- Managing Partner: : Ricardo Muñiz
- Number of partners: 8
- Number of other lawyers: 25
THE FIRM: Since its founding in 1994 Adsuar Muñiz Goyco Seda & Perez- Ochoa, P.S.C. has provided comprehensive business-related legal services to companies throughout Puerto Rico, and to business interests based in the continental United States or abroad that have financial interests in Puerto Rico. The firm’s team of lawyers brings years of experience and a wide range of professional credentials to every matter it handles.
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE:
Corporate, Securities, Banking & Real Estate: The firm is experienced in structuring, negotiating and documenting mergers and acquisitions, issuances of debt, municipal securities and equity securities in the Puerto Rico market. It has particpated in numerous issues of securities, such as Puerto Rico municipal bond issues, stock issuances by Puerto Rico mutual funds, issuances of debt by private entities guaranteed by the government, AFICA bond issues (i.e. industrial development bonds issued by instrumentalities of the government of Puerto Rico), and preferred stock issuances by Puerto Rico banks. The firm also handles a wide array of banking and business matters, including commercial loans, real estate, leases, financings, intellectual property, regulatory, construction and zoning.
Tax: The firm assists its clients in structuring complex business transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, and private and public debt and equity issues. Corporate reorganisations, retirement and deferred compensation plans, and Puerto Rico’s tax incentive programs, are other of its areas of expertise. The firm also excels in estate planning.
Litigation: The firm has been involved in all types of US federal and local commercial, contractual and tort litigation, including tobacco litigation, class action suits, distributorship and franchisee rights facility disputes, construction and intellectual property disputes, income, excise, municipal licence tax and other tax controversies (in both administrative and court proceedings), securities litigation, telecommunications litigation, loan workouts, collection foreclosure, and bankruptcy matters. The key areas of the firm’s litigation practice include: corporate and securities litigation, commercial disputes and business law, intellectual property, antitrust, principal/distributor claims (Law 75), sales representation claims (Law 21), corporate governance, professional liability, products liability, environmental litigation, mass tort litigation and class actions, construction and facility related disputes, collection, foreclosures and lender liability cases, insurance and reinsurance, bankruptcy, adversary proceedings and creditor rights, complex commercial litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution, mergers and acquisitions cases, shareholder derivative actions, trial and appellate work, and administrative law and enforcement actions.
Labour & Employment: The firm’s labour and employment practice includes representing clients in connection with negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements and as trial counsel in federal and Puerto Rico courts, before administrative agencies and in labour arbitration and NLRB cases, and client counselling regarding compliance with Puerto Rico and federal employment discrimination statutes, employment terminations, federal and state wage and hour laws, worker’s compensation employee benefits and other laws governing matters of employment. It also represents clients in business related immigration procedures before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
INTERNATIONAL WORK: The firm regularly assists out-of-state businesses in structuring and implementing their Puerto Rico operations, with a particular emphasis on the tax consequences of cross-border investing. It is also well-versed in the Economic Incentives for the Development of Puerto Rico Act and regularly negotiates tax grants with the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company. The firm also regularly represents its US and international clients in complex litigation matters and with all aspects of Puerto Rico labour law affecting their local employees.
LANGUAGES: English and Spanish.
CLIENTS
The firm’s client list is made up of some of the world’s and Puerto Rico’s largest businesses, including pharmaceutical companies, oil and gas companies, power plants, waste management companies, medical equipment makers, investment and commercial banks, and real estate developers. Among the firm’s clients are Abbott Laboratories, UBS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BP Products, Banco Popular of Puerto Rico, Pearson, MillerCoors, Jet Blue and Philips Medical Systems.
Areas of PracticeLitigation: 45%
Labour & Employment: 21%
Tax: 19%
Corporate, Securities, Banking & Real Estate: 15%