(SPANISH) Puerto Rico Ethics: A Comprehensive Guide to the New Rules of Professional Conduct Part One

This course will only be presented in Spanish.

* Pending Approval

Puerto Rico has adopted a comprehensive new Code of Professional Conduct that reshapes the ethical framework governing every attorney licensed in the Commonwealth. Spanning eight chapters and fifty-six rules, the new Code imposes updated and, in many cases, more demanding obligations on attorneys across all practice settings—from private firms and in-house legal departments to government offices and public interest organizations. Attorneys who fail to understand these changes face real disciplinary exposure, and those who do understand them will be better positioned to protect their clients, their practices, and their professional standing.

This program provides a systematic, rule-by-rule examination of Puerto Rico’s new Code of Professional Conduct. Presenters from O’Neill & Borges LLC—experienced litigators who practice daily under these rules—guide attendees through all three thematic pillars of the Code: the duties owed to clients (Rules 1.0–1.19); the ethical obligations governing the attorney’s roles as advisor, advocate, and neutral (Rules 2.1–4.4); and the requirements governing law firm governance, advertising, and professional integrity (Rules 5.1–8.5). Practical compliance guidance is woven throughout each module to help practitioners translate the new rules into everyday practice.

This program is designed for attorneys licensed in Puerto Rico at all stages of their careers, including solo practitioners, law firm partners, in-house counsel, government attorneys, and public interest lawyers. It is also well-suited for attorneys licensed in U.S. mainland jurisdictions who maintain clients or active matters in Puerto Rico, and for newly admitted attorneys seeking a rigorous grounding in the Commonwealth’s professional responsibility framework. Attorneys at any experience level will gain practical insight they can apply immediately. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify and apply the core duties owed to current, former, and prospective clients under Puerto Rico’s new Rules of Professional Conduct, including the duties of competence, diligence, communication, confidentiality, and loyalty.
2. Recognize and evaluate conflict-of-interest situations—including concurrent and successive conflicts, government attorney conflicts, and firm-wide imputation of conflicts—and apply the analytical framework required by the new rules.
3. Distinguish the proper scope of the attorney’s role as advisor, advocate, negotiator, and neutral intermediary, and identify the corresponding ethical obligations and limitations applicable to each role under Chapters II, III, and IV.
4. Analyze the governance and supervisory responsibilities of firm partners and managing attorneys, including the duty to supervise subordinate lawyers and non-attorney staff, and understand restrictions on professional independence and unauthorized practice.
5. Evaluate the ethical requirements governing attorney advertising, client solicitation, and professional communications under Chapter VII, and explain the boundaries of permissible marketing conduct under the new rules.
6. Apply the professional integrity standards in Chapter VIII, including the duty to report misconduct, prohibited conduct categories under Rule 8.4, and the disciplinary authority and choice-of-law provisions under Rule 8.5.