Biography
Gilberto Gutiérrez-Teissonniere is a Member in the Corporate Department at O’Neill & Borges LLC. He has practiced law since 2008 and joined the firm in 2012. His practice concentrates on real estate, land use and entitlements, project development and finance, and general corporate matters in Puerto Rico.
Gilberto regularly represents asset management companies, financial institutions, and corporate investors in the acquisition, management, leasing, development, and disposition of real estate assets. He has overseen large-scale real estate loan and asset portfolios with unpaid principal balances approaching two billion dollars and frequently structures and enforces master development restrictive covenants, condominium and condo-hotel regimes, and compliance systems for complex real estate projects.
His experience also spans environmental and land use law, drawing on more than a decade spent in project management and environmental permitting prior to becoming an attorney. From 1995 to 2008, Gilberto worked at a leading Puerto Rico architecture and engineering firm, where he coordinated environmental and permit processes, conducted due diligence reviews for commercial, residential-tourism, and industrial acquisitions, and managed the permitting and entitlement process for major resort developments. These projects included residential communities, hotel developments, golf courses, and related infrastructure, giving him a practical understanding of the intersection between legal frameworks, regulatory compliance, and project delivery.
In addition, Gilberto has advised franchisor’s and multinational retailers in securing real estate deals for rapid expansion into the Puerto Rico market, guiding site acquisitions, leasing, and entitlement strategies to support aggressive growth plans. He also counsels lenders and developers in negotiating financings, addressing permitting issues, and restructuring loans to advance projects in a competitive market. His ability to integrate technical, financial, and legal perspectives allows him to deliver clear, actionable strategies to clients pursuing high-value ventures in Puerto Rico.
Gilberto holds a B.S. from Springfield College (1995) and a J.D. from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico (2006). He is admitted to practice in Puerto Rico. With this breadth of experience, Gilberto is recognized as a leading authority in Puerto Rico real estate, land use, and development law. Clients rely on him to manage complex real estate and financing transactions, secure entitlements for major projects, and anticipate regulatory issues before they arise— ensuring clients receive clear, practical strategies for advancing projects in Puerto Rico’s competitive real estate market.