Francisco G. Bruno, Esq.
Attorney, Arbitrator, Mediator
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bufete Francisco G. Bruno LLC – Owner
Attorney, Arbitrator, Mediator
Owner, Bufete Francisco G. Bruno LLC, 2018 – Present; Of Counsel, McConnell Valdes LLC, 2013 – 2018; Capital Member, McConnell Valdes LLC, 1993 – 2013; Partner, Sweeting Gonzalez Cestero & Bruno, 1985 – 1993; Partner, Hartzell Fernandez Novas & Ydrach, 1973 – 1985.
Capital Member of McConnell Valdés LLC; Chairman of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group (12 years) and member of its Policy Committee (16 years); Chairman of the Maritime Practice Area and member of the Construction and of the Product Liability and Toxic Torts Practice Areas. Over 40 years of litigation experience in federal and state courts. <br/><br/>Started practice of law in 1970 and developed extensive experience in construction, commercial, franchise law (Laws 75 and 21), environmental, insurance, aviation and maritime litigation. Led several complex high-profile cases in those areas. The experience in admiralty and maritime matters allowed the opportunity to assist clients in the Dominican Republic and other areas of the Caribbean, including the United States Virgin Islands.<br/><br/>Some Arbitration and Mediation case experience includes:<br/><br/>Lead counsel for plaintiffs-underwriters in a multi-party lawsuit related to the destruction of a warehouse by fire, one of the biggest such facilities on the island. The central issue in the case dealt with the design of a sprinkler system and its lack of compliance with applicable construction codes. A multi-million dollar settlement was obtained for the plaintiffs-underwriters in their subrogation claim.<br/><br/>Co-chair of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Río Piedras Explosion Litigation, a mass tort case simultaneously litigated in state and federal court, stemming from a propane gas explosion that resulted in the death of 33 persons, which settled for over $100 million. Some of the key issues concerned subsurface gas migration, accumulation mechanics, structural and forensic analysis of the building where the explosion occurred.<br/><br/>Co-counsel for the design engineers and their insurance carrier in one of the most notorious construction cases in Puerto Rico regarding multi-million dollar construction defects claims concerning a fresh water distribution system for metropolitan San Juan and other segments of the island litigated in both federal and state court.<br/><br/>Co-counsel on behalf of a global train manufacturing company, the system’s designer and its operator, which were plaintiffs in a mayor lawsuit related to the construction of the mass transit railway system in metropolitan San Juan. The case involved numerous construction disputes such as design, product warranties, and project management, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.<br/><br/>Lead counsel in various Law 75 and Law 21 (franchise) cases, some on behalf of the distributor or sales representative, and others on behalf of the principal or supplier. In one of those cases, represented one of the largest local distributors in a prolonged arbitration proceeding against a worldwide known international supplier, with some of the paramount issues being extensively litigated up to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.<br/><br/>Represented several codefendants in a civil cost recovery and contribution action filed pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act concerning a $20 million dollar remediation of the old Juncos landfill. The litigation required detailed analysis of the waste streams of the three plaintiffs and the multiple defendants pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies. The case settled after a lengthy mediation process.<br/><br/>Lead defense counsel for various pharmaceutical companies in a class action stemming from alleged toxic emissions from an industrial wastewater treatment plant to where these companies and others discharged.
Insurance and Construction Law<br/>Mediated a multi-million dollar dispute stemming from the explosion of a power plant in San Juan between the owner of the power plant and its insurance underwriter in where a series of insurance terms and maintenance and construction issues were under dispute.<br/><br/>Maritime Law and Personal Injury <br/>Mediated a power boat collision case in which several passengers were seriously injured; mediated a claim against the ferry owner by the survivors of a ferry boat that sank at Mona Island Passage; mediated a personal injury claim by a cellular tower maintenance employee against the tower owner and several parties in interest. <br/><br/>All of the above cases successfully settled in the mediation processes.
As an approved mediator of the USDC for the District of Puerto Rico and certified mediator has successfully served in various mediation processes, among them, an insurance coverage and construction dispute stemming from the explosion of a power plant in San Juan between the owner of the power plant and its insurance underwriter in where a series of insurance terms were under dispute; a power boat collision case in which several passengers were seriously injured; a claim against the ferry owner by the survivors of a ferry boat that sank at Mona Island Passage; a personal injury claim by a cellular tower maintenance employee against the tower owner and several parties in interest.
In mediation, the mediator serves as a facilitator, assisting the parties in the opportunity to solve their disputes through a process ordinarily voluntarily selected by them, in where the parties have the control over said process and the outcome of their controversies, with the benefit of confidentiality and the creative savings of their time and money.
University of Puerto Rico School of Law (JD-1970); University of Puerto Rico School of Business (BA, Business Administration-1967).
Admitted to the Bar: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; U.S. District Court, District of Puerto Rico; U.S. Court of Appeals: First and Third Circuits; U.S. Supreme Court.
Puerto Rico Bar Association; American Bar Association; Maritime Law Association of the United States; American College of Trial Lawyers (Fellow; Puerto Rico Committee, Past Chair); American Bar Foundation (Fellow); Puerto Rico Supreme Court: Member of the Permanent Committee for the Rules of Civil Procedures; U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico: member of the District Examination Committee.<br/>
$250 Per Hour
Spanish, English
United States of America
San Juan, PR
The AAA’s Rules provide the AAA with the authority to administer a mediation including, mediator appointment, general oversight and billing. Accordingly, mediations that proceed without AAA administration are not considered AAA mediations, even when the parties select an mediator who is on the AAA’s Roster.
The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
The information contained in this resume has been supplied solely by the individual mediator and may, or may not, be a complete recitation of their experience. The AAA assumes no responsibility for the content, completeness, accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in a mediator’s resume. If you have any questions about a mediator’s experience or background, you are encouraged to contact your case manager.
Mediators on the AAA Roster are not employees or agents of the AAA.
