Do you have any reason to think he is going to make a claim against you?
Why would he think you are the employer? You said the first time the person the work was being done for paid you both at the end of the job. Is this the way payment has been handled the times you worked together more recently?
People who have not had any experience with labor issues in the DR would not be so quick to tell you not to settle with the guy if he does make a claim.
If he makes a claim, you should first evaluate the strength of your position. You can talk with the people in the labor office to see what they say.
But either way, keep the negotiated settlement open. If you are going to settle, best to do it before he gets and attorney
The way it works in the DR, the person who believes he is owed money can easily get an attorney. It will cost him nothing, the lawyer works for a percentage of the award. You won't be sued for a small amount, it will be a very large amount. The bigger the award, the more money the guy's attorney will get. You will be amazed at all the things on the list
You will have to have your own labor lawyer to handle your case.
If the court rules against the guy, he can appeal. This means continued attorney fees.
While this goes on, nothing is coming out of the pocket of the guy suing you. You are paying to defend yourself, he is paying nothing until there is an award, and then his attorney pockets about 1/3.
If you are just worried but have no real reason to worry, you should put it out of your mind, wait and see. If you have eason to believe he will sue, then i would start looking for a labor lawyer to defend you if needed.