Sylmarie Arizmendi

Practice Areas

Sylmarie Arizmendi is widely recognised for her expertise in labour and employment law and for her broader experience in commercial and civil litigation. With more than thirty years of practice, she advises employers on the full spectrum of workplace law and human resources compliance issues. Her practice encompasses the drafting and implementation of personnel policies and protocols, wage and hour compliance, performance management, workplace investigations, and the handling of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims. She also assists employers with protected leave management, reasonable accommodation requests, reductions in force, and business transfers, providing strategic employment due diligence in mergers and acquisitions.

In addition to her counselling work, Ms. Arizmendi has significant experience representing clients before Puerto Rico and federal courts, as well as administrative agencies. She has handled disputes involving restrictive covenants, distribution contracts, private education matters, and commercial contract litigation. She is also a seasoned trainer, regularly designing and delivering customised compliance workshops for management teams and employees on topics such as sexual harassment, progressive discipline, and equal employment opportunity.

Career

Ms. Arizmendi is the Principal Consultant at SA Beyond Consulting, a practice she established in 2025 to provide strategic HR compliance counselling and tailored training programmes for employers across multiple industries.

Previously, she served as Co-Chair of the Litigation Department and Head of the Employment Practice at Reichard & Escalera (2015–2025), where she led teams of associates and managed complex litigation in federal and local courts. From 2005 to 2015 she was Managing Shareholder of SA Arizmendi Attorneys at Law, a boutique employment law firm she founded and grew into a respected practice in Puerto Rico.

Earlier in her career, she was a Partner at O’Neill & Borges (1998–2004) and began her legal career as an Associate in its Labour Department (1994–1998). She clerked for the Honourable Federico Hernández Denton at the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico (1992–1993).

In addition to her practice, Ms. Arizmendi has held academic appointments, serving as Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law (2015–2016), where she taught Constitutional Law and Gender Discrimination.

Professional Memberships

Puerto Rico Bar Association

U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court Bar

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Publications

El Derecho Al Servicio De La Realidad: Visión Pragmática del Honorable Juez Presidente en el Campo del Derecho Laboral Privado

Residential Picketing: Will the Public Forum Follow Us Home

Personal

Outside of her professional life, Ms. Arizmendi is an avid triathlete and outdoor enthusiast. She brings the same passion, energy, and discipline to her practice as she does to training for competition.

Languages Spoken

English (native/bilingual)

Spanish (native/bilingual)

French (limited working proficiency)

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Puerto Rico (local and federal courts)

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court

Industry Sector Expertise

Her areas of focus include labour and employment compliance, HR best practices and training, workplace investigations, risk management, distribution and commercial contract disputes, and private education law.

Clients

Ms. Arizmendi represents employers ranging from multinational corporations to local businesses and private schools. Her clients span a wide range of industries, including banking, retail, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, insurance, private education, printing solutions, solar and wind energy, HR support services, security, distribution and export, engineering, real estate management, and scientific research.

Work Highlights

Defended employers in high-stakes litigation involving discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour claims before both Puerto Rico and federal courts.

Guided corporate clients through employment due diligence in significant mergers and acquisitions, ensuring compliance in workforce transfers and mitigating post-transaction risk.

Designed and implemented comprehensive HR compliance programmes and delivered training to management teams in industries including pharmaceuticals, financial services, and private education, improving organisational culture and reducing exposure to litigation.

Awards

Education