Carlos J. Saavedra-Gutiérrez

Carlos J. Saavedra-Gutiérrez is of counsel in the San Juan office of Jackson Lewis, PC and has over 10 years of experience in both the private and public sector. Before the age of 35, Carlos held several senior leadership positions within the Government of Puerto Rico.

From 2017 to 2019, Carlos was the youngest Puerto Rico secretary of Labor and Human Resources. As secretary, Saavedra oversaw the implementation of a private sector labor reform that amended and modernized most employment laws and workplace regulations in Puerto Rico. During 2019, Carlos served as general counsel to the governor of Puerto Rico, advising the Governor on all legal matters, including analyzing legislation, drafting executive orders, and supervising all public policy related litigation in state and federal court. Later, Carlos was chief legal officer of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, managing and supervising the legal strategy of the Puerto Rico Title III bankruptcy-like proceedings under the PROMESA Act. As chief legal officer, he also supervised and led the restructuring negotiations of over $70 billion in debt across 17 different issuers in Puerto Rico. 

Previously, Carlos served as a field attorney in Region 12 of the National Labor Relations Board, investigating charges of unfair labor practices, litigating cases, and conducting elections to determine union preferences. Prior to joining the NLRB, he was an associate in the employment and labor law department of a large law firm in Puerto Rico, where he handled several labor and employment law matters, including cases of unjustified terminations, national origin discrimination and American with Disabilities Act claims, obtaining several victories at the summary judgment stage of litigation. Carlos also provided counseling to corporate clients in matters of business immigration, including acquiring work visas, and preparation of visa petitions, including L-1 visas for intracompany transferees.

Carlos began his legal career in the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, serving three years as law clerk to Associate Justice Mildred G. Pabón-Charneco.

While in law school, he was associate director of the University of Puerto Rico Law Review. 

Honors and Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico©, "Labor and Employment Law" (2024)

Published Works

• “Libertad de Asociación y Colegiación Compulsoria: propuesta del estándar consitucional aplicable,” Puerto Rico Lawyers Association Law Review (2013) [Author]
• “Incorporación De Jure o Incorporación De Facto; Dos Avenidas para erradicar fantasmas constitucionales,” University of Puerto Rico Law Review (2011) [Author]
• “La Uniformidad en el Derecho; Análisis de la metodología interpretative de la Juez Asociada Anabelle Rodríguez,” University of Puerto Rico Law Review (2010) [Co-author]