Recent judgment by the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals upholding the dismissal of the claims against Monsanto
Sepulvado, Maldonado & Couret’s Managing Principal, Elaine Maldonado-Matías, scored a significant victory on May 10, 2023, when the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals upheld the summary dismissal with prejudice of the unjustified dismissal, disability, and age discrimination claims raised by Plaintiff against Monsanto Caribe, LLC (“Monsanto”).Following the initial judgment,...
Bill 1356: To create and establish guidelines and parameters to facilitate the implementation of remote work in the private sector.
Body: P.R. House of Representatives.
Filing date: Bill 1356: May 13, 2022.
Authors: Bill 1356: representatives Rafael Hernández Montañez, Domingo J. Torres García, Jesús Santa Rodríguez, Ángel N. Matos García, and Jessie Cortés Ramos.
Status: Bill 1356: On December 7, 2022, it was sent to the Governor of Puerto Rico.
In the context of the private sector, there is...
PR Act No. 82-2022
On September 28, 2022, the Governor of Puerto Rico signed P.R. Senate Bill 217 into PR Act No. 82-2022. Act 82-2022 amends Puerto Rico’s sexual harassment statute (PR Act No. 17-1988, as amended) to cover interns carrying out work for educational or training purposes, regardless of compensation and to require employers to establish a protocol for sexual harassment investigation purposes....
Sepulvado, Maldonado & Couret Obtains Summary Judgment in Favor of Best Seasonings Group, Inc. in Trademark Infringement Action
On
September 23, 2022, Sepulvado, Maldonado & Couret obtained summary judgment
in favor of Best Seasonings Group, Inc. in an action commenced by Especias
Montero, Inc. for trademark infringement and unfair competition under federal
and Puerto Rico law, as well as for unjust...
The Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico is seeking the nullification of Act No. 41-2022, commonly known as the New Labor Reform.
On September 1, 2022, the Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico (FOMB) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico against Puerto Rico’s Governor Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia (Governor) requesting a declaratory and injunctive relief and the nullification of Act 41-2022, commonly known as the New Labor Reform. Act No. 41-2022 was signed into law by...
Jessica Asencio Plaza v. Monsanto Caribe, et al., Civil No. PO2018CV00955 (601) (Puerto Rico Court of First Instance, Ponce Part)
Partner Elaine Maldonado and Senior Associate Aurivette Deliz win summary judgment motion in favor of Monsanto Caribe, LLC. Plaintiff filed a complaint before the Puerto Rico Court of First Instance alleging unjustified dismissal, disability and age discrimination against Monsanto Caribe and her temporary agency. On June 2, 2022, the Court of First Instance issued Judgment dismissing with...
Birthday celebrations at work: yay or nay?
Gravity Diagnostics (”GD”) would answer nay given that a Kentucky jury awarded an employee (that worked there for about 10 months) a $450,000 compensation after GD celebrated the employee’s birthday party at work.
The employee suffered from an anxiety disorder and feared that he would suffer a panic attack from all the attention on his birthday. He asked his boss not to celebrate the same...
A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion suggest that the fate of abortion could rely on each State.
A leaked majority opinion, dated February 2022, published by Politico, and drafted by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, would overturn the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that established a constitutional right to abortion in the United States: Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (“Roe”).
On May 3, 2022, the authenticity of the leaked draft was confirmed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts...
Bill 3617: The MORE ACT could decriminalize marijuana under federal law and introduce social and criminal reforms
Body: U.S. House of Representatives.Filing date: May 28, 2021.Author: representative Jerrold Nadler.
Status: On April 1, 2022, it was approved by the House of Representatives. On April 4, 2022, it was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Jerrold Nadler, the bill’s chief sponsor, recognizes that the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana,...
Bill 0951: Maternity leave calculation could exclude weekends and holidays, meaning employer’s compensation could be higher
Body: P.R. House of Representatives.Filing date: August 30, 2021.Author: representative Denis Márquez Lebrón.
Status: On March 21, 2022, it was approved by the House of Representatives and sent to the Senate. On March 29, 2022, it was referred to the Women’s Affairs Commission and to the Human Rights and Labor Affairs Commission.
Act No. 3 of March 13, 1942, as amended, known...