BOARD Members:

OFFICERS

• Dora L. Monserrate  President

• Ricardo F. Casellas President Elect

• Katherine González
  Vice-President

• Carlos A. Valdejully
  Treasurer

• José R. González-Nogueras  Secretary

• Veronica Ferraiuoli  Immediate Past President

• Manuel Pietrantoni       National Delegate

DIRECTORS

• Richard Graffam-Rodríguez

• Andrés W. López

• Oreste Ricardo Ramos-Pruetzel

• Roberto A. Cámara-Fuertes

• Alberto Estrella

• Francisco E. Colón - Ramírez

Physical Address:

Suite 1400, Banco Popular Center
208 Ponce de Leon Ave.
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, 00918

(787) 756-1400

Professional Experience:

• Shareholder, Fiddler González & Rodríguez P.S.C., San Juan, Puerto Rico (1998-present) – concentrates the practice in trial and appellate commercial litigation in federal courts and counseling in distribution and antitrust matters.

• Name Partner, Rodríguez & Casellas, San Juan, Puerto Rico-private practice (1995-1998).

• Associate and Partner, Fiddler González & Rodríguez, LLP (1987-1995).

Related Professional Experience: 

• Law Clerk to Hon. Juan R. Torruella, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit (1987).

• Law Clerk to Hon. José A. Fusté, Judge, U.S. District Court, District of Puerto Rico (1986).

• Law Clerk to Hon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Justo Arenas, U.S. District of Puerto Rico (1985).

• Summer Law Clerk, McConnell Valdés, San Juan, Puerto Rico (1983-1984)- litigation, corporate and labor departments.

• Law Clerk, Nutter McClennen & Fish, Boston, Mass. (for two years during law school) – litigation department.

• Construction Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association and Commercial Arbitrator, International Chamber of Commerce (at various times).

Court Admissions:

• Supreme Court of Puerto Rico

• US. Supreme Court

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

• U.S. Court Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

• U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico

Practice Areas:

• Civil Litigation

• Commercial Disputes

• Antitrust

• Trade Regulation

• Puerto Rico Law 75

• Franchising

• Products Liability

• Alternative Dispute Resolution

Publications:

• Author, Book Chapter, Puerto Rico Law Section, “Monograph on Covenants against Competition in Franchise Agreements” (2d ed. American Bar Association 2003).

• Author, “Like Oil and Water: Puerto Rico Dealerships and Permanent Injunctions do not mix”, 33 Interamerican Univ. Law Rev. 66 (1997)(available in WESTLAW).

• Author, “The Substantial Contact Requirement for Jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act”, 55 Univ. of Puerto Rico Law Rev. 1 (1986).

• Co-Author, Puerto Rico law section on the Compendium of Unfair Trade Practices, to be published by the Defense Research Institute.

• Discrimination of Franchisees and Selective Treatment or Enforcement of License Agreements (not published-work in progress).

Popular Press:

• “A Nutshell on Ways to Minimize the Exposure of Liability from Puerto Rico’s Dealer Protection Statutes” (Caribbean Business 2000 and Bomchil-available in the internet).

• The Supreme Court’s treatment in Texaco v. Daguer of Joint Ventures under the antitrust laws, EL NUEVO DIA, March, 2006.

Presentations:

• Speaker, “Differences between the Civil Law in Puerto Rico and the Common Law: a comparative law perspective”, at the bi-annual meeting of Business Counsel Inc., a non-profit networking group of attorneys and stateside in-house counsel, on April 2006. 

• Speaker, “Latest Developments in the Local Rules of the U.S. District Court P.R.”, to candidates aspiring to take the Federal Bar examination sponsored by the Puerto Rico Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (2004-2005).

• Speaker, “Ten Tips to Avoid exposure to liability in the event of litigation”, to top management of a corporate pharmaceutical client (2005).

• Speaker, “Conference on Federal Trial Practice” to trial advocacy students at the University of Puerto Rico Law School.  February 2004

• Speaker, “Nutshell on Ways to Minimize the Exposure of Liability from Puerto Rico’s Dealer Protection Statutes”, for the American Corporate Counsel Association, San Francisco, California Chapter.        September 2003    .                                  

• Speaker, “Joint Purchasing Arrangements and the Antitrust Laws”, for the Pharmaceutical Industry Association of Puerto Rico. August 2002.             

• Speaker, Joint Purchasing Arrangements and the Antitrust Laws, for the Puerto Rico Manufacturing Association.  November 2001.

• Speaker, “Trial Considerations to Preserve the Record for Appellate Review at a Conference of the Federal Bar Association”, Puerto Rico Chapter.  November 2001.

Professional Associations:

• Director and Secretary (current) of the Puerto Rico Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (2003-present).

• Member, American Bar Association, Franchising Committee.

Honors:  

• Appointed by Hon. Jay A. García Gregory, Judge, and Hon. José A. Fusté, Judge, United States District Court, Puerto Rico, on the Review Committee of the Local Rules of the U.S. District Court.

• Appointed by Hon. José A. Fusté, United States District Judge, Puerto Rico, on the Committee for the Nomination of Justo Arenas as U.S. Magistrate Judge.

• Served on the Bar Examination Committee of Civil Procedure of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.

• Certificate of Excellence, Federal Bar Association, Boston Chapter, for Highest Grade Point Average in a course of Federal Courts at Boston U. Law School.

• Moot Court Competition Award, Jessup International Law Competition (1985).

Representative Cases:

• I have tried, briefed, or argued over thirty civil cases at the trial and appellate levels in federal courts. Most of the decisions are reported and available in WESTLAW.

Education:

• J.D., Boston University School of Law, Boston, Mass. (1985)

• B.A., Cum Laude, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia (1982).