Katherine Gonzalez-Valentin, Esq.
Ms. Katherine González-Valentín is a Senior Member of Ferraiuoli and Chair of its Labor and Employment Department.
Prior to joining Ferraiuoli in August 2011, she was a Special Counsel in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in Pietrantoni Méndez & Álvarez, where she worked from 2006 to 2011; she was an assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico from 2004 to 2006, an associate in McConnel Valdés’s Labor and Employment Department from 1999 to 2004; and, an associate in Shapiro & Lugo from 1998 to 1999.
Ms. González-Valentín has a solid background litigating employment law cases and counseling employers, covering areas such as discrimination, sexual harassment, disability, retaliation, constitutional rights, defamation, statutory licenses, reductions in force, wage and hours, internal investigations and unjust dismissal, to mention a few. She has considerable practical and substantive experience in both, local and federal laws concerning employment rights, compliance requirements and the broad spectrum of employment-related matters.
Ms. González-Valentín has been an active member and leader of the Federal Bar Association (“FBA”), a long-standing member of the Board of the FBA Puerto Rico Chapter and a Fellow of the Foundation of the FBA. She also provides training, actively lectures and is a speaker on a myriad of employment law issues.
Ms. González-Valentín has focused her practice in the area of labor and employment and handles claims at state and federal courts as well as administrative forums.
Some of Ms. González-Valentín’s representative cases are:
- De Jesus v. Potter, 397 F.Supp.2d 319, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25454; affirmed in part and vacated in part by De Jesus v. Potter, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 31839 (1st Cir. P.R. Dec. 27, 2006), (dismissing plaintiffs Title VII sex and national origin discrimination and disparate impact claims).
- Fontan v. Potter, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39493 (D.P.R. June 12, 2006), (dismissing plaintiff disability discrimination, hostile work environment, constructive discharge and retaliation claims).
- Franceschi v. United States Dept of Veterans Affairs, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69593, (D.P.R. Sept. 26, 2006); affirmed by Franceschi v. United States Dept of Veterans Affairs, 514 F.3d 81 (1st Cir. P.R. Jan. 30, 2008), (dismissing plaintiffs gender discrimination, hostile work environment and retaliation claims).
- Gorencavic v. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 165 Fed.Appx. 949 (2nd Cir. 2006) (denying aliens petition for review of Board of Immigration Appeals summary confirmation of denial of asylum since conditions in country of origin adequately rebutted presumption of future persecution.)
- Wilson-López v. Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5849, (District Court granted BOPs request for dismissal of writ of habeas corpus since no case or controversy existed because petitioners actions mooted relief sought).
- Arturo Alfonso Bru v. Trane Export, 2001 TSPR 129, (disclosure during discovery of income tax returns in employment litigation).
- Benjamín Ortiz Algarín v. Federal Express Corp., 56 F. Supp. 2d 172 (D. Puerto Rico 1999), (inapplicability of the compelled self publication doctrine).
Education
- Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, School of Law, J.D., 1997
- Duquesne University, B.A. in Communications and Public Relations, 1993
Bar Admissions
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
- U.S. Court of Appeals First Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships
- Puerto Rico Bar Association
- Zeta Tau Alpha Alumnae
- Pi Sigma Epsilon Business Fraternity Alumnae
- Foundation of the Federal Bar Association – Fellow
- Federal Bar Association, 1st Circuit Vice President 2011-2013
- Federal Bar Association, Hon. Raymod L. Acosta PR Chapter
- Board Member
- Immediate Past President 2010-2011
- President 2009-2010
- President Elect 2008-2009
- Vice President 2006-2008
- Director 2004-2005
- Member 1998-Present
Practicing: Labor & Employment Law and Litigation
