Arturo J. García is attorney of McConnell Valdés LLC. He has developed a general civil and commercial litigation practice with emphasis in insurance litigation, franchise and distribution laws, constitutional law, contractual disputes, and trusts and estates litigation.
He also has significant experience in government and legislative affairs, municipal financing, and has dealt with many bankruptcy matters. In 2008 he participated as counselor for Governor Luis Fortuño’s Transition Committee and was a member of Governor Fortuño’s Talent Selection Committee.
Mr. García-Solá is ranked as one of Puerto Rico’s Leading Attorneys in the Dispute Resolution field by the renowned international publication Chambers & Partners in both its Global and its Latin America Guides. He is also ranked in the Arbitration and Mediation field of The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide.
As a litigator, he practices extensively before the federal courts, both at trial and appellate levels, and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. García-Solá has argued three times before the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, the highest court in Puerto Rico which allows oral arguments only in few cases of significant public interest and has appeared many times before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
His litigation practice has ranged from handling complex settlement negotiations to leading the litigation strategy in administrative proceedings before Puerto Rico’s Department of the Treasury.
Mr. García-Solà recently made an oral argument before Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court as Amicus Curiae on behalf of three hospitality industry clients in a certification to the Puerto Rico Supreme Court made by the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico in Watchtower Bible Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Santa Isabel, Civil No. 04-1452(GAG). In this case, the District Court certified to the Puerto Rico Supreme Court the question of whether private roads are permitted under Puerto Rico law.
He represented Abertis Infraestructuras S.A., a Spanish infrastructure, airports, and telecommunications management company, in two highly visible matters: its negotiations with the government of Puerto Rico for the management contracts of certain toll roads and bridges and with respect to a dispute arising from an earn-out provision in an agreement for the purchase and sale of a stake in a special partnership operating a toll bridge in Puerto Rico.
In addition, he advised the University of Puerto Rico with respect to the management of the legal issues stemming from numerous students riots against the authorities which shut-down the University during several months. Mr. García designed a comprehensive legal strategy that eventually allowed University officials to broker an agreement in court allowing the re-opening of the Island-wide University system, saving the University from financial default and millions of dollars in potential, related losses.
He initiated his career clerking for the Hon. Juan M. Pérez-Giménez, then Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, from September 1983 until October 1985, when he joined the Firm’s Litigation Practice Group.
Mr. García-Solá served as President of the Federal Bar Association’s Puerto Rico Chapter in 2001. He has served as member of various Merit Selection Panels that assisted the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico in selecting magistrate judges for the court. He has also been a member of the First Circuit Judicial Conference Planning Committee.
He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Museum of Art.
BAR ADMISSIONS:
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- U.S. District Court District of Puerto Rico
- U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
EDUCATION:
- BA, Columbia University, 1980
- JD, Columbia Law School, 1983
MEMBERSHIPS:
- Federal Bar Association
- Fellow of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association
Cost
Rate : $$$