McConnell Valdés' rapidly-growing Government Affairs Practice was founded on the recognition that, to fully represent a client's interests and needs, a law firm has to be able to practice not only in court, but also before the legislative and executive branches of government. The fact is that solutions to many issues facing clients involve the very processes by which public law and policy is conceived, developed and implemented by the government. With offices in San Juan and Washington, DC, McConnell Valdés is uniquely positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the legislative and regulatory processes, both before the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Federal governments.
Our Government Affairs attorneys provide a broad range of services, including monitoring of legislative and regulatory activity, analyzing legislative proposals, preparing position papers to be submitted to legislative committees or administrative agencies, developing and implementing overall legislative and political strategies to promote approval of favorable legislation or regulations, including drafting of proposed legislation or regulations, and lobbying for defeat of unfavorable bills or rules.
They are seasoned professionals with many years of distinguished public service experience and come from various backgrounds, including the U.S. Congress, the Puerto Rico Legislature, La Fortaleza, corporations, major law firms, both national and local political parties and gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. They combine substantive experience, detailed knowledge of the legislative process and access to the key decision-makers, both in San Juan and Washington, DC. They know how government works because most, if not all of them, have served in it:
• Samuel Céspedes-Sabater - Practice Team Leader, served as Legal Advisor to Governor Rafael Hernández-Colón and as Deputy Director and General Counsel of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration during the Hernández-Colón administration.
• Luis E. Bacó - Practice Team Leader, served as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Congressman Luis G. Fortuño in the United States House of Representatives, as well as Deputy Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration under Governor Pedro Rosselló-González. Also served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Congressman Carlos Romero-Barceló in the United States House of Representatives. He is based in Washington, D.C.
• Juan Carlos Méndez - Capital Member, Corporate Practice Group, and COO of the firm, served as Secretary of the Department of the Treasury under Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá until December 2007.
• Héctor M. Laffitte - Retired Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.
• Baltasar Corrada-del Río - Retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. He also served as Secretary of State under Governor Pedro Rosselló-González, as Mayor of the City of San Juan, and as Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner in the United States Congress.
• Luis G. Hidalgo - Former Chief of Staff of Speaker José Aponte Hernández; Former Chief Counsel to minority leader Anibal Vega Borges; Former Director of Office Legislatives Services of the Puerto Rico Legislative Asembly; Former Legislative Director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration. Currently an Adjunct Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law on Legislative process.
• José R. Nadal-Power - Served as Advisor to Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vila on Public Policy and Municipal Affairs. Also served as Legislative Advisor to the Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner at the U.S. Congress in Washington, DC.
• Yadira Rivera-Cintrón - Served as the Director of Legal Affairs at the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of Puerto Rico. Former attorney at the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico; and Former Prosecutor at the Puerto Rico Justice Department's Public Integrity Division.
• Lizzie Portela-Fernández - Served as Assistant Advisor to Governor Pedro Rosselló-González on issues of public safety and as the Legal Advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation.
• Antonio J. Rodríguez - Of Counsel in our Corporate Practice Group, was an advisor to former Governor Luis A. Ferré and Member of the Puerto Rico Council on Higher Education.
• Arturo J. García Solá - counseled Governor's Campaign Committee and Transition Committee and Member of Governor's Talent Committee
• Carlos E. Serrano - Former Director of Internal Revenue Bureau of the Puerto Rico Treasury Department
• Raúl M. Arias - counseled Governor's Campaign Committee and Transition Committee
During recent years, McConnell Valdés has had a significant participation in the approval of local pivotal legislation devised to improve the competitive position of Puerto Rico in the world markets, such as: the general corporations law, the law on negotiable instruments and secured transactions, tourism incentives and development statutes, amendments to deregulate credit cards, the service contracts law, the electronics transactions law, the viatical settlements law, consumer related legislation and regulations, and the Tax Incentives Act of 2008.
Our bilingual and bicultural practice and our intrinsic knowledge of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, State and Federal Governments and business cultures, enable us to develop effective and innovative relationships between our clients and key decision-makers in both capitals. Our Practice Team is also actively involved in associations and lobbying coalitions which allow us to be more successful in the implementation of government affairs strategies for our clients.
Our sophisticated understanding of public policy and government affairs, combined with our extensive combined experience in this field, provide the necessary tools to successfully develop and implement government relations campaigns to pursue economic and public policy initiatives on behalf of our clients. We are well-positioned to serve as the gateway for both foreign entities and United States businesses seeking opportunities in Puerto Rico.