Reinaldo L. Figueroa-Matos

Biography

He is an accomplished trial and appellate lawyer with over a decade of experience representing private employers before state and federal courts in all aspects of labor and employment law. In addition, he represents clients in administrative proceedings before local and federal agencies such as the E.E.O.C., the N.L.R.B., the U.S. Department of Labor, the P.R. Department of Labor, and the Industrial Commission.  

Mr. Figueroa-Matos, who is ranked as one of Puerto Rico’s leading attorneys in the Labor & Employment Law field by the Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide, focuses on providing strategic and practical advice, partnering with clients to obtain results which suit their business needs and goals—whether that is victory in court, swift and amicable resolution, or any other desired outcome in between. Mr. Figueroa-Matos’s multifaceted practice encompasses a broad spectrum of sectors within the national and global economy, including pharmaceutical, manufacturing, retailers, health care, law firms, entertainment, and service.    

Besides his labor and employment litigation practice, Mr. Figueroa-Matos routinely counsels employers on a variety of day-to-day personnel matters and practices. Clients have a high regard for his responsiveness, as well as his concrete approach to problem solving. During the COVID-19 health emergency, he worked around the clock to provide unique insights and creative solutions to assist clients tackle the many complex challenges presented by the pandemic.

As a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Team, Mr. Figueroa-Matos provides legal counsel to clients during startups, acquisitions, mergers and closings of operations. He also assists clients with the preparation of employee handbooks and personnel policies, conducts employee training seminars.

Through the Firm’s Pro Bono Program, Mr. Figueroa-Matos also provides legal advice to, among others, El Centro Para Puerto Rico, a nonprofit charitable institution that boosts community self-management and promotes social and educational endeavors intended to reduce poverty and inequality, encourage the role of women in society, strengthen ethical values, support urban revitalization, and stimulate social responsibility. Mr. Figueroa-Matos also collaborated with the World Bank Group’s  “Women, Business and the Law 2022” study.

In addition to his pro bono legal work, he frequently speaks on employment-related topics before clients and numerous business organizations, including the Society for Human Resources Management. Among the topics on which Mr. Figueroa-Matos has recently lectured are: remote work policies and protocols; best practices for managing telecommuting; medical marijuana; the use of social media in internal investigations; discipline of employees for conduct outside the workplace; sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination; and electronic communications in the workplace. Mr. Figueroa-Matos is frequently invited to speak about diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, and was a guest speaker in Medtronic LATAM’s Legal Department’s webinar “Everyone is Extraordinary”, which aimed to promote diversity and inclusion within law firms.

Before attending law school, he served as Trust Officer at Banco Santander, which at the time was one of the 100 largest trusts in the U.S., and the second largest in Puerto Rico.  During his tenure at Banco Santander, he administered retirement plan trusts, personal trusts, corporate trusts, and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Representative Cases

• Rivera Alejandro v. McNeil Healthcare LLC, KLAN202100656 (Court of Appeals) (upholding trial court judgment on the pleadings in favor of employer in unjust dismissal case under Law No. 80-1976)  
• Francisco Tavera v. AstraZeneca PLC; IPR Pharmaceuticals, Inc., CA2019CV04784 (Court of First Instance) (summary judgment in favor of pharmaceutical employer in fact-intensive unjust dismissal and unpaid contractual bonus case under Law No. 80-1976 and other Puerto Rico statutes, with a six-figure potential exposure for the client)   
• Trujillo Torres v. AstraZeneca PLC; IPR Pharmaceuticals, Inc., SJ2019CV12885 (Court of First Instance) (summary judgment in favor of pharmaceutical employer in fact-intensive unjust dismissal and unpaid contractual bonus case under Law No. 80-1976 and other Puerto Rico statutes, with a six-figure potential exposure for the client)   
• Del Valle Marengo v. Janssen Ortho LLC, ADP2018-0108 (Court of First Instance)(summary judgment in favor of pharmaceutical employer in disability discrimination, failure to accommodate and unjust dismissal case under Puerto Rico laws, with a six-figure potential exposure for the client) 
• Zabala De Jesus et al. v. Sanofi Aventis Puerto Rico et al., 2018 WL 3636978 (D. Puerto Rico) (summary judgment in favor of pharmaceutical employer in seven-figure age discrimination lawsuit under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”))
• P.R. Department of Labor on behalf of Caballero Quiñones v. SNG Dialysis Center et al., C4AC2018-0015, March 19, 2019 (Court of First Instance) (summary judgment in favor of dialysis provider Fresenius in unjust dismissal claim under Law No. 80-1976)
• Vargas Medina v. Ortho Biologics LLC, et al., 2017 WL 1493749 (D. Puerto Rico) (summary judgment in favor of biopharmaceutical employer in disability retaliation lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and related Puerto Rico statutes)
• Nieves Bazán v. Quirch Foods Caribbean, Inc., KLAN2015-01529 (Court of Appeals) (affirming trial court judgment on the pleadings in favor of employer in tort lawsuit for alleged failure to make social security contributions)
• Lopez Serrano v. Janssen Ortho LLC, KPE2015-1852, April 28, 2016 (Court of First Instance) (summary judgment in favor of pharmaceutical employer in unjust dismissal and sexual harassment retaliation lawsuit under local laws)
• Nieves Sánchez v. Vention Medical Puerto Rico, Inc., 14-1927, March 31, 2016 (D. Puerto Rico) (judgment on the pleadings in favor of employer (medical devices manufacturer) in sex discrimination lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964)
• Nieves Florido v. IPR Pharmaceuticals, Inc., KPE2014-2155, June 25, 2015 (Court of First Instance) (bench trial judgment in favor of pharmaceutical employer in unjust dismissal, age discrimination, and unpaid wages lawsuit under various local laws, including Law No. 80-1976, Law No. 100-1959, and Law No. 379-1948)
• Betancourt Betancourt v. IPR Pharmaceuticals, Inc., FPE2013-0510, May 13, 2015 (Court of First Instance) (bench trial judgment in favor of pharmaceutical employer in unjust dismissal first offense lawsuit under Law No. 80-1976)
• Rodríguez Rivera v. Evertec LLC, KPE2014-2506, March 9, 2015 (Court of First Instance) (judgment on the pleadings in favor of employer (transaction processing business) in age discrimination lawsuit under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”) and local Law No. 100-1959)
• Díaz Ramírez v. Janssen Ortho LLC, G4CI2013-0328, January 22, 2015 (Court of First Instance) (bench trial judgment in favor of pharmaceutical employer in unjust dismissal lawsuit under local Law No. 80-1976)
• Lebrón Burgos v. McNeil Healthcare, LLC, H2CI2012-0251, March 14, 2014 (Court of First Instance (bench trial judgment in favor employer in unjust dismissal lawsuit under local Law No. 80-1976)
• Massa Muñoz v. Johnson & Johnson Ortho LLC, EPE2011-0198, June 25, 2013 (Court of First Instance) (summary judgment in favor of pharmaceutical employer in sex and age discrimination lawsuit under Law No. 100-1959)
• American Tugs, Inc. v. Comisión Industrial de Puerto Rico, 2013 WL 1245442 (Court of Appeals) (reversal in favor of client of Industrial Commission decision denying appellate jurisdiction to employer in claim for six figure reimbursement request of medical expenses paid to injured employee)
• Alvarado Jiménez v. Motorola Electrónica, 2010 WL 5464159 (Court of Appeals) (affirming judgment on the pleadings in favor of employer in wage and hour case involving 257 plaintiffs), 2010 WL 5464159 (Court of Appeals) (affirming judgment on the pleadings in favor of employer in wage and hour case involving 257 plaintiffs)

Practices

News & Publications