News 09 Apr. 2024
Curtis Announces New Partners and Counsels Across Offices in Spring 2024
more
News 25 Jan. 2024
Counsel Mohannad A. El Murtadi Suleiman Addresses “Africanization” of International Investment Law
Event 18 Aug. 2023
Partner Borzu Sabahi Speaks at FDI Moot Shenzhen
News 25 Jul. 2023
Partner Eric Gilioli Ranked in Top 10 Influential Energy & Natural Resources Lawyers in Kazakhstan in Business Today
Client Alert 28 Dec. 2023
U.S. to Impose Secondary Sanctions on Non-U.S. Banks For Financing Russia’s Defense Industry
News 28 Aug. 2024
Curtis Recognized for Excellence in Arbitration in Chambers Latin America Guide 2025
Event 22 Aug. 2023
Partner Dr. Claudia Frutos-Peterson to Speak at Arbitration and ADR Commission of the ICC Mexico
News 15 Aug. 2023
Legal Reader Publishes Article on Dr. Majed Alotaibi’s Arrival as Senior Counsel in Curtis’ Riyadh Office
News 31 Jul. 2023
Curtis Welcomes Senior Saudi Advisor, Dr. Majed Alotaibi, to its Riyadh Office
News 24 Aug. 2023
Curtis Attorneys Quoted in CoinDesk on FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s Strategy Ahead of His Criminal Trial
Client Alert 10 Jul. 2024
EU Adopts New Restrictive Measures Against Belarus
Client Alert 26 Jun. 2024
The EU Adopts its 14th Sanctions Package Against Russia
article
International Corporate Rescue Publishes Article by Partner Emanuella Agostinelli
event
Claudia Frutos-Peterson to Co-chair the Review Committee of the IACAC Arbitration Rules
Client Alert 01 Mar. 2021
The alert is available for download here.
The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to review the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which in April 2020 sided with Curtis client and Puerto Rico resident José Luis Vaello Madero in a case with potentially wide-ranging impacts for the rights of residents of United States territories under national legislation. Curtis successfully opposed the United States’ effort to have the Supreme Court summarily reverse the decision below based on decades old Supreme Court precedent that relied on segregationist cases from the early 1900’s to justify the disparate treatment of Puerto Rico.
“We are pleased that the Supreme Court rejected the United States’ bid to have the First Circuit’s historic decision summarily reversed, and that it has agreed that the issue of the unequal treatment of Puerto Rico residents deserves plenary review,” said Hermann Ferré, litigation partner at Curtis and lead pro bono counsel on the case. “We look forward to arguing our client’s case before the high court for why it’s time to revisit and reverse outdated precedent barring Puerto Rico residents from receiving benefits on equal terms with all other residents of the United States.”
The First Circuit held unanimously that the denial of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits to Puerto Rico residents violates the equal protection guarantee of the United States Constitution. The case arose from an overpayment claim brought by the United States against Mr. Vaello Madero, alleging that he was required to return payments he had received through the SSI disability benefits program after he moved from New York State to Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States that has been excluded from the SSI program under the Social Security Act. In the lower courts, the Curtis defense team successfully invoked the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to attack the Social Security Act’s exclusion of Puerto Rico from the SSI program.
Acting on a pro bono basis, Mr. Vaello Madero’s defense team is being led by litigation partner Hermann Ferré and associates Juan Perla, Robert Groot, Andrew Larkin, and Mitchell Clough.
Infrastructure Development
International Arbitration
Commercial Disputes - Arbitration
Commercial Disputes - Litigation
Electricity
Real Estate
Renewable/Green Energy
Energy (Oil & Gas)
Hermann Ferré
Partner
Juan Perla
Robert Groot
Counsel
New York
+1 212 696 6000
Dubai
+971 4 382 6100
news
Legal 500 UK Recognizes Curtis Practices and Attorneys in 2025 Edition
Curtis Attorneys Featured in IBA Insolvency and Arbitration Working Group’s New Reports
We use cookies on our website to enhance your browsing experience, match your interests and assess our website performance. We do not share information with any third-party for marketing purposes. Please view our privacy policy to learn more about the use of cookies on our website. By continuing to browse our website, you consent to our use of cookies.