Rafael Pagan-Colon

Attorney-at-Law, notary, business consultant, information technology professional, executive, and manager with over 15 years’ experience in regulatory contract negotiations, compliance, business administration, business reengineering, project management, managerial consulting, and information technology management. I've issued recommendations that have provided significant economical benefits to for-profit & non-profit organizations. As an experienced public speaker, Rafael has offered seminars and workshops on such topics as powers of attorney, wills, pre-nuptial agreements, project management, risk management, & system development methodologies, among others, throughout Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela, where he also managed information technology & management consulting projects

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Puerto Rico

Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas de Puerto Rico

ID Number: 19512

Since 2012

Counselor, attorney, notary public

Rafael Pagan, Attorney-at-Law & Notary

2012 - Current

>> Developed a strategic business plan for a Puerto Rico entrepreneur, including 5-year operational budget. Negotiated exclusive representation from Colombian beauty & hair-care firm, granting client exclusive rights to market & sell products in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, and the United States; Participated in the due diligence audit of a mid-sized cooperative financial institution; revised a portfolio made up of 160 mortgage loans, 21 auto loans, and 19 consumer loans for compliance with United States & Puerto Rico laws and regulations, drafted recommendations based upon the institution’s own lending policy, relevant legislation, and best business practices; Drafted resolution to incorporate profit and non-profit enterprises, defining strategies to procure tax waivers under Federal Tax Code Section 501(c)(3) for a non-profit institution. >> Areas of legal practice: Probate & Family Law, Torts, Contract Negotiations & Administration; Audit & Compliance;

Acting Information Systems Director/Special Aide to the Research & Technology VP

University of Puerto Rico, Central Administration

2006 - 2010

>> Supervised a staff of 42 people and an operational budget of approximately $6,435,000. Team Lead for coordinating the works of the university-wide IT Directors’ Council made up of 11 Campus Information Systems Office Directors; >> Revised and implemented the University’s system-wide Policy on the Ethical Use of Information Technology, along with corresponding standards and procedures; >> Chaired an executive university-wide committee that negotiated and justified a $2.4 Million contract to renew and improve Internet, Internet 2, and Telephone services for an institution of higher learning; duplicating overall Internet bandwidth capacity from 300 Megabits-per-second to 600 Megabits-per-second.

Production Manager, MIS

Suez Lyonnaise/Ondeo Puerto Rico

2002 - 2004

>> Negotiated and implemented a $3 Million purchase to upgrade to an IBM z800 Mainframe and Shark storage technology, financing the 5-month project over 3 years, for a monthly lease $35,000 down from the Data Center’s monthly original operational budget of $155,000; >> Reduced monthly operational power expense of a 3,200 square feet mainframe data center by 48%, achieving $35,000 in monthly savings, down from an initial monthly power expense of $155,000; >> Chaired a CEO-sponsored committee, reporting directly to the CEO, as part of a corporate business process re-engineering effort to identify and recommend business improvements to the company’s Executive Committee; >> Served on infrastructure team to implement a $1.1 Million client server platform to support a corporate-wide SAP implementation project.

Deputy Director, Information Systems

Vivendi Environnement / Puerto Rico Water Company

1997 - 2002

>> Defined a strategic overview for evolving the Information Technology function within the company over the next 10 years. Included budget, policy and organizational changes in the short-, mid- and long-term; >> Administered an $8.5 Million budget to improve communications networks and computing technology to state-of-the-art specifications and implement corporate access to Internet and E-Mail to over 600 people; >> Managed a $4.5 Million budget to lead Year 2000 (Y2K) efforts to successfully implement Mainframe-based Y2K-ready financial and commercial applications. Achieved implementation of the Commercial and Billing application a full month ahead of schedule. All other applications were implemented on time and within budget; >> Redesigned the process by which a public utility corporation acquires and controls consumption of chemical products. Contracted and led efforts to develop a web-based application to run over an Intranet.

Senior Consultant

James Martin & Co., Inc

1992 - 1997

>> Reduced time required by a Health Management Organization to issue 2,000+ W-2 forms from 2 people-weeks to a single day by re-engineering and streamlining the organization’s processes and available technology; >> For a multi-million dollar Venezuelan oil company, led efforts to establish a preliminary information architecture for the company’s gas division. Model encompassed 70 major business functions and close to 120 data types. The architecture was raised within a two-week time frame, working alongside the Vice Presidents of its five major subdivisions: Planning, Marketing, Transmission and Distribution, Engineering, and Processing. Executive Joint Requirements Planning sessions were the primary technique for collecting information supplemented by analysis of the subdivisions goals, critical success factors, and information needs.

University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

J.D. (2011) | Law

2007 - 2011

Honors: Cum Laude

University of Phoenix

MBA (2007) | Business Administration, Technology Management

2005 - 2007

Honors: GPA 4.0

University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

B.B.A. (1984) | Business Administration, Computer Information Systems

1979 - 1984

Honors: Magna Cum Laude

La Rama Judicial de Puerto Rico  # 18691

Member

Current

Pro Bono, Inc.  # 19512

Lawyer

2020 - Current

Activities: Provide free legal services to low income individuals, through the Puerto Rico Bar College's affiliation with Pro Bono, Inc.

Puerto Rico Notary College  # 4551

Notary

2013 - Current

Activities: Through the College's "Notaries for Puerto Rico" program, provide free notary services to low income persons.

Puerto Rico Bar College (Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas de Puerto Rico)  # 19512

Member

2012 - Current

Activities: Member of the College's Veteran's Affairs Commission since 2013. The Commission provides counseling to veterans of the United States Armed Forces and has worked towards refining and/or proposing legislation that improves quality of life for veterans living on the island.

Quis Custodiat Custodium? Corporate Oversight Through Derivative Action

2 No. 1 U. Puerto Rico Bus. L.J. 35 (2011)

April 15, 2011

Powers of attorney & Wills: Legal Manifestations of the will, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

2020

Torrimar Methodist Church

Marital Pre-Nups: From Inmutability to Relative Flexibility, San Juan, Puerto Rico

2019

Powers of Attorney: Legal Empowerment of People, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

2019

Torrimar Methodist Church

Ethical Use of Technology, San Juan, Puerto Rico

2009

University of Puerto Rico, Central Administration

Project Administration & Control, Bayamon, Puerto Rico

2000

Inter American University

Certified Data Professional

American Institute for Certification of Computer Professionals

1987

Q. Took a loan to buy a house w/gifted down-payment from a live in partner. Can live in partner claim co ownership later?

November 4, 2024

A: I am inferring from your question that your then live-in partner does not appear on the sales deed. If this is the case, your live in partner does not have a participation right in the real estate property, although he can have a right to receive repayment of the amount that he provided for the down payment. Either the amount provided by your partner is a gift, with no strings attached, or it constitutes a loan that he/she expects to be repaid for. Unless your partner's name appears as co-owner in the sales deed, he/she has no right over the real estate property.

Furthermore, a case can be raised regarding your partner living in the property without paying rent: any subsequent contributions made by your partner can be offset by his/her living on your property. ... Read More

Q. How is the compensation of elderly caregivers or tutor established?

November 4, 2024

A: The rule of law in Puerto Rico establishes a maximum of 10% of the elderly unfit's bank accounts, subject to assignment by the court. In order to claim compensation, your brother must demostrate that taking care of your elderly father has caused your brother financial loss, such as not being able to earn what he earned prior to taking care of your father. Under no circumstances does your brother have the right to unilaterally take money for himself from your father's accounts. Doing so is tantamount to financial abuse of an elderly person, which is a felony.

Furthermore, assuming that your father was declared legally unfit by a court of law, the court would have assigned your brother or whomever was designated as the legal tutor to post a performance bond to responde financially for your brother's execution as your father's tutor. ... Read More

Q. Venta de la casa con 8 herederos pero 1 se niega a vender, aunque no vive en la casa

October 22, 2024

A: Los herederos restantes pueden acudir ante el Tribunal del municipio donde se halla la casa, en una demanda de liquidación de comunidad hereditaria. La hermana que no desea vender tendría que ser emplazada (por edicto, si vive fuera de Puerto Rico o si no la pueden ubicar). Al vender la casa, la porción que le corresponda a esa hermana se puede consignar con el tribunal.

Sin embargo, previo a acudir ante el tribunal, deben asegurarse de que el Registro de la Propiedad ha transferido el inmueble de sus padres a ustedes como herederos. Lo mismo deben haber hecho en el Centro de Recaudación de Ingresos Municipales (CRIM), para que sepan que el inmueble es una comunidad de bienes.