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Civil and Commercial Litigation

Litigation in the Commonwealth and Federal courts and administrative government agencies.

Litigation is at the core of JGL practice. For over 50 years, our local and international clients have trusted JGL due to our excellent reputation in counseling and solving disputes in the most comprehensive, expeditious, and cost-effective manner possible. We firmly believe that an early assessment of the issues involved, and our ability to litigate successfully, if necessary, often leads to solutions outside the courtroom. We also counsel our clients to consider other approaches or use different forms of alternate dispute resolution when appropriate.

Fire/explosion at Capeco Tank Storage Facility, in October 2009.

The Firm has extensive experience in handling complex litigation. Examples of complex, multidistrict, mass tort litigation in which our office has participated are:  the Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire Litigation; Rio Piedras Gas Pipeline Explosion Litigation; Tobacco Class Action Litigation; Benlate Litigation; the Morris J. Berman Oil Spill Litigation; the Capeco Refinery Explosion Litigation; the Puerto Rican Multi-District Cabotage Antitrust Litigation; and the Caribbean Fantasy Fire Litigation.

The scope of matters handled by the Civil and Commercial Litigation attorneys include:

  • Administrative Proceedings
  • Apellate-State and Federal
  • Antitrust
  • Asbestos Litigation
  • Certificates of Convenience and Necessity
  • Class actions
  • Commercial
  • Construction
  • Contracts
  • Copyrights, Patents and Trademarks
  • Distribution, Franchising and Licensing litigation
  • Environmental
  • Health Law
  • Insurance Defense
  • Labor and Employment
  • Maritime
  • Mass Tort Litigation
  • Medical Malpractice
  • Multi District Litigation (MDL)
  • Oil Pollution
  • Regulated Markets
  • Tobacco Litigation
  • Transportation
  • Personal Injury
  • Products Liability
  • Property Damage and Loss
  • Civil RICO

At JGL, litigation is managed with a team approach, ensuring that the right attorney, with the proper expertise and experience, is assigned to each case and task. The team approach includes our clients and consultants to facilitate understanding all areas of the controversy to achieve a rapid and effective solution to the problem.

  • Alberic Colón Auto Sales, Inc. v. General Motors Corp.

    Civil No. KAC 97-0854

    Defense of manufacturer under Puerto Rico distributor protection statute.

  • Campos-Matos v. Hospital del Maestro Inc.

    208 F. Supp.2d 170 (D.P.R. 2002)

    Applying state law, U.S. District Court ruled that, after the voluntary dismissal of a medical malpractice case, subsequent communications between the attorneys for plaintiffs and defendants did not toll the one year statute of limitation and therefore dismissed all claims.

  • Commonwealth of Puerto Rico v. The S.S. ZOE COLOCOTRONI

    628 F.2d 652 (1st Cir. 1980)

    Leading case on measure of damages for environmental claims.

  • Daniels Recio v. Hospital del Maestro

    109 F.3d 88 (1st Cir. 1997)

    Court applied state law doctrine that considers physicians with admission privileges at a Hospital as independent contractor, exempting the Hospital from liability.

  • In re Cape Bruny Tankschiffarts GMBH and Co. KG

    Civil No. 10-1337 (USDC-PR 2009)

    Shipowners Limitation of Liability action involving over 4,000 claims as consequence of explosion/fire in tank farm storage facility.

  • In re DuPont-Benlate Litigation

    Civil No. 92-2363 (D.P.R.)

    Successful prosecution of claims against manufacturer for damage to crops caused by fungicide.

  • In re Puerto Rico Cabotage Antitrust Litigation

    Civil No. 08 MD 1960 (USDC-PR 2008)

    Multi-district antitrust litigation involving US Flag carriers in the United States/Puerto Rico trade.

  • In re Rio Piedras Explosion Litigation

    Civil No. 96‐2443

    Member of Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee from 1996‐2001; gas explosion, 33 people killed and 69 injured.

  • In re San Juan Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire Litigation

    MDL No. 721 (D.P.R. 1988)

    Member of Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee; fire in hotel resulting in 97 deaths and 100 injured.

  • Nieto - Vicenty v. Valledor

    22 F. Supp.3d 153 (D.P.R. 2014)

    Obtained Summary Judgment dismissal of all claims against marina in case filed by passengers of sunken tourist charter vessel. Court ruled that marina was not liable for purported negligence of operator and owners of vessel and plaintiff failed to establish elements of cause of action.

  • TAG/ICIB Services Inc. v. Pan American Grain Co.

    215 F.3d 172 (1st Cir.2000)

    Defining statute of limitations in demurrage cases; construing provisions of ICCTA of 1995.

  • Trailer Marine Transport v. Rivera Vázquez

    977 F.2d 1 (1st Cir. 1992)

    The dormant commerce clause of the Constitution of the United States applies to Puerto Rico.

  • United States v. Rivera

    131 F.3d 222 (1st Cir. 1998)

    On en banc rehearing, the conviction against the general manager of tugboat managing company for allegedly knowingly sending a vessel to sea in an unseaworthy condition likely to endanger the life of an individual was reversed for failure by the U.S. government to prove basic elements of the criminal offense.