Carlos A. Rodríguez-Vidal
- Managing Member and Chair, Litigation and Trial Practice
Location:
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Phone:
Fax:
(787) 767-9333
Email:
Carlos A. Rodríguez-Vidal, a Capital Member, has practiced as a trial attorney and litigator in civil and commercial cases in the Litigation and Trial Practice Department of the firm since 1983, and is the Firm's Managing Member. He chairs the department since 2000. His daily work currently revolves around disputes involving franchise, distribution and sales representation contracts, construction and various other types of civil and commercial contracts. Because of the nature of Puerto Rico's continuously evolving economy and legal landscape, Mr. Rodríguez-Vidal has also worked over the years in diverse areas of substantive and procedural law, including federal practice and procedure, banking, government procurement and bids, product liability, insurance, antitrust, intellectual property, and petroleum marketing practices.
Bar Admissions
- Puerto Rico, 1983
- District of Columbia, 1989
- New York, 2012
- U.S. District Court District of Puerto Rico, 1984
- U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit, 1984
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 2005
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2016
Education
- Columbia Law School, New York, New York
- J.D. - 1982
- Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania
- B.A. - 1979
- Honors: Jose Padin Scholar, Four-year merit scholarship
- Major: Philosophy and Spanish
Published Works
- The Concept of Just Cause for the Lawful Termination of a Dealership, 58 Rev. Jur. U.P.R. 261, 58:2 (1989)
- Puerto Rico chapter in Franchise Deskbook: Selected State Laws, Commentary, and Annotations, 3rd ed., Appleby, Garner, and Satterlee, ed., Forum on Franchising, American Bar Association (2019)
- Puerto Rico chapter in Covenants Against Competition in Franchise Agreements, 3rd ed., Gray and McKnew, ed., Forum on Franchising, American Bar Association (2012)
Representative Cases
- Skytec, Inc. v. Logistic Systems, Inc., 2019 WL 1271459 (D.P.R. 2019)(BJM), 2019, D.P.R. September 12, 2018, 4372726
- GPS Distrib., Inc. v. Powermax Battery (USA), Inc., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132742, 13395, 2016, D.P.R.
- In re Puerto Rican Cabotage Antitrust Litig., 269 F.R.D. 125, 2010, D.P.R.
- P.R. Surgical Techs., Inc. v. Applied Med. Distrib. Corp., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114068 , 2010, D.P.R.
- N.Y. Wiping & Indus. Prod. Co. v. Rocky Brands, Inc., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77829 , 2009, D.P.R.
- Junta de Directores Condominio Portofino v. P.D.C.M. Assocs. , 173 D.P.R. 455, 2008, D.P.R.
- Ambrosia Coal Construction Co. v. Pages, 482 F.3d 1309, 2007, 11th Cir.
- F.C. Bloxom Co. v. Dee Produce Corp., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2050, 2007, D.P.R.
- Castellanos-Bayouth v. P.R. Bar Ass'n, 483 F.Supp.2d 167, 508 F.Supp.2d 146, 2007, D.P.R.
- Able Sales Co., Inc. v. Mead Johnson P.R., Inc., 420 F.Supp.2d 1, 2006, D.P.R.
- Ortiz Bou v. Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, 382 F.Supp.2d 293, 2005, D.P.R.
- Scotiabank v. Residential Partners, S.E., 350 F.Supp. 2d 334, 2004, D.P.R.
- In re Atlantic Pipe Corp., 304 F.3d 135, 2002, 1st Cir.
- Seahorse Marine Supplies, Inc. v. P.R. Sun Oil Co., 295 F.3d 68, 2002, 1st Cir.
- V.Suárez & Co., Inc. v. Dow Brands, Inc. , 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7880, 2002, D.P.R.
- Romero v. Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico, 154 D.P.R. 370, 2001, D.P.R.
- PRASA v. Constructora Lluch, Inc., 169 F.3d 68, 1999, 1st Cir.
- Santiago v. Executive Airlines, Inc., 1999 U.S. App. LEXIS 34281, 1999, 1st Cir.
- Schneider v. Colegio de Abogados de P.R., 947 F. Supp. 34, 1996, D.P.R.
- In re Dupont-Benlate litigation, 877 F.Supp. 779, 1995, D.P.R.
- Puerto Rico Sun Oil Co. v. U.S. EPA, 8 F.3d 73, 1993, 1st Cir.
- Santiago v. Group Brasil, Inc., 830 F.2d 413, 1987, 1st Cir.
Classes/Seminars Taught
- Trial and Appellate Practice: Litigation Skills Workshop, University of Puerto Rico Law School, Winter Session, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2018-19 (with Prof. Nilda Navarro and Prof. Alicia Figueroa)
- NITA Trial Skills, University of Puerto Rico Law School, San Juan, Puerto Rico, June, 2014
- Building your Civil Trial Skills, National Business Institute, 2009 to 2009
- First Symposium on Torts, Interamerican University Law School Continuing Legal Education Program, 2008 to 2008
- Puerto Rico Comparative Civil Trial Skills and Strategies, National Business Institute, 2008 to 2008
- Third Symposium on Evidence Law and Litigation, Interamerican University Law School Continuing Legal Education Program, 2006 to 2006
- Second Symposium on Evidence Law and Litigation, Interamerican University Law School Continuing Legal Education Program, 2004 to 2004
- Depositions in Civil Cases, Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico Annual Convention, 2004 to 2004
- Litigation and Disputes Over Construction in Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico Law School Trust
- First Symposium on Evidence Law and Litigation, Interamerican University Law School Continuing Legal Education Program, 2002 to 2002
- Dealer's Contracts Act Litigation, University of Puerto Rico Law School Trust, 2001 to 2001
- Retention of Experts and Presentation of Expert Testimony on Calculation of Damages in Civil Cases, University of Puerto Rico Law School Trust, 2000 to 2000
- Workshop on Depositions in Civil Cases, University of Puerto Rico Law School Trust, 1999 to 1999
- Construction Law in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Bar Association and Puerto Rico Engineers and Surveyors Association, 1998 to 1998
- Workshop on Depositions in Civil Cases, University of Puerto Rico Law School Trust, 1998 to 1998
- Courtroom Presentations Program, National Institute of Trial Advocacy and Arthur Andersen LLP, St. Charles, Illinois, 1996 to 1996
- Courtroom Presentations Program, St. Charles, Illinois, 1995 to 1995
- Discovery of Evidence, Continuing Legal Education Seminar at Puerto Rico Bar Association, 1994 to 1994
- Local Rules of United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico - Bar Review Course, Legal Training and Research Institute (Instituto de Aprendizaje e Investigacion Juridica), 1989 to 1989
- Federal Rules of Evidence - Bar Review Course, Legal Training and Research Institute (Instituto de Aprendizaje e Investigacion Juridica), 1989 to 1989
- Personal Jurisdiction in Product Liability Cases, Puerto Rico Bar Association, 1988 to 1988
- Anatomy of a Civil Trial, Puerto Rico Bar Association, 1987 to 1987
Honors and Awards
- Puerto Rico Bar Association Member of the Year
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico, 1983 to Present
- American Bar Association, 1994 to Present
- ABA House of Delegates, 1995 to Present
- ABA House of Delegates, Board of Governors, 2010 to 2013
- American Bar Foundation, Fellow, State Chair, 2003 to Present
- Puerto Rico Law Institute, 2005 to Present
Pro Bono Activities
- Chair, Board of Directors, Oficina Legal de la Comunidad, Inc., 1993 to Present
- Board of Managers, Haverford College, 1998 to 2010
- Board of Directors, Center for Investigative Journalism, 2010 to Present
- Board of Directors, Center for Investigative Journalism, Chair, 2014 - Present
- Legal Advisor - Ad Honorem, Civil Rights Commission of Puerto Rico, 1985 to 1988
Languages
- Spanish
- English