Jay Mellado-Villarreal is a litigator with over 23 years of experience in local and federal forums. Jay has represented in consulting and at trial and obtained favorable judgments or settlements for clients such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“the FDIC”), American Airlines, American Eagle, Amerigas, Beckman Coulter, Comprehensive Cancer Center of Puerto Rico, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), MCS Life Insurance, Hertz Rent a Car, R-G Premier Bank, Standard (Central) Parking, Telemundo (NBC), Toyota de Puerto Rico, Trigild, Inc., Twentieth Century Fox, Unisys, and Volunteers of America, as well as many prominent local businesses.
EXPERIENCE
• Argued and obtained the reversal of an adverse decision on appeal before U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on trademarks (reverse confusion) against an international hotel chain.
• Obtained a TRO and a Preliminary Injunction on behalf of the FDIC as receiver for RG Premier Bank against a borrower who was dissipating assets before the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The case was eventually settled for over $2 million.
• Obtained the lift of stay in an adversary proceeding before the Bankruptcy Court representing the Court Appointed Receiver so that a foreclosure against the borrower could continue in various loans over $46 million.
• Prevailed in a spoliation dispute which resulted in a positive settlement in a tort claim for a national car rental company in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
• Dismissed a counter claim for an over $11 million during trial in State Court representing Freddie Mac.
• Dismissed claim at trial against local bank through a motion for non-suit in an action where an employee of a commercial client of the bank had defrauded the checking account through fraudulent endorsements of checks amounting to over a quarter million dollars.
• Dismissed a claim for unjustified dismissal at trial in State Court in a case on behalf of a national parking company by establishing that the employee had engaged in a fraudulent scheme.
• Reached a settlement while at trial in State Court in a dispute between two stockholders of a major local corporation engaged in the distribution of textiles.
• Settled a tort claim on behalf of plaintiffs against a funeral services company at the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico after disqualifying and excluding defendants’ expert witness.
• Prevailed through motions for summary judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico in a suit on behalf of a hospitality company against a local hotel in a breach of contract dispute.
• Conducted an investigation on behalf of an airline to evaluate claims of discrimination made by two employees against the Human Resources Director.
• Dismissed at trial in State Court a construction claim for over $250,000 by the Government of Puerto Rico against a major stateside gas company.
• On behalf of Developer, settled in court a claim of a subcontractor against the developer for over half a million dollars for breach of contract.
• Substantially reduced the claim and settled in State Court an action against by a local distributor under Law 75 of 1964, as amended, against a stateside manufacturer of clinical diagnostics equipment.
• Dismissed through summary judgment a claim on behalf of the local Chrysler and GM dealer in a land dispute with another car dealer.
• Represented a corporation of the Government of Puerto Rico in mayor reduction in the labor force and the ensuing disputes of hundreds of employees.
• Successfully dismissed a substantial claim by a stateside lender (Equitable Life Assurance Society) against a local real estate mogul before the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico through a motion for reconsideration.
REPORTED CASES
• Dorpan, S.L. v. Hotel Melia, Inc., 728 F. 3d 55, 2013 WL 4531783, U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit, 2013
• D.I.C. v. Empresas Cerromonte Corp., 2013 WL 1881608, D. Puerto Rico, 2013
• Velázquez-Ortiz v. F.D.I.C, 2012 WL. 1345174, D.Puerto Rico, 2012
• Miguelachuli v. F.D.I.C., 799 F.Supp. 2d 141, 2011 WL 3236041 D.Puerto Rico, 2011
• Benitez-Navarro v. Gonzalez-Aponte; 660 F.Supp.2d 185, 2009 WL 3053688 D.Puerto Rico, 2009;
• Miguelachili v. RG Premier Bank of P.R, 2007 WL 626054, D. Puerto Rico
• Hertz Corp. Gutierrez, 2006 WL 3423882 (D. Puerto Rico, 2006) (the firm continued representing The Hertz Corp. before the United States District Court for the Southern District in Miami, Florida – Case No. 07-Civ-20170 Huck/Simonton – admitted pro-hac-vice)
• Mid-North Engineering Corp. v. Autoridad de Carreteras, 2006 WL 314393 (TCA; denied by the Supreme Court)
• Federal Home Loan Mortgage v. Sucn. De Sofía Rivera-Serrano, 2005 WL 2216870 (TCA; denied by the Supreme Court)
• Santini v. Unisys Puerto Rico, Inc., 338 F.Supp.2d 254
• Bella International Corp. v. Compañía de Fomento Industrial de Puerto Rico, 2003 WL21044713
• Figueroa v. Simplicity Plan de Puerto Rico, 2003 WL 21436111 (D. Puerto Rico)
• Myers v. Benus-Silva, 2002 U.S. Dist. Lexis 12497 (D.P.R. June 3, 2002)
• Renata Roberts v. USO Council of P.R., 98 JTS 27
• E.D. Food Distributors, Inc. v. Navieras de Puerto Rico, 1994 WL 261 704 (D. Puerto Rico)
Memberships & Affiliations
• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• American Association for Justice
