José A. Sánchez-Alvarez

Construction law and litigation, together with surety law are among the main areas of strength of our firm. Our construction group drafts constructions contracts tailored to U.S. and the very distinct Puerto Rico law and provides counseling to contractors and owners. Our litigation group is highly effective in representing our clients with regard to construction disputes. Our firm closely monitors and often participates as counsel regarding the ever changing and distinctive Puerto Rico Construction statutes, case law and legislation. We are proud to serve large and small construction clients from Puerto Rico, Continental United States, Europe and many other parts of the world. We have represented clients in several landmark Puerto Rico construction cases. We regularly and continuously participate as lecturers in educational seminars relating to construction law. We are fortunate to be among the top construction law firms in Puerto Rico.

We represent surety clients in a variety of capacities. We have negotiated and litigated and successfully handled default terminations, including successfully challenging and overturning declarations of construction default. We are experienced in handling payment bond disputes under federal, state and private bonds and in assisting our clients in the preparation and negotiation of financial accommodation agreements, completion agreements, takeover agreements and other such contracts relevant to suretyship. Our expertise in this area of the law is recognized by industry leaders on all sides of the surety relationship. Our experience in construction law provides our surety clients with a unique advantage when it comes to our firm protecting their interests. Our attorneys provide the highest quality representation available in this area.

We have experience in representing borrowers and lenders and in negotiating loan agreements of all kinds including loans for real estate projects. We can offer highly efficient and effective services regarding land loans and construction loans as well as end user permanent financing.

Litigation is one of our main strengths. Our litigation group is experienced in all forms of dispute resolution and civil litigation before local and federal administrative agencies, federal and local courts. We are highly skilled in negotiation, trial and appellate work and our attorneys are well known and respected in our community by everyone, including government agencies and local and federal judges. Our bilingual attorneys are experienced litigating in Spanish in local courts and in English in federal courts. We have particular experience with regard to appellate matters in local and federal court and have been consistently successful in litigating cases before administrative agencies, the Puerto Rico Court of First Instance, the Puerto Rico Intermediate Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the First Circuit as well as the Civilian and Armed Services Boards of Contract Appeals.

Our firm is experienced in negotiating and drafting of alternate dispute resolution agreements, including agreements for nonbinding and binding arbitration, mediation, min-trials, expert fact-finding and early neutral evaluation of disputes. We have successfully participated in many such proceedings on behalf of our clients. We have substantial arbitration experience, particularly, as to construction and surety claims. We also help clients collect the proceeds of arbitration awards. Our attorneys have served as impartial evaluators of disputes, mediators and arbitrators.

Our firm represents many Puerto Rico, national and international corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies for whom we provide company creation and governance services. We perform commercial transactional and litigation work for corporations and other entities in diverse industries. We have substantial experience in mergers and acquisitions. We do litigation on behalf of shareholders as well as corporations, partnerships and other entities.

Puerto Rico’s Distribution Law provides a particular protection to appointed local distributors who market principals’ products or services. Local Distribution Law, known as Law 75, governs the business relationship between principals and the locally appointed distributors, including limits to principal’s ability to unilaterally end the relationship, and the enforcement of arbitration clauses. Sales representatives (suppliers) are likewise protected by Law 21. We have advised multiple companies engaged on business in Puerto Rico and drafted distribution and supply agreements for them. Our litigation group is experienced on distribution and supply disputes before arbitrators, local and federal courts.

We are efficient and effective in counseling as to all Federal and Puerto Rico Wage and Hours matters as well as other labor issues. Our labor practice includes litigation before Federal and Puerto Rico Courts and administrative agencies. We can offer to our clients our extensive experience before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in unfair labor practice proceedings as well as in the negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements.

We are proud of our in depth knowledge relating to Puerto Rico estate law, including estate administration, liquidation and distribution. Some of the largest estates in Puerto Rico are and have been our clients. We have dealt with multi jurisdictional matters related to heirs and have helped save substantial amounts in estate taxes and other taxes. Litigation of estate matters is one of our strengths. We have successfully and effectively litigated estate disputes as attorneys for executors as well as for heirs.

We represent surety clients in a variety of capacities. We have negotiated and litigated and successfully handled default terminations, including successfully challenging and overturning declarations of construction default. We are experienced in handling payment bond disputes under federal, state and private bonds and in assisting our clients in the preparation and negotiation of financial accommodation agreements, completion agreements, takeover agreements and other such contracts relevant to suretyship. Our expertise in this area of the law is recognized by industry leaders on all sides of the surety relationship. Our experience in construction law provides our surety clients with a unique advantage when it comes to our firm protecting their interests. Our attorneys provide the highest quality representation available in this area.

Under Puerto Rico law, real property conveyances and the transfer of other real property rights, including the establishment of real property mortgages and surface rights require the services of a notary. The special treatment and responsibility given to notaries (who must be lawyers) under Puerto Rico law requires that attorney-notaries be highly skilled in all aspects of notarial law. Our skilled attorney-notaries represent buyers, sellers, corporations and banking institutions. Our bank clients regularly evaluate the performance of our firm and of our attorney-notaries and compare it to other law firms and we consistently perform at the very top.