Héctor M. Laffitte

E-mail address:  hml@mcvpr.com
Phone number:  (787) 250-5618
Fax number:  (787) 620-8301  

Judge Laffitte is a retired Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, where he served for 23 years, and is now Of Counsel of the firm's Litigation Practice Group. Mr. Laffitte also provides support to the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group, as well as to the Arbitration and Mediation, Government Affairs and the Government Enforcement and White Collar Defense Practice Areas.

Previous Experience

From 1970 until 1983, Héctor M. Laffittee was Senior Partner of LAFFITTE, DOMINGUEZ & TOTTI Law Office. In July 1983, he was appointed United States District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico by President Ronald Reagan. In March 1999, he was appointed Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

Practice Areas

Héctor M. Laffitte's main areas of practice are First Amendment law, Litigation, Mediation and Arbitration, Labor and Employment law, Government Enforcement and White Collar Defense, Internet and Government Affairs.

Education

He obtained a Bachelor's Degree from the Polytechnic Institute of Puerto Rico (now Interamerican University) in 1955 and a L.L.B. from the University of Puerto Rico in 1958. He also obtained an L.L.M. from Georgetown University in 1960.

Admissions

• Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, 1959
• United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, 1959
• United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, 1959
• United States Court of Military Appeals, 1960
• Supreme Court of the United States, 1976

Memberships

• Puerto Rico Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Advisor to the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands on Labor Practice and Procedures, 1970
• Association of Labor Relations Practitioners
• Member, Governor's Advisory Committee on Judicial Appointments, 1977-83
• Member, Governor's Advisory Committee on Labor Policy, 1977-83
• Civil Rights Commission of Puerto Rico, 1969-72
• Institute of Judicial Administration
• Member, Magistrate Judges Committee of the Judicial Conference, appointed by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, 1992
• Member, Judicial Conference of the United States, 2003-2006
• Life Fellow Foundation Federal Bar Association