peru (2012). He is also a member of the Chamber’s Top Minority Business Awards Task Force and a graduate of Leadership Miami.

Mr. Montes de Oca is also actively involved with the United Way of Miami-Dade where he serves on the Community Investment Committee and Co-Chairs the Financial Stability Council. He also actively participates in other notable organizations, including the Miami Finance Forum, Florida Venture Forum, South Florida Technology Alliance, MIT Enterprise Forum and Legal Marketing Association. Mr. Montes de Oca is a member of various bar associations, including the Business Law and International Law Sections of the American Bar Association and Florida Bar Association as well as the Cuban American Bar Association. He is fluent in Spanish. 

Mr. Montes de Oca has been recognized as the South Florida Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. He was also recognized as a Top Rated Lawyer in South Florida by Legal Leaders magazine. Mr. Montes de Oca was recognized as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers of Miami-Dade. Florida Trend magazine has recognized him as a Legal Elite Up and Comer. Lifestyle Magazine also recognized him as a finalist Up and Comer.