Education
- B.B.A., Magna Cum Laude, University of Puerto Rico, 1973
- J.D., Magna Cum Laude, University of Puerto Rico Law School, 1976
Bar Admissions
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- U.S. District Court District of Puerto Rico
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court Puerto Rico
- U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships
- Puerto Rico Bar Association
- Asociacion de Notarios de Puerto Rico
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- National Institute for Trial Advocacy Advocates Association
José R. González-Irizarry
Mr. González-Irizarry's practice is 75% litigation, including general civil and commercial litigation, and consulting, mostly in the areas of lender liability, insurance, real estate, secured transactions, contested foreclosures, bankruptcy, business reorganizations, petroleum marketing practices laws and regulations, construction and health care matters before state, federal, administrative and arbitration fora.
Mr. González- Irizarry joined McConnell Valdés in 1976. He is certified as mediator by the Lex Mundi College of Mediators and as neutral evaluator by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico's Bureau of Alternate Dispute Resolution.
Some of the cases in which Mr. González- Irizarry has appeared as counsel include:
- Arzuaga-Collazo v Oriental Federal Savings Bank, 913 F.2d 5 (lst Cir. 1990) - Mr. González-Irizarrry was lead counsel for Oriental Federal Savings Bank in a $615,000,000 RICO complaint filed against it.
- Garcia Curbelo v. American Defender Life Insurance Co., 127 D.P.R. 747 (1991) - In connection with life, health and disability insurance, he represented American Defender Life Insurance Company in a precedent setting case where the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico settled issues regarding incontestability and coverage issues.
- Oriental Financial Group v. Federal Insurance Company, 309 F. Supp. 2d 216 (D.P.R. 2004) - Mr. González-Irizarry and his partner Mr. Antonio J. Ramírez, successfully defeated defendant's motion for summary judgment on procedural and substantive issues pertaining to fidelity coverage under a Financial Institution Bond insurance policy. This allowed plaintiff's $25 million claim to go forward to trial.
He has written articles and dictated conferences and seminars about bankruptcy and mediation, served as part-time lecturer for the courses of Legal Research and Bankruptcy, University of Puerto Rico School of Law, 1986-1996; and is currently contributor of the Bankruptcy Exemption Manual, published by West Bankruptcy Series, as it pertains to Puerto Rico law.
