Overview
Distinguished by our unsurpassed level of experience in this key area, we are Puerto Rico’s leading Distribution & Franchising practice team.
Because Puerto Rico imports most of its consumer products from the United States and other countries, manufacturers and suppliers alike depend on dealers and sales representatives to help them tap into the Puerto Rican market.
Puerto Rico has enacted two public policy laws to protect local commerce: Act 75 and Act 21. Both laws aggressively protect distributors and sales representatives by forbidding non-renewal, termination and impairment of relationships without just cause, and by providing for preliminary injunctive relief and a significant damages framework. The lawyers in our team provide comprehensive representation in Act 75 and Act 21 — from negotiating and drafting distribution and representation agreements to litigating actions under both laws. We also advise franchisors and franchisees seeking to establish franchised businesses in Puerto Rico.
Our Distribution & Franchising team includes corporate lawyers and litigators with decades of experience who are widely recognized as leading attorneys in franchise and distribution law by clients, colleagues and judges alike. Several group members are ranked by Chambers and Partners, in both its Latin America and Global Guides, and Best Lawyers.
What We Do
Our Distribution & Franchising team lawyers regularly:
- Advise on negotiations to modify or terminate relationships.
- Counsel on and draft distribution, sales representation and franchise agreements.
- Defend claims arising from distribution, franchise and sales representation agreements.
Representative Clients & Matters
- Representation of global manufacturer and seller of package and fresh pork products in federal multimillion-dollar action under Act 75 stemming from the manufacturer’s implementation of a global rationalization process.
- Representation of global tequila manufacturer with termination of local sales representative and negotiation of termination agreement.
- Representation of global manufacturer of dairy beverage, food and related products with termination of distributor and counseling on and drafting of new distribution agreement.
- Representation of global manufacturer of portable power and renewable energy products in federal multimillion-dollar collection action against its former distributor and defense of multimillion-dollar counterclaim under Act 75.
- Representation of global medical device manufacturer in federal multimillion-dollar action stemming from manufacturer’s withdrawal from the Puerto Rican market.
