Sonia López del Valle's primary practice area is general civil litigation and arbitration, with an emphasis on Securities Arbitration and Intellectual Property. She is ranked in the Litigation field of The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide.
Sonia is among Puerto Rico’s most experienced attorneys in customer arbitration and expungement proceedings before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
She has ample experience in Intellectual Property litigation. She formed part of the teams that represented high-profile local and international brands in some of the largest and most complex trademark, copyright, and civil counterfeiting cases filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. She was also part of the team that handled a noteworthy trademark infringement case litigated in Puerto Rico state court between 2022 and 2023, successfully defending the word and design marks of the Sazón Cocina Criolla restaurant located in San Juan’s renowned food and entertainment complex, the Distrito T- Mobile.
Prior to joining the firm as an Associate in 2012, Sonia worked at McConnell Valdés as a Summer Associate in 2010 and 2011 as well as a Paralegal Intern during the summers of 2008 and 2009. While in law school, she served as Associate Editor and Submissions Editor of the University of Puerto Rico Business Law Journal.
She speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and French.
Credentials
Bar Admissions
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- U.S. District Court District of Puerto Rico
- U.S. Court of Appeals First Circuit
Education
BA, Magna Cum Laude, Georgetown University
- Major: Comparative Literature
- Minor: Government
J.D., Cum Laude, University of Puerto Rico Law School
Certified Legal Specialty
Civil Law Notary
Memberships
Federal Bar Association
Representative Cases
- Successful defense of local and international Broker Dealers in over fifty FINRA arbitrations filed by customers, including, but not limited to, claims filed by Puerto Rican investors in the aftermath of the 2013 Puerto Rico bond market collapse.
- Has represented numerous brokers or financial advisors in more than fifty FINRA industry actions, securing the expungement of hundreds of customer claims erroneously or unfairly reported on the brokers’ CRDs (public records).
- Sazón JG LLC v. IHP Puerto Rican Owner, LLC, SJ2022CV04751 (904): represented the defendant (owner of the Sazón Cocina Criolla restaurant and associated trademarks) in this trademark infringement and injunctive relief action filed in the Puerto Rico Court of First Instance, where injunctive relief was denied, and the case was dismissed in its entirety (judgment was affirmed on appeal).
- Cartier International, A.G., et al. v. 24 K El Russo & Co., Inc., et al., Civil No. 19-1395: represented Cartier in this trademark, trade dress, and civil counterfeiting case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, obtaining ex parte temporary restraining orders, seizure orders, permanent injunctions, and judgment for plaintiff.
- Playero, Inc. v. Dionisio Acosta, et als., Civil No. 17-1574: represented Playero in this large trademark, trade dress, and civil counterfeiting case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, obtaining ex parte temporary restraining orders, seizure orders, permanent injunctions, and judgment for plaintiff.
- Suliman Rodríguez, et al. v. Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Civil No. 15-3147: represented Banco Popular before the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, obtaining dismissal, on summary judgment, of action concerning allegations of lending discrimination based on national origin and alienage.
- Nicole, Inc. d/b/a Nicole Lee v. VO Distribution, et als., Civil No. 15-2275: represented Nicole Lee in this trademark, copyright, and trade dress case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, obtaining ex parte temporary restraining orders, seizure orders, permanent injunctions, and judgment for plaintiff.
- S. Tous S.L. v. Dionisio Acosta, et als., Civil No. 13-1383: represented Tous in this large trademark, copyright, and civil counterfeiting case filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, obtaining ex parte temporary restraining orders, seizure orders, permanent injunctions, and judgment for plaintiff.
Honors & Recognition
Sonia is ranked in the Litigation field by Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide.
Community Involvement
Since 2016, she has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Ópera de Puerto Rico, a non-profit cultural organization.
