Carlos J. Saavedra-Gutiérrez is of counsel in the San Juan office of Jackson Lewis, PC and has over 10 years of experience in both the private and public sector. Before the age of 35, Carlos held several senior leadership positions within the Government of Puerto Rico.
From 2017 to 2019, Carlos was the youngest Puerto Rico secretary of Labor and Human Resources. As secretary, Saavedra oversaw the implementation of a private sector labor reform that amended and modernized most employment laws and workplace regulations in Puerto Rico. During 2019, Carlos served as general counsel to the governor of Puerto Rico, advising the Governor on all legal matters, including analyzing legislation, drafting executive orders, and supervising all public policy related litigation in state and federal court. Later, Carlos was chief legal officer of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, managing and supervising the legal strategy of the Puerto Rico Title III bankruptcy-like proceedings under the PROMESA Act. As chief legal officer, he also supervised and led the restructuring negotiations of over $70 billion in debt across 17 different issuers in Puerto Rico.
Previously, Carlos served as a field attorney in Region 12 of the National Labor Relations Board, investigating charges of unfair labor practices, litigating cases, and conducting elections to determine union preferences. Prior to joining the NLRB, he was an associate in the employment and labor law department of a large law firm in Puerto Rico, where he handled several labor and employment law matters, including cases of unjustified terminations, national origin discrimination and American with Disabilities Act claims, obtaining several victories at the summary judgment stage of litigation. Carlos also provided counseling to corporate clients in matters of business immigration, including acquiring work visas, and preparation of visa petitions, including L-1 visas for intracompany transferees.
Carlos began his legal career in the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, serving three years as law clerk to Associate Justice Mildred G. Pabón-Charneco.
More Legal and Business Bylines From Carlos J. Saavedra-Gutiérrez
- Puerto Rico Special Paid Leave Activated for Dengue Fever State of Emergency - (Posted On Wednesday, March 27, 2024)
- Federal Court Strikes Down Amendments to Puerto Rico 2017 Employment Law Reform - (Posted On Tuesday, March 07, 2023)
- Puerto Rico Expands Coverage of Sexual Harassment Law, Requires Employers to Adopt a Protocol - (Posted On Tuesday, October 04, 2022)
- Litigation Filed in Federal Court Seeks to Nullify Recent Amendments to Puerto Rico Employment Laws - (Posted On Tuesday, September 06, 2022)
- Amendments to Puerto Rico 2017 Employment Law Reform Employers Need to Know - (Posted On Wednesday, June 22, 2022)
- Major Rollbacks to Puerto Rico 2017 Employment Law Reform Loom on the Horizon - (Posted On Friday, February 25, 2022)
- Puerto Rico Expands COVID-19 Booster Requirement, Limits Operation Capacity of Certain Businesses - (Posted On Monday, January 03, 2022)
- Puerto Rico: COVID-19 Boosters Required for Workers in Healthcare, Educational Settings - (Posted On Tuesday, December 28, 2021)
- Puerto Rico Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements to Cover Certain Commercial Establishments - (Posted On Wednesday, December 22, 2021)
- Puerto Rico Expands Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination to Private Employers With at Least 50 Employees - (Posted On Tuesday, November 16, 2021)