Juan Carlos Benitez

Juan Carlos Benitez is a leader in the Republican Hispanic community and has exceptionally close ties to the White House. A native of Puerto Rico and first-hand participant in U.S. territory management, he was formerly the prime U.S. advocate for the government of the U.S. Pacific Island Territory of Guam. He serves as one of two in-house international relations specialists at Cassidy and has particular expertise in labor, employment and justice issues. With his depth of knowledge and broad network of contacts, Mr. Benitez is a tremendous asset to our firm. Mr. Benitez comes to us directly from the Bush II Administration, where he served as Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices after being nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously by the Senate in 2001. As Special Counsel, Mr. Benitez was the highest-ranking Hispanic presidential appointee at the Justice Department. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Benitez practiced governmental affairs as Of Counsel to the law firm of Long Aldridge and Norman, where he devised strategic lobbying efforts on issue-specific campaigns. Mr. Benitez was both Associate General Counsel and Legislative Director for the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration in Washington, D.C. from 1995 to 1999, where his international and government affairs expertise was bolstered significantly. In the role of Legislative Director, in particular, Mr. Benitez was responsible for the development and implementation of Puerto Rico’s congressional and executive lobbying strategy. He was also the representative for the Governor of Puerto Rico before U.S. Congress and all U.S. federal government agencies. Mr. Benitez has a B.A. in Judicial Systems from Sacred Heart University in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He graduated cum laude from the Inter-American University Law School, where he also served as a Member of the Law Review Board. Mr. Benitez’s leadership within the political, international affairs and employment opportunity communities over the years has won him several commendations and awards from prominent social and political organizations.