Practice Group Members
Labor & Employment
+1 (787)-751-8999
Labor & Employment
Our firm provides comprehensive labor and employment counsel for employers, executives, and organizations operating in Puerto Rico. Advice covers workplace policies and compliance across employee classification, wage-and-hour rules, benefits and leave programs, workplace safety, and workers’ compensation. The team also supports employee-relations challenges—grievances, investigations, discipline, and union negotiations—and defends or prosecutes claims involving wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and contract violations. We stay current on evolving minimum wage, paid leave, remote-work, and safety standards so clients can adapt proactively and reduce liability.
Administrative Agency Proceedings
Clients are represented before the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources, the Anti-Discrimination Unit, and federal agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and U.S. Department of Labor. Support includes responding to charges and audits, preparing position statements, managing document productions, and advocating in administrative hearings.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
A full range of ADR tools—mediation, negotiation, and non-binding evaluations—is used to resolve workplace conflicts efficiently, confidentially, and with minimal operational disruption. ADR is especially emphasized for sensitive disputes involving senior executives, discrimination claims, multi-employee grievances, or situations where preserving ongoing business relationships matters.
Arbitration
We represent employers and employees in binding arbitration from intake through award, including drafting and enforcing arbitration clauses in employment agreements, handbooks, and separation packages. Matters handled include wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment, wage-and-hour claims, commission/bonus disputes, restrictive covenants, and workplace torts.
Government Affairs & Public Policy
Work includes monitoring bills and rulemaking, drafting comments and position papers, preparing witnesses for committee hearings, and engaging regulators on implementation guidance. The team advises on compliance rollouts for new statutes—such as changes to wage rules, leave mandates, workplace safety requirements, or union regulation—so employers can align HR strategy with shifting public policy.
Health
We support healthcare employers on employment issues tied to patient-care environments and overlapping health regulations. Counseling includes HIPAA-compliant handling of employee medical information, workplace-wellness program design, staffing and credentialing requirements, and leave/benefit compliance affected by Medicare/Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. The practice also addresses occupational safety, infectious-disease protocols, and workers’ compensation issues unique to clinical settings.
Labor & Employment Litigation
Our litigators handle the full spectrum of employment claims in Puerto Rico courts and federal forums, including Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FLSA wage-hour actions, retaliation and harassment suits, whistleblower claims, and enforcement of restrictive covenants. Representation covers pre-suit risk assessment, litigation holds and discovery management, dispositive motion practice, trial, and appeals. The team also pursues strategic settlements and ADR when outcomes can be achieved faster or with lower business disruption.
