The United States House of Representatives bill H.R. 5278, called the “Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act” and known by its acronym PROMESA, was signed into law by President Barack Obama on June 30, 2016.

 

The law, which among other things imposes a federal Fiscal Control Board on Puerto Rico, affects all areas of our legal, economic, and social order, as it places in the hands of seven unelected individuals the power to review, modify, or revoke the laws that will define Puerto Rico's economic and social future. This disrupts the way the Constitution works, further undermining the limited democratic sphere of Puerto Ricans.

 

For the past 28 years, the Emmanuelli C.S.P. Law Firm has maintained its commitment to informing the community about legal and economic issues. Reaffirming that commitment, its partners, Rolando Emmanuelli Jiménez and Yasmín Colón Colón, analyze in detail in this work the provisions of the Act, in order to define the impact it will have on all aspects of our lives as a people. The authors' straightforward explanation of the content of the law serves as a basis for the beginning of the debate to adequately answer the question: What is the path or strategy that Puerto Rico should follow to deal with the application of this law?

​

The paperback version of the book is available at Biblioservices in Ponce and San Juan (www.biblioservices.com). The electronic version is available on Apple's iTunes store in the iBooks format and on Amazon.com in the Kindle format. It will soon be published on Amazon.com and in paperback by Editorial Situm in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

About the Authors:

 

Rolando Emmanuelli Jiménez, JD, LLM

 

Rolando Emmanuelli Jiménez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He completed his pre-university studies in that city and his bachelor's degree at the Río Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1983, with a concentration in Political Science.

 

He continued his legal studies at the University's School of Law and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree, Magna Cum Laude, in 1986. At that institution, he was a student representative on the Student Council and a Student Academic Senator representing his fellow students. In 1986, he received the Pedro Albizu Campos Award, given to the student most outstanding in the defense of student rights.

​

In 1992, he obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the Center for Advanced Legal Studies at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in San Juan, where he received the Academic Excellence Award and the Most Outstanding Student Award in the General Concentration of the Master of Laws Program.

 

He has been a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law and the Eugenio María de Hostos Law School in Mayagüez. At Hostos, he was a founding member and associate professor. In addition, he was associate dean, trustee, and chairman of the board of trustees.

 

As a professor, he taught courses in the areas of Evidence Law, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Constitutional Law, Legal Aid Clinic, and Legal Informatics. He has published several articles on legal topics in specialized journals and hundreds in various newspapers.

​

He published the first edition of the Puerto Rican Evidence Law Handbook in 1994, which was awarded Legal Work of the Year by the Puerto Rico Bar Association in 1995 and is used as a textbook in law schools and specialized criminology and forensic science programs.

 

The second edition of the Handbook was published in August 2005, and the third in 2010. In 2012, he published the Compendium of Puerto Rican Evidence Law, aimed at high school students and aspiring lawyers.

 

The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico appointed Mr. Emmanuelli as a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee on Rules of Evidence for the purpose of presenting a new draft of the Rules of Evidence. This draft was finally approved as the New Rules of Evidence of 2010.

 

He regularly offers continuing education seminars for lawyers. These conferences cover various legal topics such as evidence law, bankruptcy, litigation, ethics, and the development of successful business skills and attitudes in lawyers and entrepreneurs.

​

As a lawyer, he advises hospitals, medical groups, the Puerto Rico Comptroller's Office, and technology companies. He practices personal and business bankruptcy law and litigates complex disputes, including corporate, health, contract, labor, and damages law.

 

In 2014, he published Reestructuración de los Negocios para Enfrentar la Crisis (Business Restructuring to Face the Crisis), an e-book published by the Ponce law firm and notary office Bufete Emmanuelli, C.S.P. and its publishing house Del Derecho y del Revés, which clearly outlines the general and specific measures that companies can take to deal with the economic crisis. He recently published the paper version of this work under Editorial Situm.

 

In 2015, he published his second e-book entitled: Abecé del Derecho Puertorriqueño: Lo que necesita saber sobre las leyes principales de Puerto Rico (The ABCs of Puerto Rican Law: What You Need to Know About the Main Laws of Puerto Rico). The book contains 85 legal topics and explains in a simple way the main laws that have a daily impact on the lives of Puerto Ricans.

 

He was President of the Southern Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce during the 2005-2006 term, where he was dedicated to promoting the full development of the Port of the Americas Rafael Cordero Santiago.

​

For more than 16 years, he hosted the program Debido Proceso de Ley (Due Process of Law), which aired every Saturday at 11 a.m. on WPAB 550 on the AM radio dial in Puerto Rico. The program discussed current legal and economic issues around the world, in Puerto Rico, and in the Southern Region.

 

From June 7, 2014, to July 5, 2015, he hosted the program Conocimiento y Acción Solidaria (Knowledge and Solidarity Action). The program was broadcast on WPAB 550 on the radio in Puerto Rico. Through analysis and interviews with personalities and experts on the topics, alternative socio-economic projects were promoted that foster the growth and well-being of the country. The program was produced and broadcast on YouTube at the following address:

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/remmanuelli

 

He currently serves as President of the Emmanuelli Law Firm, C.S.P.

 

Yasmín Colón Colón, CPA, MBA, JD

 

Yasmín Colón Colón is a native of the town of Orocovis. In 2004, she earned a bachelor's degree with a concentration in Public Accounting from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Campus, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, receiving the award from the Association of Certified Public Accountants, Ponce Region, for the highest grade point average in her concentration. In 2007, she was sworn in as a Certified Public Accountant.

She continued her graduate studies, obtaining a Master's Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Phoenix in 2008, with a 3.91 GPA.

 

She continued her legal studies at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2011. She received the highest score on the September 2011 bar exam and was admitted to practice law and notary services in Puerto Rico. She is also admitted to practice before the Federal Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

 

In 2014, she published, together with Rolando Emmanuelli, Esq., the book Business Restructuring to Face the Crisis: Basic Legal Guide for Company Officers and Managers. She is the author of the Summary of Real Estate Registry Law, which is used as a review for the law exam. She has published articles on legal topics in specialized magazines and newspapers, and is the author of the article Liability of the Certified Public Accountant for Professional Negligence Related to Tax Services, published in the Puerto Rican Law Review of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law.

 

She has been a professor at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Campus, in the areas of Accounting and Criminal Justice. She served as legal advisor to the Rules and Calendar and Urban Planning and Infrastructure Committees of the Puerto Rico Senate. Her work experience also includes managing the accounting department in companies dedicated to the construction industry. Since 2012, she has worked as an attorney at the Emmanuelli Law Firm, C.S.P. She currently serves as a partner and chief financial officer (CFO) of the firm.

 

Contact:

Name: Rolando Emmanuelli Jiménez

Phone: 787-848-0666

Email address: rolando@bufete-emmanuelli.com

​