Disponible en Español

It's been a while since I've updated you on my professional journey, so I'm excited to share what's new.

Some of you may know that more than 10 years ago (😬) I had the honor of being Acting CEO and later COO at the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust. There, along with an incredible team, I spearheaded or helped launch projects such as the Research Grants Program, the Tropical Biodiversity Center, the Clinical Research Consortium, the Technology Transfer Office, and Parallel18. The latter holds a special place for me; although there's always room for improvement, it has been a vital platform for tech startups to grow and attract investment, putting Puerto Rico on the global map. I hope it can continue to grow and fulfill its potential, and I’m proud to see how much these projects have grown since then.

On a personal level, this experience connected me with a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, scientists, and academics who broadened my worldview. After leaving the Trust, I continued to support this community, offering accessible and technologically advanced legal services similar to any other modern service we’re accustomed to. Nothing was more gratifying than witnessing the dreams of those entrepreneurs materialize, from the formation of their companies to serving thousands of people with their products and services, and sometimes receiving large investments or selling their businesses.

At the same time I’ve been serving in the military, right now as a Captain in the Civil Affairs branch of the United States Army Reserve. I’ve been able to use the knowledge and networks I developed over these years to support the economic development mission in the civil governance of other countries.

Most recently, through Los Angeles Legal Advocates, I was presented with the opportunity to pursue a dream I had since 2005: to dedicate myself to immigration law. In tough times for immigrants—documented or not—this work has motivated me to move forward and expand my practice to also help international entrepreneurs who wish to bring their projects to Puerto Rico or the United States.

Now, with great enthusiasm, I’m beginning a new stage: launching my own practice focused on immigration, corporate formation, and general corporate matters. My objective is to offer a high-quality, agile service at fair prices, addressing the problems that I think make up 80% of lawyers’ bad reputation:

1. Lack of communication: The top ethical complaint from clients in most jurisdictions is “the lawyer never answers me” or “I signed the contract and never heard from her again.” I’m implementing both manual and automatic status updates throughout engagements to avoid this problem.
2. Excessively high and unexpected bills: Charging by the hour creates a conflict with the client where the lawyer is incentivized to be more inefficient and take longer. All services will have a fixed or monthly price.
3. Lack of understanding about the process: The other issue I’ve faced a lot is that the client has not received a work plan and expectations about what will be done. From day one, my clients receive an outline of the stages and approximate timelines they should expect.

So if you’re an entrepreneur, SME owner, or looking to explore immigration options to the United States or Puerto Rico, email me at ivan@ruta.legal or schedule a consultation at www.ruta.legal.

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Thanks!