MARICHAL - Key Persons
Reyes Sánchez obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Amanda M. Castillo Casiano is an attorney-at-law with experience in Federal and Local Taxation, Administrative, Contracts, and Corporate Law. She joined MHSJ in September 2021.
During her years as a practicing attorney, she has worked with Corporate and Individual clients, assisting them with the preparation, negotiation and filing of tax exemption applications before the Department of Economic Development and Commerce of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, and with the corresponding follow up and compliance for the tax exemption decrees. She has also assisted clients in their general compliance with the Puerto Rico Department of State, Puerto Rico Department of Treasury, Puerto Rico General Services Administration, Comptroller's Office, Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources, Puerto Rico Municipal Revenue Collection Center, State's Insurance Fund Corporation, Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, Department of Consumer Affairs, several municipalities Permits Offices, and the Puerto Rico Department of Health, among others.
While working on her Juris Doctor, Castillo-Casiano began her career in the Asset and Wealth Management New York Metro Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the Investment Management division working in the federal, state, and local tax compliance of Private Equity Funds and Hedge Funds.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Attorney - at - Law
Dianne M. Rivera Fuentes is an attorney-at-law and notary public with more than six years of experience in Taxation, with an emphasis on federal, state and local tax legislations. She has been an associate attorney at MHSJ since 2015 and currently focuses on commercial, construction, and general civil practice areas with specialization in Corporate and Tax Law.
Rivera counsels and assists business and individual clients with local, state, and federal tax matters. This includes the preparation of tax forms, the design of tax-efficient structures and compliance work, tax planning and tax minimization strategies, and sales and use tax.
Rivera represents clients and assists in competent authority proceedings before multiple governmental dependencies and agencies, including the Puerto Rico Treasury Department and the United States Internal Revenue Service. Her practice areas also include litigation in state court and administrative forums, in areas such as construction, torts, collections and general civil litigation.
Prior to joining MHSJ, Rivera spent over three years working at one of the largest multinational accounting firms as an attorney and tax consultant. In this role, she specialized in tax compliance and consulting areas. During her tenure, Rivera participated in the organization's internal project ‘'RCO'' as a bank auditor/loan reviewer. She also worked on the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) team at JP Morgan Chase & Co. in New York City, pursuant the Regulatory Consent Order.
Job Titles:
- Attorney - at - Law and Certified Public Accountant
Josué A. Rodríguez Robles is an attorney-at- law and certified public accountant with more than 19 years of experience in Tax, Litigation, Estate Planning, Civil Practice, Contracts, Administrative and Corporate Law. He has been a capital member at MHSJ since 2012.
In addition to Trial and Tax Counseling, he counsels privately held businesses on a broad range of transactions including mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, drafting contracts and corporate documents, tax and general planning, contract performance auditing and consulting engagements.
Prior to his current role, Rodríguez was a licensed attorney and notary public with Marichal & Hernández (currently MHSJ) where he spent more than 13 years engaging in trial practice and appellate procedure, as well as civil law before local courts and government entities such as the Puerto Rico Treasury Department, the Governmental Ethics Office and the CRIM. He has provided litigation support before the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First District.
Rodríguez joined Marichal & Hernández in 1998 as a law clerk, where he assisted in general legal actions conducting legal research, drafting memorandums, complaints, deeds, and other documents. He started his career in accounting with Horwath Vélez Sémprit & Co. as a staff auditor. In this role, he assisted in all aspects of audit cycles, including revenue, expenditure, productive assets, financial management, prepayments and accrual, inventory observation, preparation of financial statements and special reports.
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Attorney - at - Law
- Secretary of the Department of Corrections
Mr. Negrón-Fernández is an attorney-at-law with over twenty (20) years of experience in labor and employment law, general civil litigation, arbitration and counseling. Among his professional background, attorney Negrón-Fernández served as a Superior Court Judge and is currently certified to serve as Arbitrator and Neutral Evaluator.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Counsel
- Attorney - at - Law
Karina Murati Ferrer is an attorney-at-law and public notary with more than 13 years of experience in civil and commercial litigation, practicing in the areas of Civil Rights Violations, Eminent Domain, Contractual disputes, Debt Collections and Foreclosures, General Torts, Corporate matters, and Criminal representing both government and private entities.
Ms. Murati has experience representing government entities and employees in civil rights, torts, contracts, eminent domain, employment law and sexual discrimination cases among others. This experience includes matters involving breach of contracts, drafting contracts, defended employees against discrimination violations. She also handles general liability claims, Professional Malpractice, Casualty, and Personal Injury. Ms. Murati was a Special Prosecutor for four (4) years where she handled complex cases before the state courts at all levels, including jury trials and homicide cases investigations. Some of the criminal cases attended by her included drunk driving, domestic violence, children assault cases, and homicides. She was also the Domestic Violence coordinator for the Fajardo Region, were she advised law enforcement personnel and crime victims. She has defended multiple cases with successful results.
During her law school years, Ms. Murati clerked for two years at the offices of Biaggi, Rachid and Godreau, where she assisted in bankruptcy and medical malpractice investigations. She was member of the Federal Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.
Luis Juarbe-Jiménez is an attorney-at- law with more than 20 years of experience in complex litigation cases involving construction, banking, insurance and contract matters for both private and public clients. He has successfully handled a myriad of legal matters for, against and involving general contractors, construction managers, design builders, subcontractors, suppliers, architects, engineers, owners, lenders, sureties and insurance carriers.
Juarbe regularly represents banks and bank officers in a variety of claims including lender liability, breach of duty, negligence, breach of contract and multi-million- dollar collection actions. He has significant experience in litigation, representing assuming banks in claims arising from distressed and failed banking institutions and claims brought by the FDIC.
Mario E. Dávila Acevedo has been an associate attorney at MHSJ since 2017, where he practices Civil Litigation, Corporate Law and Notary Law. He joined MHSJ with more than 10 years of diverse experience in brand management and marketing. In 2010 he began working as a brand manager in the liquors department at Méndez & Company, one of Puerto Rico's largest food and beverage distributors. As brand manager, Dávila expanded the company's beer portfolio, where he gained in depth experience at distribution law. In this role he was responsible for handling the distribution agreements for several beer and spirits brands, ensuring compliance with local laws.
Dávila started his career in marketing, where he worked at SMGPR, administrators of the Coliseo de Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Convention Center. While at SMGPR, Dávila managed contract negotiations for venue sponsorship agreements and VIP suites value at more than $15 million in annual revenue.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Corporate Attorney
María Cecilia Santos is a corporate attorney and Notary Public for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Her practice is mainly focused on general corporate matters, mergers and acquisitions, contracts and tax incentives. She enjoys learning about her clients' businesses and operations and navigates clients through business transactions, the requirements of doing business in Puerto Rico and other legal matters related to such businesses. She has represented buyers, sellers and other parties in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions in industries ranging from healthcare, tourism and hospitality, software development, housing for the elderly, small personal loans and other financial services, cannabis and others. In addition, she has assisted clients in the process of obtaining licenses for regulated businesses and with applications for tax incentives. She has also advised government and private parties with respect to procurement and contracting laws and requirements of the Government of Puerto Rico and the Government of the United States of America.
María Cecilia joined Marichal Hernández Santiago & Juarbe LLC in 2021. She brings experience from other firms in San Juan Puerto Rico where she worked as an associate attorney and as a law clerk, a position in which she held through law school. Before entering law school, María Cecilia worked as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Attorney at Law
- Adjunct Professor at the Caribbean Theological University
Mr. Rangel-Rosas is an attorney at law, and active Notary-Republic. His experience encompasses a broad range of civil litigation at both state and federal levels which include Labor Law; Civil Rights and Constitutional Law, Real Property Claims; Trade Mark and Trade Dress Claims in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico; Breach of Contract Claims; Torts and Liability Cases, including medical malpractice claims, hospital liability and medical privileges disputes. Mr. Rangel-Rosas has successfully tried numerous jury and bench trail cases in these areas. Mr. Rangel-Rosas further has extensive experience in Insurance Claims Disputes and policy contract interpretation, as well as in the areas of Administrative Law Practice handling cases regarding Condominium Law, Department of Consumer Affairs and Vehicle Warranty Claims.
Mr. Rangel-Rosas also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Caribbean Theological University, in Trujillo Alto, where he teaches both at the Bachelor and Master's Degree levels.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Attorney - at - Law and Certified Public Accountant
Natalia E. Galíndez-Velázquez is an attorney-at- law and certified public accountant with significant practicing experience in the fields of Taxation, Litigation, Estate Planning, Civil Practice, Contracts, Administrative and Corporate law. She has been an associate attorney and tax consultant at MHSJ since 2015. Galíndez-Velázquez provides counsel to privately held businesses on a broad range of issues, including mergers and acquisitions, the drafting of contracts and corporate documents, tax and general planning, contract performance audits and consulting as well as the due diligence process.
She has assisted clients in tax audits and negotiations before the Puerto Rico Treasury Department and local municipalities. Galíndez-Velázquez assists clients with the preparation, negotiation and filing of tax exemption applications before the Department of Economic Development and Commerce of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company.
While working towards her Juris Doctor degree, Galíndez-Velázquez served as an educational instructor in the Puerto Rico Supreme Court from 2012 to 2014. As an educational instructor, she assisted in establishing and developing the Civil Rights Educational Program of the Court, while serving as a liaison to the public. Previously, Galíndez-Velázquez interned in the Office of the Governor, Labor Advisors Divisions where she researched and evaluated international labor legislation as part of an effort to streamline and improve local labor laws and practices.
Job Titles:
- Founding Member
- Attorney - at - Law and Certified Accountant
Pedro Hernández Reyes is an attorney-at-law and certified accountant with more than 38 years of experience in Estate Planning, Tax and Corporate Law, Commercial Law and Succession Law with emphasis on Puerto Rico, federal and local tax legislations. In 1983 he co-founded Marichal & Hernández (now MHSJ) and has since counseled and assisted a wide variety of businesses, institutional and individual clients in the various practice areas. He has extensive experience assisting clients in tax audits and negotiations before the Puerto Rico Treasury Department and local municipalities, as well as providing tax advice, structuring estate and business operating strategies.
Hernández has participated in the conceptualization and drafting of various Puerto Rico tax laws and their regulations as Member of the Drafting Committee for the Tax Reform of the Puerto Rico Tax Code of 2011, and the ‘Act to Transform the Tax System of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico [P de la C 2329]' partially enacted as Act 72-2015 and Act 159-2015.
Hernández started his career in 1974 working as audit senior at the Audit Division of Arthur Andersen & Co. He later then joined Laventhol & Horwath as tax supervisor, where he specialized in Tax and Commercial Law.
Throughout his career Hernández has served on a number of boards and committees. Currently he is secretary of the board of directors of FRG, Inc., holding company of the Ferré Rangel Group. Previously Hernández served as the chairman of the Rules and Regulations Committee of the Puerto Rico CPA State Society, president of the Board of Appeals of the Offices of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico (1989-1992), and president of the Board of Accounting of Puerto Rico (1997-1999).
He regularly lectures on various tax matters, including several Tax Reform Forums, Civil and Tax Trusts aspects and other seminars offered by the Puerto Rico CPA State Society. From 1978 to 1980 he was an Accounting and Audit Professor at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, Hato Rey Campus.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
Rafael M. Santiago-Rosa is an attorney with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of Corporate, Tax and Commercial Law, as well as litigation in the aforesaid practice areas, both in local and federal courts. Santiago-Rosa has been the managing member of MHSJ since 2006.
He started his career in 1992 as a law clerk with Marichal & Hernandez (currently MHSJ), and since then has uninterruptedly worked for the firm in several capacities. Mr. Santiago-Rosa has structured, negotiated and documented a wide array of transactions, including private placements of corporate debt and other securities, asset sales and purchases, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholder agreements and commercial loans.
He has also successfully represented corporations, financial institutions, partnerships, governmental entities, individuals, borrowers, lenders and issuers, with respect to commercial, tax and/or corporate law issues before federal and local courts, both at trial and appellate levels.
In addition to his role as managing member at MHSJ, Santiago-Rosa serves as secretary of the board of directors of the majority of the legal entities comprising the Ferré Rangel Group, the largest media conglomerate in Puerto Rico. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of Flexitank Inc., PRSoft, Inc. and Fundación Agenda Ciudadana, Inc.
Vanessa Medina Romero is an attorney-at- law and public notary with more than 16 years of experience in Employment Law, General Civil and Commercial Trial Practice and Corporate Law. Medina started her career with Marichal & Hernández, the predecessor of MHSJ. Since then she has worked for the firm uninterruptedly, becoming an income member, and in 2015 a capital member.
Throughout her career Medina has provided legal assistance in the preparation and revision of employment manuals and offered general advice in employment practice to different types of companies in Puerto Rico.
She has successfully defended employers in labor employment claims filed before the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources and Puerto Rico's courts including unjust dismissal, age discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, workmen's compensation claims.
Her practice areas include litigation of complex civil and commercial issues both in state and federal courts, as well as administrative agencies.
Medina's experience in the corporate area includes negotiating and drafting shareholders' agreements, stock and asset purchase agreements, operating agreements, and other corporate/commercial agreements. She has experience in litigation different types of corporate matters including shareholders, directors/officers disputes.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Attorney - at - Law
Verónica N. Vélez Acevedo is an attorney-at-law with more than a decade of experience. Throughout her career, she has counseled and assisted top level management executives in the public and private sectors regarding government affairs, drafting legislative and regulation proposals and public policy advocacy.