Corporate

Overview

For 75 years, McConnell Valdés has been an integral part of shaping the Puerto Rico business world. Today, our Corporate Practice builds on this distinguished tradition of leadership by representing businesses and individuals in a broad range of commercial and financial transactions. Our goal is simple: to lead our clients to effective and innovative solutions to even the most complex transactions.

We offer our diverse group of clients – which includes publicly traded corporations in the financial, health care, insurance, pharmaceutical, retail, infrastructure, media, and telecommunications industries, as well as privately-held businesses – an exceptional level of responsive service and value-added advice in all areas of law that touch on doing business in Puerto Rico.

As results-driven dealmakers and creative problem solvers, our knowledgeable and experienced bi-lingual corporate attorneys are uniquely able to partner with clients engaged in virtually every kind of business transaction – from securities and mergers and acquisitions to corporate reorganizations and deliver exceptional results.

Possessing a thorough command of the complexities of Puerto Rico’s current economic situation, our Corporate attorneys excel at helping clients execute highly sophisticated multi-point deals involving corporate, real estate, tax, labor and environmental issues. In addition, our Government Affairs & Public Policy attorneys, the largest team of any law firm in the Island, is one of the most influential government affairs groups in Puerto Rico.

We are recognized leaders. Our clients commend our team of “extremely responsive, quick” corporate attorneys for “performing at the highest level” in delivering “in-depth analysis and creative solutions” on sophisticated corporate and regulatory matters, as well as complex, large-scale financial transactions. In every representation, we take the time to identify - and anticipate - our clients’ business needs  so that we can respond with targeted solutions that produce desired outcomes. We offer counsel in every aspect of a corporate transaction - from structuring strategic business plans to negotiating and executing deals; from business formation and licensing to trademark registration; from corporate governance counseling to legal due diligence.

Our proactive approach breeds success. Our highly respected Practice Group has been top-ranked by Chambers and Partners Latin America six times since 2009, while four group attorneys are distinguished as Leading Lawyers by Chambers Latin America and Global Guides. Additionally, many of our group members were selected by their peers as The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico 2016.

The Group offers counsel  on:

Antitrust

Antitrust laws and trade regulations -- whether enacted by the Government of the United States or of Puerto Rico -- can impact any business.  We help clients maintain their competitive edge by preventing and resolving complex antitrust and trade regulation issues. Read more...

Cuba

Our ability to think ahead lead us to create a Cuba Practice Team over 20 years ago. We have assisted many clients with the registration of their trademarks in Cuba  and provided legal opinions to clients related to international commerce transactions. Read more...

Distribution & Franchising

We provide comprehensive counsel regarding Puerto Rico’s Act 75 and Act 21, enacted to protect distributors and sales representatives from termination by their principals. Read more...

Financial Institutions Regulation

The global financial crisis of 2008 prompted a push for improved oversight and regulation of financial institutions that continues to this day. We leverage our wealth of experience and business insight to steer our clients through a shifting regulatory and transactional landscape. Read more...

Government Affairs

McConnell Valdés has the largest – and one of the most effective – Government Affairs teams in Puerto Rico. With the right contacts, keen insights, deep knowledge and wealth of experience, we successfully represent our clients’ interests before the legislative and executive branches of government. Read more...

Health Care

Guided by a level of experience that is second to none, our Health Practice team addresses health industry challenges head-on. We help clients comply with ever changing regulations in a complex business sector. Read more...

Insurance

Our Insurance Practice team takes pride in guiding our clients to successful outcomes. Spanning the spectrum of insurance challenges from licensing to litigation, we connect clients with solutions that help them realize their objectives.   Read more...

International & Cross Border Transactions

Business success increasingly depends on the ability to negotiate and execute transactions on a global scale. We represent clients on a comprehensive range of transactions outside of Puerto Rico, as well as on regulatory and commercial issues that affect inbound and outbound transactions. Read more...

Intellectual Property

Our Intellectual Property team is among the most highly respected and accomplished in Puerto Rico. Top-ranked by Chambers and Partners Latin America for “extremely responsive and 100% knowledgeable” counsel, the team is deeply experienced across the IP ambit. Read more...

Mergers & Acquisitions

Fueled by a passion for providing comprehensive counsel tailored to client business objectives, the Mergers & Acquisitions team helps clients structure, negotiate and close private and public company mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and reorganizations. Read more...

Securities & Public Finance

McConnell Valdés has long earned kudos for its exceptional Securities & Public Finance Practice. Our reputation is founded on our ability to shape strategies that help our clients meet their business objectives in this highly regulated and sophisticated sector. Read more...

Trademarks

Our strategically focused approach to brand protection is based on a thorough understanding of client needs.  We leverage this knowledge – and our considerable experience – to help clients optimize their valuable intellectual property, including trademarks, service marks and copyrights under both United States and Puerto Rico laws.

Trusts & Estates

We are committed to helping our clients preserve and protect their wealth and minimize tax burdens – both today and tomorrow. Read More...

Representative Clients & Matters

• Serving as lead counsel in negotiating joint venture and limited liability company agreements and management agreements between a local hotel developer and Hyatt Corporation for the development of a 149-room hotel – Hyatt Corporation’s first equity investment in Puerto Rico since its divestiture of Puerto Rico properties in 2007.
• Advising more than 30 hedge funds and investment management advisors in all aspects of the ongoing Puerto Rico fiscal and debt crisis. Our ongoing counsel includes advice related to most of the Commonwealth bond issuers, such as PR Electric Power Authority; PR Aqueduct & Sewer Authority; PR Sales Tax Financing Corporation (COFINA); PR Highways & Transportation Authority; and the Commonwealth itself through its general obligation bonds.
• Serving as local counsel in charge of all local law issues and communications with Puerto Rico government agencies in the negotiation of contracts for the construction, operation and maintenance of an off shore gas port and re-gasification facility to provide natural gas to a Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) generation facility.
• Counseling in the  organization and capitalization of an international reinsurer under the International Insurers Act of Puerto Rico. The transaction involved a private offering of securities, as well as obtaining a certificate of authority for the reinsurance subsidiary from the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of Puerto Rico.
• Serving as local counsel in the negotiation of forbearance and debt restructuring agreements among local banks and Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) in connection with the repayment of a fuel line of credit with an outstanding balance of approximately $550 million.
• Serving as lead counsel in the negotiation of joint venture and limited liability company agreements for a Puerto Rico entertainment venue management company venturing to expand business opportunities abroad by managing entertainment facilities in Central and South America.

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