Get to know Patricia
Mrs. Patricia Cañellas Hernández is a Member attorney and is part of the Tax, Employee Benefits, and Estate and Asset Protection Planning and Government Affairs Practice Groups. She obtained a double bachelor’s degree in accounting and international business Cum Laude from Villanova University (2013), as well as a minor in French studies. Patricia became a Certified Public Accountant in Puerto Rico in 2014. Subsequently, she began studying law in 2015 at the University of Puerto Rico and transferred to the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in 2017, obtaining her Juris Doctor Summa Cum Laude in 2018. Patricia scored 99.8% on her bar exam and has been admitted to practice law and notary before the local courts of Puerto Rico since 2019.
Patricia started at Ferraiuoli during her first year of law school as a semester law clerk in 2016; she continued as a semester and summer clerk until December 2017. During her last semester in law school (2018), she was an intern for the Honorable Judge Juan R. Torruella at the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. She then joined Ferraiuoli as an associate attorney in October 2018 and was promoted to senior associate (October 2020) and, recently, to member (October 2022), focusing on areas of tax compliance, including matters of individuals, legal entities, sales and use tax (SUT), municipal licenses, estate tax, donations, among others; tax exemption, including Act 20-2012, Act 22-2012, Act 73-2008, and Act 60-2019 (Incentives Code); estate planning; economic development incentives (cash grants); among others. Additionally, as part of the tax group, Patricia supports the corporate team in mergers and acquisitions transactions and in the organization and registration of corporations and LLCs with the Puerto Rico Department of State. In terms of tax exemption and economic development, Patricia assists clients with the analysis of applicable tax incentive provisions and compliance matters with the Office of Incentives.
As part of the Government Affairs group at Ferraiuoli, Patricia is also essential for legislative monitoring for clients, analysis of proposed legislation, executive and legislative matters related to Puerto Rico’s debt renegotiations; and compliance and negotiations of public-private partnerships; among other related matters. She has been an integral part of several public-private partnership projects at Ferraiuoli, including the analysis and understanding related to compliance with laws and regulations and related procedural matters.
Before joining Ferraiuoli, Patricia was part of the International Assignment Services and corporate groups at Price Waterhouse Coopers from June 2013 to July 2015 in the Boston, MA offices and later in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Why Ferraiuoli?
The range of services and forward thinking vision provided by Ferraiuoli makes the firm an ideal place for clients and for attorneys. The firm provides experienced attorneys in all practices, including Taxes, Corporate and Real Estate, Labor and Employment Law, Intellectual Property, among others. Ferraiuoli’s efficiency and innovation, in addition to its mix of young and experienced professionals, has positioned it as one of the top firms in Puerto Rico in its short 15 years of existence.
What do you find most rewarding?
Being able to solve our clients’ needs by offering quality services in a timely manner.
Education
- Interamerican University School of Law, J.D., 2018 Summa Cum Laude
- University of Puerto Rico School of Law (2015 – 2017)
- Villanova University, Villanova School of Business, B.A. in Science in Accountancy and Minor in French Studies Cum Laude
Affiliations
- Puerto Rico Certified Public Accountants Association