Get to know Gisela
Gisela E Sánchez-Alemán is a Member Attorney in our Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits & ERISA Matters Practice Groups. Her practice includes employment litigation in state, federal and administrative forums, compliance as well as preventive counseling in matters concerning labor and employment laws, employee benefits and ERISA. Ms. Sánchez works together with clients to address various employment-related matters in a practical and effective manner. These include, among others, proper handling and investigation of situations of workplace harassment, sexual harassment at work, disciplinary procedures, establishment, management and transfer of statutory work-related insurance policies, the development, review, and implementation of various employee handbooks and company policies, and coordination and offering of employee training with respect to various employment-related laws and regulations. Ms. Sánchez also counsels on the negotiation and drafting of employment agreements and restrictive covenants.
Additionally, Ms. Sánchez assists clients with various employee benefits matters such as ERISA compliance, filing for the plan’s tax exemption before the Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury, design and administration of pension plans, merger and transfer of assets between pension plans, and correction proceedings before the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, among others. She also supports the Corporate Department during mergers and acquisitions by assisting with the due diligence process from the employment law and employee benefits perspectives.
Since law school, Gisela has been dedicated to labor and employment matters, becoming a member of the Labor Law Pro Bono clinic and participating as student attorney in the labor and employment legal aid clinic of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. Prior to joining Ferraiuoli, Ms. Sánchez worked at another Puerto Rico law firm as a labor and employment law attorney on behalf of employers.
Why Ferraiuoli?
In an ever-changing legal world, an innovative, proactive and socially responsible legal firm, with wide and rapid adaptability and a welcoming environment is vital, and that is what best defines Ferraiuoli. Ferraiuoli thrives in teamwork, effective communication and knowledge sharing to provide our clients with the best possible solutions and most innovative strategies to address both, day to day issues and isolated unexpected situations or complex conflicts. I can say without a doubt that Ferraiuoli benefits from a committed group of highly qualified and passionate professionals to provide high-end legal services in the most complete and timely manner.
What is your primary focus?
My primary focus will always be to understand our clients’ needs and provide them with business-savvy solutions rather than possibilities notwithstanding how complex the issue may be. I strive to deliver answers and results and to do that I work every day to improve and further develop my knowledge and skill set to help foster the growth of my team. Within my practice area, I can say that I have a longtime commitment in maintaining the proper balance between employer-employee interests for I believe a concrete employer-employee relationship is the pillar on which a business is built; therefore, I want to aid clients in strengthening their business foundation through practical and effective legal advice.
What do you find most rewarding?
The reward is knowing that every day I contribute to our client’s success and standing while also constantly learning new things that will allow me to help my firm uphold its position at the forefront of our profession. After all, there’s nothing more gratifying than working doing what you are most passionate about.
- Ruiz Camilo vs. Trafón Group, 200 D.P.R. 254 (2018), work as team member of legal clinic in Supreme Court’s Opinion overruling the Court of Appeal’s judgment and reinstating the Court of First Instance’s judgment in favor of client.
- SECURE Act 2.0: What Puerto Rico Retirement Plan Sponsors and Administrators Should Know in Advance, Popular Fiduciary Services Virtual Conference, June 2023
- SECURE Act 2.0 and its Impact on Puerto Rico Retirement Plans, Oriental’s Customer Appreciation Day, June 2023
- New Regulatory Developments of Relevance for Broker-Dealers, Banking Industry, August 18, 2021
- Desenmascarando Retos del Manejo Laboral en Tiempos de Coronavirus, Legal Coalition for Puerto Rico, October 9, 2020
- Manejo Laboral 2020 en Tiempos de Coronavirus, First Virtual Convention of the College of Certified Public Accountants of Puerto Rico, September 1, 2020
- Compliance training offered to clients in the services industry and government contractors involved in grants management, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery, forensic accounting and investigations, business valuation, translation, community liaison and concierge and in business and engineering consulting services
o Unlawful Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and Retaliation
o Handling of Domestic Violence Situations in the Workplace
- Se impone un estándar más exigente a patronos al considerar solicitudes de acomodo religioso bajo Título VII, July 2023
- Co-Author of The Employment Law Review Puerto Rico Chapter, Fourteenth Edition, 2023
- Co-Author of The Employment Law Review Puerto Rico Chapter (Chapter 35), Thirteenth Edition, 2022
- Co-Author of The Employment Law Review Puerto Rico Chapter (Chapter 38), Twelfth Edition, 2021.
- Co-Author of How to Hire & Fire: A Global Guide, Puerto Rico, August 2021.
Education
- Penn State University, M.P.S. in Human Resources and Employment Relations with a concentration in Compensation and Benefits, 2021
- University of Puerto Rico School of Law, J.D., Cum Laude, 2017
- University of Puerto Rico, B.A. in Foreign Languages with specialization in French and Portuguese and a Second Major in Public Relations and Advertising, Magna Cum Laude, 2014
Bar Admissions
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rico Notarial Bar
Affiliations
- Society for Human Resources (SHRM)
- International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plan (IFEBP)
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- Asociación de Profesionales de Relaciones Laborales (APRL)
- Federal Bar Association (FBA)