Lilyvette Rodriguez Soto

Biography

Drawing on more than a decade of experience, Lily has developed a unique perspective of all aspects of labor and employment relationships. At any given time, Lily has witnessed all sides of a labor and employment controversy. She has counseled and represented employers in all facets of litigation, negotiated with unions, assisted workers, prosecuted federal labor cases, and even served as hearing officer in administrative proceedings. This vast experience has given her a unique understanding of workplace dynamics and what it takes to reach practical and effective solutions for her clients.

In her early career, Lily represented plaintiffs who were victims discrimination. She then did an internship with labor and employment arbitrators, giving her a broader perspective about workplace disputes. After that, she went on to counsel businesses providing preventive consulting in day -to-day labor and employment issues, conducting workplace investigations, and drafting company policies and employee handbooks, among others. She also represented corporate clients and business owners in all facets of litigation in workplace discrimination and retaliation in state and federal courts. Similarly, she also helped businesses navigate labor unions’ attempts to organize their workforce, represented them in labor arbitration hearings, and defended them before state and federal agencies, including the NLRB, EEOC, OSHA, and the Office of Unemployment.

Prior to founding Suro & Rodriguez, PLLC, Lily served as a senior field attorney with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), where she spent significant time investigating and prosecuting unfair labor practice claims spanning from the State of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S Virgin Islands. Among many other achievements, she represented the General Counsel in several complex cases with nuanced legal theories. She also lectured on the NLRB’s behalf in conferences and university law school presentations.

Today, backed by 15+ years of expertise, Lily represents a broad range of businesses in labor and employment matters. She represents clients in traditional labor matters that implicate the National Labor Relations Act, including collective bargaining, arbitration, mediation, union organizing and elections, and other proceedings before the NLRB.

Lily also counsels clients on a wide range of workplace issues, including wage and hour disputes, discrimination and harassment allegations, employee corrective action, reasonable accommodations for disabilities and religion, leaves of absence, and health and safety matters. As an extrovert and a firm believer in open communication, Lily has a keen eye in identifying areas of improvement in employee-employer relationships. She enjoys conducting workplace culture assessments and providing internal training for first-line supervisors and employees. Her proactive approach to help her clients prevent litigation, includes providing comprehensive guidance on drafting employee handbooks, workplace policies and employment agreements, and handling other day-to-day HR matters.

Bar Admissions

• Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (2009)
• State of Florida (2014)
• U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico (2010)
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida (2015)
• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (2022)
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida (2022)

Education

• University of Puerto Rico School of Law, Juris Doctor, May 2008, Magna Cum Laude
• Facultad de Derecho Universidad de Barcelona, Summer Program
• University of Puerto Rico, B.A.: Social Sciences; Major: Labor Relations, Magna Cum Laude, May 2004