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Carlos Alvarado-Jorquera
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Carlos Alvarado-Jorquera
C. Alvarado-Jorquera, PLLC
212 E. Ludington Avenue
Suite 1
Ludington, MI 49431
Phone: (231) 425- 4444 | Fax: (231) 425 4445
http://www.carlosalvaradolaw.com
Business Law Services for Small Business
Legal Topic
Business Law
Preferred New Clients
My practice focuses on small business providing in-house legal services without the in-house cost, and tailored to the specific industry of the client. The practice also concentrates on transactional law and general business governance issues.
Sub-Categories
Bars & Restaurants
- Liquor Licenses
- Business Successions
- Buying & Selling
- Closely Held Businesses
- Corporations
- Directors' & Officers' Liability
- Joint Ventures
- Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
- Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures
- Partnerships
- Professional Corporations
- Audit Defense
- Corporate Income Taxes
- Excise Taxes
- IRS Disputes
- Negotiating Payments & Settlements
- Property Taxes (Ad Valorem Taxes)
- Sales Taxes
- Tax Filing & Compliance
- Breach of Contract
- Contract Disputes
- Contract Drafting & Review
- Non-Compete Contracts
- Secured Transactions
- Uniform Commercial Code
- Warranties
- Gaming
- State & Municipal Contracts
Legal Topic
Employment & Labor Relations
Preferred New Clients
My practice focuses on counseling employer on employment and labor law issues, such as employee handbook, wage-hour, employment contracts, workplace compliance regulations. I do represent employees on wrongful termination and/or discrimination cases.
Sub-Categories
Employees
- Affirmative Action
- Age Discrimination
- Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Disability Discrimination
- Discipline/Suspension
- Emotional Distress
- Employee Rights
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)
- Race Discrimination
- Racial Harassment
- Severance Packages
- Sex Discrimination
- Sexual Harassment
- Wage & Hour Laws
- Whistleblower
- Wrongful Termination
- Affirmative Action
- Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Disability Discrimination
- Discipline/Suspension
- Emotional Distress
- Employee Rights
- Employment Contracts
- Equal Pay Act (EPA)
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Immigration Reform & Control Act of 1986 (IRCA)
- Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)
- Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA)
- Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA)
- Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)
- Race Discrimination
- Racial Harassment
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
- Severance Packages
- Sex Discrimination
- Sexual Harassment
- Termination
- Wage & Hour Laws
- Whistleblower
- Wrongful Termination
- Collective Bargaining
- Labor Disputes
- Labor Legislation
- National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)
- Picketing/Freedom of Speech
- Unfair Labor Practices
- Unions
Legal Topic
Immigration
Preferred New Clients
My practice focus on supporting employers in their quest for qualified foreign staffing needs. In addition, I enjoy helping individuals seeking immigration benefits.
Sub-Categories
Immigration
- Citizenship or Naturalization
- Employer Work Visas
- Permanent Resident (Green Card)
- Undocumented Workers
- Visas
- Passports
- Family Petitions
- Employer Petitions
Bar Admissions
MI, Feb 2005
Bar Number: P68004
Other Court Admissions
Chile's Colegio de Abogados - 1980 (Chilean Bar Association); Western District of Michigan, 6th Circuit Court; Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Tribal Court; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Tribal Court.
Association Memberships
American Bar Association; Hispanic Bar Association; Mason County Bar; American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Continuing Education
Although the State Bar of Michigan does not require fulfillment of continuing education hours, I am constantly learning and attending seminars through the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education. I complete and average of 10 hours per year through a combination of attending conferences and seminars and through their web broadcasted seminars.
Example Cases
The great majority of the employment cases end in settlements.
Education
Degree:
Juris Doctor
School:
Escuela de Derecho Universidad de Chile
City:
Santiago - Chile
State:
Information coming soon.
Year:
1980
Degree:
Masters in Political Science
School:
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
City:
Santiago - Chile
State:
Information coming soon.
Year:
1984
Degree:
Masters in Public Administration
School:
Central Michigan University
City:
Mt. Pleasant
State:
MI
Year:
1987
Degree:
LL.M
School:
The University of Michigan Law School
City:
Ann Arbor
State:
MI
Year:
2003
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
Michigan and Chile.
Firm Focus and History
This "boutique-style" law firm focuses in employment, immigration, transactional, business, oil and gas and gaming law. Current work encompasses employment claims (variety of issues from wrongful discharge to discrimination), human resources compliance, contract draft and review, and general small business corporate legal advice, title opinion and curative work for oil and gas, specialized advise for gaming enterprises, representation on gaming commission legal authority issues, and individual per capita litigation before local Tribal Court.
I have been practicing law since 1981, first as a member of a prominent Chilean law firm, then as an independent international lawyer for a couple of oil and gas companies. In 2008 after four years as General Counsel for a Native American Gaming Enterprise I decided to hang my shingle as solo practitioner and focus my practice in fields that I have been involved in for the last 28 years.
Previous Employment Summary
• 1981-1985 Partner Mendez Muller and Associates, Santiago-Chile. General corporate legal work; sat in two Board of Directors and supervised the practice law students and associates work.
• 1986-1987 Took a break to successfully complete an MPA program upon moving to the United States.
• 1989-1991 Adjunct Instructor American Government, Mid Michigan Community College.
• 1993-2003 Adjunct Instructor American Government, West Shore Community College.
• 1999-2005 Adjunct Instructor Employment Law, Business Law, Davenport University.
• 1988-2003 Worked as independent international law consultant advising business development, focusing in the oil and gas industry. Worked in transactional and lease development in four continents and performed legal translations domestically.
• 2003-2008 Upon completing my LL.M at the University of Michigan I concentrated my practice in immigration and general business working and was hired first as Associate Legislative Counsel for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and later I was appointed as General Counsel for the Little River Casino Resort.
• 2008-Present Established C Alvarado-Jorquera PLLC as a solo practitioner.
Activities and Awards
• Member of the Board of the Ludington Area Catholic Education Foundation
• John M. Olin Fellow in Law and Economics, University of Michigan Law School
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
I normally encourage clients to educate themselves about their legal options. I strongly believe my role as advisor and counselor is better served if I am dealing with a person who understands what is being said or what his/her options are.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I have no problem in reviewing papers prepared by clients as long as the final document, which may have my signature will be my responsibility. I will not sign/endorse documents prepared by clients without subjecting them to a thorough review.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
Depends on the subject matter. I have done it on the past on business negotiations where the presence of a lawyer may elicit fears and may jeopardize the cost of the transaction. I would not agree to do that in any litigation matter.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
From a young age, the values of fairness and justice were instilled in me and I thought the law profession would be the best route to pursue those values.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
My long term experience as an in-house lawyer provided me with a perspective of the business/management side that has been extremely helpful during my practice.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
I fell into it when I first joined my first law firm, which was mostly a corporate law practice. Later, my independent counseling work was done in the area of international business management, so it was a natural progression. When I started to teach employment law, I realized that there was a lot of potential to serve people in that area of the law. My immigration practice has evolved from my own experience and the area of the country where I live.
What do you like best about your career?
My employment practice and immigration practice are very satisfying because they allow me to touch people's lives in a very meaningful way. The business practice is fun because it allows me to see business developing from start-ups to full fledge enterprises.
Tell us about your law firm:
I am a solo practitioner. I like interacting directly with the people and part of my service is to dedicate time to get to know and understand the needs of the clients. I anticipate adding a paralegal of my own as well as an administrative assistant within this fiscal year.
What are your strengths and style?
My major strength is my ability to communicate with people in a very effective way. I am a conversationalist and like spending time with the clients so they feel comfortable enough to explain their legal concerns. I try to schedule clients in blocks of time that allow for such interaction and like to involve the client in the entire process of the legal services I provide, so I keep them informed all the time. I try using emails instead of telephone calls so there is a trail of what has been communicated.
Personal Interests:
I love spending time with my wife, specially traveling and golfing.
Fax
(231) 425 4445
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Walk-ins discouraged. Please call for an appointment.
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Foreign Languages
Yes, Spanish (Attorney).
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
• Employment law fees are mostly predetermined.
• Immigration law cases are always fixed fee as per processing requested.
• Business law matters are charged mostly on a fixed fee basis; however, hourly fee is sometimes requested by the client. (I am working on a Fee Schedule).
Hourly Rates
$185.
Free Initial Consultation?
Initial consultation is free for employment and immigration cases. Business law consultations are charged at the hourly rate ($185) which is normally discounted from the final service.
Typical Retainer
The only time I charge a retainer is when I am engaged for a long term business counseling issue (e.g. Wage Hour, I-9, HR compliance audits, and union avoidance seminars).
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