Professional Experience

Before founding Imery Urdaneta in 1997, Marcel worked for 8 years at the law offices of Baker & McKenzie (Caracas), Tax and Corporate departments, from 1987 to 1996.

Marcel renders tax planning advice for corporate and real estate clients, often involving international double taxation conventions. He also renders tax planning advice to private banking clients, focusing on offshore structures, foundations, trust and estates. Marcel works closely with attorneys of other departments of the Firm advising on the tax implications of all sorts of corporate transactions, including M&A and restructuring transactions. His tax advice was key for the competition of the Secure Oil Tools de Venezuela, C.A. (acquired by Schlumberger), Venezolana de Pigmentos, C.A. (CAVENPI) (acquired by Dominion Colour Corporation), Marte T.V., UNIFOT, Omnivision Multicanal, Protokol Sistemas, Ultravision Cable, transactions. Marcel also advised the Venezuelan Investment Fund (today BANDES), in the privatization process of state owned enterprises such as Energía Eléctrica de Venezuela (ENELVEN), Energía Eléctrica de la Costa Oriental (ENELCO), PROCEDATOS. Marcel has also been instrumental in the handling of various tax litigation proceedings, related to tax assessments issued by the National and Municipal Tax Administrations, to companies engaged in the oil and gas, manufacturing, consumer goods, services, distribution and electricity industries.

Marcel also advices multinational companies in selecting the best alternative to start and operate their business in Venezuela. Marcel provides basic and sophisticated corporate advice to companies in their pre-operational, start-up, operational, restructuring and growth stages, including corporate advice in the drafting and negotiation of all sort of civil and commercial agreements. As Venezuelan counsel to IBM, Marcel worked in the global acquisition and subsequent merger of PriceWaterhouseCoopers Consulting, the global asset purchase of Informix Software and the corporate integration of Lotus Development Corporation with IBM.

Marcel also advices real estate developers in the negotiation of innovative association schemes with landowners, as well as in the drafting of all necessary documents to push the development forward. The most significant real estate projects handled by Marcel include: Residencias Joybe Marcília, Centro Comercial Buenaventura, Centro Comercial Buenaventura Vista Place, Centro Comercial Lomas de la Lagunita and Centro Comercial Buenaventura Acarigua.

Marcel has also served as a “TAX EXPERT WITNESS” in international arbitrations and international litigations.

Marcel has lectured at national tax conferences in various areas of taxation, addressing the tax implications of electronic commerce; municipal taxes; VAT and general tax law reforms. Marcel is also frequently invited to international conferences to discuss subjects dealing with corporate reorganizations, family asset reorganizations and succession planning..

In addition, Marcel is also Lecturer in the Company Creation Course given by the Young Entrepreneurs Association (AJE) and INFOEM.

Marcel is also professor at the Universidad Metropolitana, at the graduate program "Master in Corporate Tax Management". In such program, Marcel teaches the course: "Income Taxation".

Finally, Marcel is also professor at the IESA, where he teaches the “Legal Framework Workshop”, as part of the Master in Business Administration program.

Education

UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA ANDRÉS BELLO
Caracas, Venezuela
Lawyer, 1990

ARTHUR D. LITTLE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Cambridge, MA
Master of Business Administration (MBA) 1995

DUKE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
Durham, NC
Master of Laws (LL.M), 1996

UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE VENEZUELA
Caracas, Venezuela
Master of Tax Law, 2004
(Dissertation)

Publications

"Cross Border Coordinating"
Society of Trust & Estates Practitioners – The STEP Journal - September 2008

"The Joint Venture Agreement under the VAT magnifying glass"
Book published as part of the IX Venezuelan Tax Conference held in Maracaibo, October 2009

Admissions

Venezuela, 1990

Venezuelan Supreme Court Litigation, 2000

Memberships

Federal District Bar Association

Venezuelan Financial Law Association (ASOVEDEFI)

Venezuelan Tax Law Association (AVDT)

VenAmCham (Tax Committee)

Young Entrepreneurs Association (AJE)

International Bar Association (Tax Committee)

International Fiscal Association (IFA)

Founder and Director of the Foundation Help to Help

Recognitions

Ranked as leading practitioner by Chambers & Partners, and English research company that lists leading business lawyers and law firms in the world.

The guide "Chambers Global 2008: The World's Leading Lawyers. The Client´s Guide" noted Marcel as a "superp tax planner." He is highly experienced in cross-border taxation and is said to “understand the pragmatic, sophisticated approach required by a company. He keeps us informed and really knows how to treat his clients.”

The guide Chambers Latin America 2009" noted Marcel as a "not only a sophisticated tax expert with a natural ability to speak the language of business” but also “an absolute pleasure to work with.”

The guide "Chambers Latin America 2010" again highlights Marcel as "well known for his work on international taxation matters and litigation" of tax matters.

In the referred guides, Marcel was ranked in Band 2 for Tax in Venezuela

Aditional Information

May 2010: Speaker at the 3rd Annual U.S. - Latin American Tax Planning Strategies conference in Miami, FL, USA; organized by the section of taxation of the American Bar Association (ABA) and the International Fiscal Association (IFA). The use of life insurance products in the context of estate tax planning and wealth transfer

October 2009: Speaker at Wealth Tax Planning Strategies conference in Miami, FL; a private conference organized by the Hottinger Group

October 2009: Speaker at the IX Venezuelan Tax Conference on VAT in Maracaibo, Venezuela; organized by the Venezuelan Asociation of Tax Law (AVDT). The joint venture agreement under the VAT magnifying glass

October 2009: Speaker at the VI IDEPROCOP Tax Conference in Caracas, Venezuela; organized by IDEPROCOP. The joint venture agreement under the VAT magnifying glass

May 2009: Speaker at the 2d Annual U.S. - Latin American Tax Planning Strategies conference in Miami, FL, USA; organized by the section of taxation of the American Bar Association (ABA) and the International Fiscal Association (IFA). The use of corporate structures, foundations and trusts in the context of estate tax planning and wealth transfer

May 2008: Speaker at the Caribean Wealth Tax Planning Strategies conference in Panama City, Panama; organized by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Cross Border Coordinating

April 2007: Speaker at the Wealth Tax Conference in Caracas, Venezuela; organized by the UCAB. Cometaries to the Wealth Tax Law Project

June 2006: Speaker at the Conference for the Discussion of the New Organic Municipal Tax Law in Caracas, Venezuela; organized by the UCV. Types of tax stability agreements available for execution among taxpayers and the Municipal Tax Administration

November 200. Speaker at the Conference of Sociaty and Information Tecnologies. Where is Venezuela Going? in Caracas, Venezuela; organized by the CAF. Taxation on e-commerce