News & Resources

The Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources (“PR DOL”) issued Circular Letter No. 2020-02, dated April 16, 2020, requiring employers to notify employees, at the time of termination or reduction of regular hours of work, about the availability of Unemployment Insurance benefits. For more information, click here: https://www.pmalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Labor_Alert_-_Circular_Letter_No__2020-02.pdf

On April 9, 2020, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Hon. Wanda Vazquez, signed into law Act No. 37-2020, to amend Article 6 of Act No. 180-1998 to provide that, in cases where the Governor or the Secretary of Health declares a state of emergency, any employee suffering or suspected of suffering from the illness that motivated the state of emergency and who has exhausted all leaves which he/she has a right to, will be entitled to a special emergency paid leave. For more information, click on the following link: https://www.pmalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Labor_Alert_-_Act_No__37-2020.pdf

On March 24, 2020, the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor (“WHD”) published various guidelines and questions and answers pertaining to COVID-19. For more information, click on the following link: https://www.pmalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Labor-Alert-WHD-information-03-25-20.pdf 

On March 23, 2020, the Secretary of the Department of Labor and Human Resources of Puerto Rico issued Opinion No. 2020-02, titled Applicable Provisions to Exempt Employees and Non-Exempt Employees Working in the Private Sector During the Curfew Ordered by the Governor of Puerto Rico and the New Leaves with Pay (“Opinion No. 2020-02”). For more information, click on the following link: https://www.pmalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Labor-Alert-DTRH_Opinion_2020-002-include-Op-link.pdf

House Bill 2428 was sent to La Fortaleza for Governor Vazquez’s signature. If enacted, the law will amend Article 6 of Act No. 180-1998 to provide that, in cases where the Governor or the Secretary of Health declares a state of emergency, any employee suffering or who suspects to suffer from COVID-19 that motivated the state of emergency, will be entitled to a special leave. For more information, click on the following link: https://www.pmalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LABOR_ALERT_-_CORONAVIRUS_LEGISLATION_PR_AND_USA.pdf

On March 15, 2020, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Governor Hon. Wanda Vázquez-Garced issued Executive Order OE-2020-023 to implement the necessary and temporary closure of almost all governmental and private sector operations in order to combat the effects of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and to control the risk of infection in Puerto Rico. For more information, click on the following link: https://www.pmalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LABOR-ALERT-CORONAVIRUS-EXECUTIVE-ORDER-Marzo-17.pdf

On September 30, 2019 the National Labor Relations Board issued a key decision holding that a two-day wildcat strike was not a protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act and thus, that the Employer did not violate the Act by suspending and/or terminating the strikers, CC1 Limited Partnership d/b/a Coca Cola Puerto Rico et al and Union de Tronquistas, Local 901, et al., 368 NLRB 84 (2019).  See Opinion and Order at https://apps.nlrb.gov/link/document.aspx/09031d4582d9d057. For more information, click on the following link: https://www.pmalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/LABOR_ALERT_-_NLRB_CC1_UNION_DE_TRONQUISTAS.pdf

Trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including marks registered in accordance with a convention or treaty relating to trademarks to which the United States is a party, may not be fully protected in Puerto Rico if rights owners fail to take certain key steps. For more information, click here

By: Fernando Goyco-Covas The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 grants certain United States federal income tax benefits to taxpayers that invest all or a portion of their capital gains in certain economically distressed areas of the United States (“Qualified Opportunity Zones”). For more information, please click on the following link: https://www.pmalaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Newsletter-Qualified-Opportunity-Zones.pdf

PMA founding partner Néstor Méndez becomes the first Puerto Rican elected to the Board of Trustees of the US Supreme Court Historical Society.  He also was the first Puerto Rican to preside the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association and Chair its Fellows and currently presides the Puerto Rico Supreme Court Foundation. For more information, click on the following link: Primer Puertorriqueño en presidir junta jurídica El Nuevo Día 6 21 18