2007-Present

Provide legal services to clients in a variety of matters, including bankruptcies, out-of-court workouts, creditors’ rights, collections, and real estate transactions.

O’Neill & Borges, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Partner, Commercial Litigation/Bankruptcy
2001-2007

Served as member of bankruptcy practice group within litigation department. Practiced extensively before the federal and state courts, primarily in the area of commercial litigation, including creditor’s rights and bankruptcy, collection actions and foreclosures, breach of contracts, construction law, and bond claims, for financial institutions, bonding and insurance companies, shopping center owners, and manufacturers. Led, executed and oversaw a wide variety of out-of-court restructurings and complex litigation involving, among other things, cram down and valuation, dischargeability, fraudulent transfer, preference actions, consolidation, super priority lending, and adequate protection. Drafted, reviewed and negotiated letters of intent, purchase agreements and related documents of real estate and equipment transactions with chapter 7 trustees.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Puerto Rico
Law Clerk for Hon. Enrique S. Lamoutte
November 1998 to November 2001

Participated in all aspects of bankruptcy litigation, at the bankruptcy and appellate level.

McConnell Valdés, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Associate in Litigation Department - November 1997 to November 1998
Clerk Summer - 1995-1996

Represented a variety of clients in the largest firm in Puerto Rico, practicing all areas of commercial litigation at state, federal and appellate levels.

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
Washington D.C.
Student Intern in Misdemeanor Trial Section
January to April 1994

EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• University of Puerto Rico School of Law, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  Juris Doctor, May 1997, Magna Cum Laude, Class Rank: Top 15%
• Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
  Bachelors of Science in Foreign Service, May 1994, Cum laude, Class Rank: Top 18%

CERTIFICATIONS

• Certified in business bankruptcy by the American Board of Certification - April 2009

AFFILIATIONS

• United States Supreme Court – Admitted since 2004
• Florida Supreme Court - Admitted since 2008
• Puerto Rico Supreme Court – Admitted since1998
• United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit – Admitted since 1998
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit - Admitted since 1999
• United States Court of International Trade – Admitted since 1999
• United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico – Admitted since 1998
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida - Admitted since 2008
• American Bankruptcy Institute – Member since 2002
• Central Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association
• Hispanic Bar Association
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers

AWARDS & HONOR SOCIETIES

• Fulbright Scholarship Finalist (1990); National Dean's List (1997); Phi Lambda Beta (1994),
• Alpha Theta (International Honor Society in History) (1994), and Xerox Award for the Humanities and Phi Social Sciences (1990)

EDITORIAL BOARDS

• From the Bar, The Federal Bar Association Newsletter, Puerto Rico Chapter, 1999-2001
• University of Puerto Rico Law Review, Member 1995-96 and Associate Editor, 1996-1997

SEMINARS AND SPEECHES CONDUCTED

Since 2001, Ms. Colon has chaired and conducted numerous seminars and speeches in the fields of creditor’s rights, bankruptcy and business reorganizations for the American Bankruptcy Institute (Caribbean Insolvency Symposium in Miami 2006 & San Juan, 2007), the Federal Bar Association (Seminar on Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Law and BAPCPA 2005); the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida (Conozca Sus Derechos TV Series on Bankruptcy Law); the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce (Strategies on How to Confront Insolvency of Clients or Personal Businesses 2001), and for Mexican judges on seminars sponsored by the Latino Turnaround and Insolvency Network and National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (Establishing a Dialogue with Mexican Federal Judiciary on Bankruptcy Issues in Los Angeles, 2003).

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Attended seminars on federal litigation by the Federal Bar Association (1997 & 2000), the First Circuit Judicial Conference (2001) and Thomas Mauet & Michael Cash (2007); seminars on environmental law by Tulane University (1996) and the Environmental Law Institute (1997); and seminars on bankruptcy law and creditor’s rights by the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (2003 & 2009), the American Law Institute/American Bar Association (2001), New York University (1999 & 2000), the Norton Bankruptcy Litigation Institute (2001), the American Bankruptcy Institute (2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, & 2008), and the Central Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association (2008). She also attended Barbri Bar Review Course in preparation for the Florida Bar Exam (2008). In addition, she has attended numerous continuing education seminars in the area of real estate to maintain her license as a real estate broker.

LANGUAGES

Spanish, English and working knowledge of Portuguese.