Francisco de armas-Cubas
ESQ., CPA

Welcome to the official website of Francisco De Armas

With nearly 25 years of high-level experience in law, business, and financial services industry, Francisco J. De Armas Cubas has gained a reputation as a consummate finance professional. Mr. De Armas is the Managing member and  co-founder of Caribbean Investment & Acquisitions Corporation and CIAC, LLC (CIAC), an asset management/commercial loan servicing firm that currently manages over $5 billion in assets. From his background in the legal profession to his work in managing underperforming both government and commercial loan portfolios,  developing debt restructuring plans, identifying financing alternatives, and  directly investing in selected opportunities through the private equity fund he co-founded, CIAC Consortium II LLC , Francisco De Armas has achieved vast experience in managing complex credit situations in atypical markets. Mr. De Armas currently lives and works in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he has developed long-standing relationships with and a keen understanding of financial markets.

Education and Law Experience

After graduating from Colegio Maristas in Puerto Rico, Francisco De Armas set his sights on the financial services field. He was accepted to Bentley University, a highly-respected private university located in Waltham, Massachusetts and known for its rigorous business-oriented educational programs. Mr. De Armas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University in 1991.
 
In 1992, Mr. De Armas took his educational journey to the next level after he was accepted to the Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana. Regarded as one of the premier law schools in the southern United States. Mr. De Armas earned his Juris Doctor 1995 while at the same time becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). That same year Francisco passed the bar and was licensed to practice law in Puerto Rico.
 
With his strong understanding of financial market dynamics and his thorough command of the legal aspects governing the banking industry, he joined in 1996 1996, the law firm of Fiddler, Gonzalez, and Rodriguez, PSC, as an associate in the San Juan-based firm’s labor division which at the time was one of the largest, oldest, and most accomplished firms of its type in Puerto Rico.
 
Entrepreneurial Initiatives and Achievements

After working in the law field for several years, Francisco De Armas got the opportunity to join a family-owned business in Puerto Rico in 1999. He was appointed as senior vice president of the company; eventually, he was named President. Running a business was the crucial final step he needed before he forged his own business path, giving him the experience needed to manage diverse business demands.

In 2009, Francisco -cofounded CIAC. With over $5 billion of managed assets, including over $400 million in sub-performing commercial loans and real estate properties, CIAC is one of the leading asset management firms in Puerto Rico. Mr. De Armas specializes in distressed debt, creating debt restructuring plans that create efficient and profitable turnarounds for companies. As the current Principal and Managing Member of the firm, he is an active participant in the deal sourcing,  underwriting, and resolution of the assets acquired and under management in CIAC.

In addition to CIAC, Mr. De Armas is the co-founder of CIAC Consortium II, LLC, a private equity fund that co-invests in selected purchases of assets CIAC manages The Fund focuses on loan portfolio acquisitions and its track record since inception has achieved, internal rates of return (IRR) that exceed 15%.

The Fund through its affiliate CIAC LLC manages government related loans. This latter aspect of the fund’s work is part of a restructuring agreement between a government entity and its bondholders to maximize, monetize and distribute the net value of assets. Francisco J. De Armas has maintained his law credentials; he remains a licensed attorney. He also achieved recognition as a certified public accountant (CPA). When he is not analyzing financial markets or creating restructuring plans, Mr. De Armas can be found contributing his time and talents as an active member since 2002 of the Young President’s Organization (YPO). YPO is a global leadership community of executives in over 130 countries.

Visit him on the links above or on his finance blog. 

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