Puerto Rico
For centuries, Puerto Rico has been a crossroads for business, commerce and culture between North, Central and Latin America. Encouraged by duty-free access to the mainland United States, proximity to key markets and an educated labor force, U.S. firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico, including in the pharmaceutical, electrical/electronics, apparel, healthcare and consumer and food products sectors. With attorneys and support staff with many combined years working on matters in Puerto Rico, Duane Morris is positioned to provide a mix of services to clients who have taken advantage of one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region.
From conducting internal corporate investigations to representing clients in federal civil RICO litigation in the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico, members of our Practice Group have played pivotal roles in pursuing clients' interests in Puerto Rico. For example, when a whistleblower complained to a federal agency of alleged intentional violations of an environmental statute, we helped our client convince the federal government not to empanel a grand jury, performed an internal investigation and helped persuade the prosecution team not to bring criminal or civil charges.
Having bilingual attorneys and paralegals enables us to provide effective service at a reasonable cost. In addition, in conjunction with a network of attorneys in offices across the United States and in London, our Practice Group combines legal skills with a practical business orientation. Our seasoned attorneys have served in management positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; as assistant U.S. attorneys and district attorneys; as president of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey; as chair of the American Bar Association's Section on Environment, Energy and Resources; and as members of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce; to name a few. With attorneys who are fluent in Spanish and admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, our Group has the skill and experience to help our clients to advance their interests in Puerto Rico.
Services
One of the strengths of the Puerto Rico Practice Group is the scope and depth of services we provide to our clients, from complex civil and administrative litigation to white-collar criminal defense to counseling in a host of different contexts.
Civil RICO and Class Action Claims: In the last decade, domestic and foreign corporations have seen the emergence and harsh consequences of civil RICO litigation. Our attorneys have the experience and knowledge to counsel clients through the often tangled web of this litigation, and we have done so in Puerto Rico. Some of our civil RICO attorneys have served on the Advisory Board of the Civil RICO Report and have successfully litigated class action RICO claims. One of our successes is a record $329 million settlement of a class action civil RICO car dealership case in 1997, in which we represented the plaintiffs.
Complex Commercial/Business Litigation: Duane Morris' litigators have successfully represented clients in commercial, business, products liability, unfair trade and insurance coverage matters. Our litigation attorneys are trial-proven, admitted and experienced in litigating complex matters in the federal district court of Puerto Rico. With this collective experience, our Group offers high-quality, cost-effective litigation services to clients with federal litigation needs in Puerto Rico.
Construction and Government Contracting: When complex architectural, engineering, financing, insurance and project management issues converge, legal complications often follow. We provide a full range of legal services to clients engaged in construction and government contracting, including contracting with public and private entities, bid protests and award disputes, complex contract claims and surety litigation, claims preparation and negotiation, contract defaults and terminations, alternative dispute resolution, environmental risk management, surety bond and insurance issues, contractor licensing matters, property damage claims, labor and employment counseling and OSHA compliance.
Energy Transactional and Regulatory Law: Puerto Rico Practice Group attorneys represent clients with major regulatory compliance needs. They also assist federal and state regulators and agencies in the formulation and implementation of regulations and policymaking. We have been called upon to handle multibillion-dollar energy transactions and have successfully litigated significant cases before agencies and courts on complex regulatory issues. Our attorneys are leveraging this experience and know-how to provide effective counseling in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Defense: When domestic and international corporations need representation on environmental issues in Puerto Rico, Duane Morris attorneys are often called upon to assist them. Our Group consists of a former chief of the New York/Caribbean Superfund Branch for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a past chair of the Section on Environment, Energy and Resources of the American Bar Association, and a former environmental scientist with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. We have extensive experience defending enforcement proceedings and counseling clients with respect to such environmental statutes as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Superfund, the Toxic Substances Control Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act on the U.S. mainland and in Puerto Rico. In a recent survey conducted by American Lawyer magazine of 400 corporate counsel nationwide, our environmental attorneys were ranked among the best in the country for service, quality and value.
Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology: Our attorneys are experienced with the challenges posed by the development, manufacture, marketing and sales of medical devices, technology and drugs and work with clients to quickly and effectively clear regulatory hurdles while striving to protect intellectual and monetary assets. Working at the crossroads of science and business, many Duane Morris lawyers call upon their knowledge gained through previous positions as toxicologists, pharmacists and laboratory researchers, as well as through study for their advanced degrees in biology, biochemistry and molecular and developmental genetics, when assessing clients' specialized legal needs.
Tax: Our tax lawyers represent businesses with operations in Puerto Rico, advising on acquisitions, reorganizations and a wide variety of transactional matters. Familiar with the island's transitioning tax landscape of the past decade, we can assist clients to utilize the reduced rates and deferral options available to certain qualified companies operating in Puerto Rico.
White-Collar Criminal Defense: After the Enron and WorldCom investigations and the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the business community is more aware than ever of the public pressures that federal and state governments face to root out what is perceived to be extensive wrongdoing by domestic and international corporations. With a team that includes former prosecutors and attorneys with hands-on experience in performing internal investigations and defending corporate clients in both civil and criminal matters in Puerto Rico, the Group is ready to handle the challenges brought on by allegations of wrongdoing faced by corporations in today's climate.
In addition, Duane Morris' depth and breadth gives clients access to counsel experienced in many other areas, including: affordable housing, business reorganization and financial restructuring, immigration, intellectual property (including copyrights, patents and trademarks) and information technology and telecommunications.
For More Information
For more information, please contact Lawrence W. Diamond or any of the group members referenced in the Attorney Listing.