Guzman & Associates has an office in Punta Cana. It was in the Palma Real mall but may have moved as the mall is slated for demolition.
As I said before, Guzman Ariza is a firm that primarily handles residency and property purchases by expats. They are honest and their lawyers speak good English. What they do, they do extremely well and come highly recommended.
But, in my opinion, they aren't specialists in criminal law, this isn't their forte. It's like taking your Mitsubishi to a BMW garage. I would suggest your friend gets one of the big law firms in Santo Domingo, with contacts - and I stress with contacts - to help.
I would suggest Jose L Martinez Hoepelman (I have met him socially but have no connection to him). He speaks perfect English, he was the lawyer for David Ortiz and he was until recently the Defensor del Pueblo, a role which would have given him a great deal of contacts within the police and criminal justice system. He's also dealt with some pretty high-profile criminal cases recently. If you're you are interested, his firm's number is 809 732 4000 or website
www.hoepelman-rivera.com . Be warned he will charge proper prices, so you're looking at maybe a few thousand dollars, but I imagine he would have an initial consultation for free and give you a quote. Stress that I'm only trying to help and point your friend in a sensible direction, and have nothing to gain from this personally. I remember meeting him and happened to have his business card in my purse.
