Spotlight – Member Firm
Toro, Colón, Mullet, Rivera & Sifre, PSC
San Juan, Puerto Rico
By: Oscar Lizardi – Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC
If you attended the NAMWOLF 2014 Annual Meeting & Expo in Philadelphia, I am sure you met José, Analynn and Antonio from TCMR&S. As a new NAMWOLF law firm member and the only NAMWOLF law firm in Puerto Rico, TCMR&S made quite a lasting impression. They demonstrate perseverance for success and exude the importance of promoting diversity in the legal profession. Also, they are active contributors to their community’s well-being and economic development. In addition to NAMWOLF, TCMR&S is also certified by the Puerto Rico Minority Supplier Development Council.
TCMR&S was founded 15 years ago by seven like-minded entrepreneurial attorneys with complementary legal practices. The founders worked together for Puerto Rico’s largest law firm. Since then, the law firm has grown organically by recruiting a diverse group of very talented young attorneys that share the core values of the firm. They are a multi-service firm providing experienced and valued counsel from Business, Corporate, M&A and Real Estate to Commercial Litigation and Environmental and Natural Resources.
Their attorneys are actively involved in several organizations and workshops that support and improve their community’s well-being. In their efforts of giving back to their community and continuing to explore and create opportunities within the dynamic and multi-cultural business environment that surrounds them, TCMR&S has actively pursued memberships and affiliations with organizations that promote economic development and greater diversity in the legal profession and in business relationships in general.
1. When was the firm founded?
TCMR&S was founded about 15 years ago. The founders met in the 1990’s while working for Puerto Rico’s largest law firm and were looking to pursue a more entrepreneurial setting. Originally the group shared expenses and then decided to formalize their professional relationship to provide the most high quality and efficient legal services to their clients.
2. Who are the founding shareholders?
The founding shareholders are: José Toro (Corporate and Real Estate), Jaime Toro (Commercial Litigation); Carlos Colón (Environmental); Rafael Mullet (Corporate and Environmental); Rafael Rivera (Environmental); Antonio Sifre (Corporate, Intellectual Property and Entertainment); and Manuel Fernández (Commercial Litigation and Bankruptcy).
3. What are the firm’s significant areas of practice?
The firm’s significant areas of practice are: Corporate and Real Estate, Commercial Lending; Commercial Litigation; Bankruptcy (representing creditors); Environmental, Natural Resources, Land Use and Planning Law; and Film Production Incentives. They also have a Labor and Employment Law Practice Group and a principal who concentrates in Tax Laws and Incentives.
4. How did your firm come to know NAMWOLF? Why did you join?
NAMWOLF was recommended to Jaime Toro by Pablo Quesada of the Miami law firm Sánchez-Medina, González, Quesada, Lage, Crespo, Gómez, Machado & Preira, LLP, when they met working on a case.
TCMR&S joined NAMWOLF because it was a great opportunity for networking and learning. There is alignment between the firm’s practice and NAMWOLF’s objectives. TCMR&S is similar in size and structure to that of other NAMWOLF’s member law firms, and many of their clients are in house legal departments of multi-national corporations doing business in Puerto Rico.
5. Why is diversity important to your firm?
The firm strongly believes that a diverse workforce of people from different backgrounds and experiences, is a more creative, innovative, balanced and productive workforce, which in turn offers high-quality legal services to its clients. TCMR&S is proud that some of its most outstanding professionals are women excelling in the principal and shareholder track, who contribute with its leadership to the law firm and to the community.
6. What has been your involvement with NAMWOLF? For how long?
The firm joined NAMWOLF in 2013. Jaime Toro attended the 2014 Miami Mid-Year Meeting. José Toro, Analynn López and Antonio Sifre attended the recent Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. The meeting surpassed TCRM&S’s expectations, and its attendees commented, “[i]t was well attended, the keynote speakers were top notch, the seminars were relevant, and the networking was great. We also had a lot of fun, our team won the Race Around Philadelphia, and we danced.”
Oscar Lizardi is a Partner at Rusing Lopez & Lizardi, PLLC. He has been practicing for over 19 years in corporate and transactional law and immigration law representing large corporations, small business and individuals.