Rafael Pagan-Colon

Attorney-at-Law, notary, business consultant, information technology professional, executive, and manager with over 15 years’ experience in regulatory contract negotiations, compliance, business administration, business reengineering, project management, managerial consulting, and information technology management. I've issued recommendations that have provided significant economical benefits to for-profit & non-profit organizations. As an experienced public speaker, Rafael has offered seminars and workshops on such topics as powers of attorney, wills, pre-nuptial agreements, project management, risk management, & system development methodologies, among others, throughout Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela, where he also managed information technology & management consulting projects

Puerto Rico

Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas de Puerto Rico

ID Number: 19512

Since 2012

Counselor, attorney, notary public

Pagan & Mendoza, Attorneys-at-Law and Notaries

2012 - Current

>> Developed a strategic business plan for a Puerto Rico entrepreneur, including 5-year operational budget. Negotiated exclusive representation from Colombian beauty & hair-care firm, granting client exclusive rights to market & sell products in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, and the United States; Participated in the due diligence audit of a mid-sized cooperative financial institution; revised a portfolio made up of 160 mortgage loans, 21 auto loans, and 19 consumer loans for compliance with United States & Puerto Rico laws and regulations, drafted recommendations based upon the institution’s own lending policy, relevant legislation, and best business practices; Drafted resolution to incorporate profit and non-profit enterprises, defining strategies to procure tax waivers under Federal Tax Code Section 501(c)(3) for a non-profit institution. >> Areas of legal practice: Probate & Family Law, Torts, Contract Negotiations & Administration; Audit & Compliance;

Acting Information Systems Director/Special Aide to the Research & Technology VP

University of Puerto Rico, Central Administration

2006 - 2010

>> Supervised a staff of 42 people and an operational budget of approximately $6,435,000. Team Lead for coordinating the works of the university-wide IT Directors’ Council made up of 11 Campus Information Systems Office Directors; >> Revised and implemented the University’s system-wide Policy on the Ethical Use of Information Technology, along with corresponding standards and procedures; >> Chaired an executive university-wide committee that negotiated and justified a $2.4 Million contract to renew and improve Internet, Internet 2, and Telephone services for an institution of higher learning; duplicating overall Internet bandwidth capacity from 300 Megabits-per-second to 600 Megabits-per-second.

Production Manager, MIS

Suez Lyonnaise/Ondeo Puerto Rico

2002 - 2004

>> Negotiated and implemented a $3 Million purchase to upgrade to an IBM z800 Mainframe and Shark storage technology, financing the 5-month project over 3 years, for a monthly lease $35,000 down from the Data Center’s monthly original operational budget of $155,000; >> Reduced monthly operational power expense of a 3,200 square feet mainframe data center by 48%, achieving $35,000 in monthly savings, down from an initial monthly power expense of $155,000; >> Chaired a CEO-sponsored committee, reporting directly to the CEO, as part of a corporate business process re-engineering effort to identify and recommend business improvements to the company’s Executive Committee; >> Served on infrastructure team to implement a $1.1 Million client server platform to support a corporate-wide SAP implementation project.

Deputy Director, Information Systems

Vivendi Environnement / Puerto Rico Water Company

1997 - 2002

>> Defined a strategic overview for evolving the Information Technology function within the company over the next 10 years. Included budget, policy and organizational changes in the short-, mid- and long-term; >> Administered an $8.5 Million budget to improve communications networks and computing technology to state-of-the-art specifications and implement corporate access to Internet and E-Mail to over 600 people; >> Managed a $4.5 Million budget to lead Year 2000 (Y2K) efforts to successfully implement Mainframe-based Y2K-ready financial and commercial applications. Achieved implementation of the Commercial and Billing application a full month ahead of schedule. All other applications were implemented on time and within budget; >> Redesigned the process by which a public utility corporation acquires and controls consumption of chemical products. Contracted and led efforts to develop a web-based application to run over an Intranet.

Senior Consultant

James Martin & Co., Inc

1992 - 1997

>> Reduced time required by a Health Management Organization to issue 2,000+ W-2 forms from 2 people-weeks to a single day by re-engineering and streamlining the organization’s processes and available technology; >> For a multi-million dollar Venezuelan oil company, led efforts to establish a preliminary information architecture for the company’s gas division. Model encompassed 70 major business functions and close to 120 data types. The architecture was raised within a two-week time frame, working alongside the Vice Presidents of its five major subdivisions: Planning, Marketing, Transmission and Distribution, Engineering, and Processing. Executive Joint Requirements Planning sessions were the primary technique for collecting information supplemented by analysis of the subdivisions goals, critical success factors, and information needs.

University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

J.D. (2011) | Law

2007 - 2011

Honors: Cum Laude

University of Phoenix

MBA (2007) | Business Administration, Technology Management

2005 - 2007

Honors: GPA 4.0

University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

B.B.A. (1984) | Business Administration, Computer Information Systems

1979 - 1984

Honors: Magna Cum Laude

La Rama Judicial de Puerto Rico  # 18691

Member

Current

Pro Bono, Inc.  # 19512

Lawyer

2020 - Current

Activities: Provide free legal services to low income individuals, through the Puerto Rico Bar College's affiliation with Pro Bono, Inc.

Puerto Rico Notary College  # 4551

Notary

2013 - Current

Activities: Through the College's "Notaries for Puerto Rico" program, provide free notary services to low income persons.

Puerto Rico Bar College (Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas de Puerto Rico)  # 19512

Member

2012 - Current

Activities: Member of the College's Veteran's Affairs Commission since 2013. The Commission provides counseling to veterans of the United States Armed Forces and has worked towards refining and/or proposing legislation that improves quality of life for veterans living on the island.

Quis Custodiat Custodium? Corporate Oversight Through Derivative Action

2 No. 1 U. Puerto Rico Bus. L.J. 35 (2011)

April 15, 2011

Powers of attorney & Wills: Legal Manifestations of the will, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

2020

Torrimar Methodist Church

Marital Pre-Nups: From Inmutability to Relative Flexibility, San Juan, Puerto Rico

2019

Powers of Attorney: Legal Empowerment of People, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

2019

Torrimar Methodist Church

Ethical Use of Technology, San Juan, Puerto Rico

2009

University of Puerto Rico, Central Administration

Project Administration & Control, Bayamon, Puerto Rico

2000

Inter American University

Certified Data Professional

American Institute for Certification of Computer Professionals

1987

Q. Neighbor Balcony above is about to fall - neither neighbor or association board is doing anything. Where can I complain?

April 8, 2024

A: I suggest that you send a complaint letter by certified mail with receipt confirmation, detailing all prior communications, the risk of damage to your property, the risk of danger to passer-bys below, and requiring them to address the matter within the following 15 days. Include photos with the letter. Require the board to engage a structural engineer to inspect the cracks, and determine the risk of fallout. If you can identify who the building's insurance company is, I would send them a copy of the letter.

So long as you've not suffered any damage, it would be difficult to ascertain an indemnity amount at this time. Neither the Consumer Affairs Department (DACO, in Spanish) nor the courts will attend the matter while no damage has occurred. ... Read More

Q. Can I sue an Airbnb host if I fell and was injured on their property in PR from NYC?

April 8, 2024

A: You can sue the owner of the property where you fell. Puerto Rico rule of law grants one year as the prescriptive term limit within which to take a cause of action before the Puerto Rico courts. You would need to provide proof that the injury occurred in Puerto Rico, by way of hospital records and photos to show the damage, as well as receipts for the costs incurred to repair the damage suffered. Nevertheless, it would be advisable that you first approach the Airbnb, to procure coverage from the Airbnb's insurance to cover your medical costs. Should you decide to take the matter to court, procedural rules of civil procedure require that, as part of your lawsuit, you post a non-resident bond of not less than $1,000.00, to cover for any fees, costs, and expenses which the court may impose on the plaintiff party. ... Read More

Q. Mom and dad are divorce and both names are on the property in PR, would the property go to my mom if he passes first?

April 4, 2024

A: Having your parents divorced, the home becomes a community property, whereby both of your parents have an equal stake of 50% each. Upon either's death, the deceased parent's participation in the real estate will go to hir/her legal heirs. Prior to transmitting the succession rights, the heir(s) must be designated either by a Will left by the deceased or a declaration of heirs resolution issued by the Puerto Rico courts.