Guillermo Figueroa-Navarro

Biography

His practice focuses on labor and employment matters, mainly wrongful termination, employment discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, wages and hours, violation of constitutional rights, employment-related contracts and civil matters. His experience allows him to offer preventive counseling in topics such as internal corporate investigations on discrimination, harassment and related forms of employee misbehavior, company reorganizations, leaves and accommodations.

Prior to joining McConnell Valdés, he worked for a San Juan labor and employment law firm where he successfully counseled and defended numerous clients, ranging from small local businesses to Fortune 500 companies, before state and federal jurisdiction proceedings, both at trial and appellate levels.

Mr. Figueroa-Navarro has repeatedly represented employers before administrative agencies such as the Conciliation and Arbitration Bureau of the Department of Labor, the Puerto Rico Office of Mediation and Adjudication, the Anti-discrimination Unit of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board, among others. Similarly, he participated in collective bargaining agreement negotiations and has contended unfair labor practice complaints arising under the collective bargaining agreement.

Mr. Figueroa-Navarro is often invited to speak at lectures and seminars about key employment issues such as progressive discipline, harassment and anti-discrimination policies. Likewise, he also trains managers, supervisors and administrative personnel regarding policies and procedures. More recently, he offered seminars and trainings on workplace harassment, domestic violence, sexual orientation, gender identity and COVID-19

While attending law school, Mr. Figueroa-Navarro worked at another San Juan law firm where he collaborated with a highly specialized legal team in labor and employment and commercial matters.

Experience

Mr. Figueroa-Navarro's experience includes:

• Effectively obtaining case dismissals via summary judgment on wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination and owed salaries claims.
• Contributing in wrongful termination and discrimination case before federal court where favorable summary judgment was obtained.
• Successfully defending various clients at trial stage against wrongful termination, discrimination and retaliation.
• Participation in trial proceedings before Puerto Rico Court of First Instance in torts claim for malpractice contributing to a favorable outcome for client.
• Successful dismissal of lawsuit before Puerto Rico Court of First Instance claiming discrimination and failure to accommodate under the ADA and its local counterpart.
• Successful representation of clients against wrongful termination claims at arbitration proceedings, obtaining favorable awards sustaining Companies’ actions.
• Efficiently upholding arbitration award on subsequent appeal of wrongful termination claims.
• Challenged and successfully overturned arbitration award before Puerto Rico Supreme Court regarding unfair dismissal charge following violation of coworker’s constitutional right to privacy and sexual harassment.
• Successfully closing discrimination investigations before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Puerto Rico Anti-discrimination Unit.
• Effectively counseling employers on issues concerning recruitment, disciplinary actions, wrongful termination, wage and hours compliance and mandatory leaves.
• Drafting employment agreements, employee handbooks and operating procedures specifically tailored to employer industry and needs.

Practices

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