F
ernando O. Zambrana-Aviles, Esq.

Fernando O. Zambrana-Aviles, Esq. – Mr. Zambrana-Aviles completed his undergraduate studies in Science, History and Policy, and International Relations in Carnegie Mellon University, in the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During his years as an undergraduate student, he participated in a language exchange program in the Nevsky Institute of Language and Culture, in the City of St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, where he obtained a certificate of proficiency in the Russian language. He also performed research on the reforms of the post-Soviet Russian Armed Forces with the assistance of Russian military scholars in Pittsburgh and Moscow.

Afterwards, he completed his Juris Doctor at the University of Puerto Rico, School of Law. There, he participated in the Immigration Clinic, where he assisted clients in removal cases, adjustment of status under the Cuban Adjustment Act, among others.

After admission to the bar, he continued working in the immigration law field, representing clients in family and employment-based immigration petitions, consular matters, and removal cases. He has also tried cases and represented individuals, municipalities and corporations before the U.S. District Court and the Courts of Puerto Rico in environmental litigation, labor and employment law, civil rights and constitutional claims, foreclosures, criminal cases, collection of monies, damages under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and in claims against the United States based upon the Federal Torts Claims Act. He also has extensive experience in bankruptcy proceedings (Chapters 11 and 13), evidentiary hearings and jury trials before the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

As part of his work in the bankruptcy field, he formed part of the three-attorney team, led by retired Bankruptcy Judge Gerardo A. Carlo-Altieri, in charge of representing Casiano Communications, Inc., during its corporate reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Casiano Communications, Inc., owned and published newspapers and magazines widely circulated in Puerto Rico, such as Caribbean Business, Imagen, Buena Vida, and others.

He has also appeared in numerous occasions before the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.

Mr. Zambrana-Aviles also served as an adjunct professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (PUCPR), School of law during 2011, where he taught a regular course on Immigration Law.

He is also a licensed notary public for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Bar admissions: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.