Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance > Miami, United States > Firm Profile
Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance Offices
MIAMI TOWER AT INTERNATIONAL PLACE
100 S.E. SECOND STREET, SUITE 2600
MIAMI, FLORIDA 33131
United States
Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance > The Legal 500 Rankings
Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense Tier 3
With particular strength in representing high-profile individuals from Latin American countries, Miami-based Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance counts government officials and senior executives among its impressive client base. Its varied case history includes the defense of corruption, bribery, and money laundering; national security claims; RICO and FCPA matters; and other issues arising from alleged transnational crime. The firm’s wide-ranging expertise also includes asset identification, location, tracing, repatriation, and recovery. Michael Diaz has a network of noteworthy contacts across South America, which generates a strong body of work relating to public corruption and white-collar crime. Also recommended is Robert Targ, who has been active in asset seizure, forfeiture, and global money laundering issues.
Practice head(s):
Michael Diaz; Robert Targ
Other key lawyers:
Richard Wiedis; Greg Ahlgren; Juan Vargas; Marta Colomar-Garcia
Testimonials
‘They are extremely professional, they have a complete understanding of the legal procedures and the best routes to be followed to achieve the appropriate solution to the demands’.
‘Their performance is excellent’.
‘Their strength is in their attorneys’ knowledge and professionalism’.
‘They are highly trained and experienced lawyers, with exceptional analytical ability; they go directly to the important points of problems, have great bargaining power and a thorough knowledge of the laws’.
‘They have the capability to adapt to any circumstances’.
‘Clever, resourceful and successful in litigation and arbitration’.
‘Each lawyer masters his area and expertise very well, and comes together with others generating excellent results’.
‘They have a very solid reputation among their peers and general stakeholders, making it easier to navigate the complexities of the law’.
Key clients
Prakazrel Michel
Amir Nassar
Hector Nuñez
Edoardo Orsoni
Rafael Cedeno
Chris Barkovic
Jose “Pepe” Leggio
Peter Karam
Work highlights
- Advising Prakazrel “Pras” Michel on defense of FARA and campaign finance law violations related to the 1MDB Malaysia fraud and embezzlement case.
- Defending the former general counsel of Citgo Petroleum and PDVSA for violations of the FCPA and money laundering laws including corruption allegations against two former US congressmen.
- Acting for Rafael Cedeño in defense of FCPA and money laundering violations related to the former Treasurer of Venezuela, Alejandro Andrade, convicted and now sentenced, with whom Mr. Cedeño is related, and the successful resolution of the matter with a declination of prosecution.
Dispute resolution > International litigation Tier 3
Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance is a go-to name for disputes between US and Latin American clients. Based in Miami, the team is jointly led by Michael Diaz Jr., Gary Davidson and Brant Hadaway, and handles a range of cross-border disputes with multi-jurisdictional elements and parallel proceedings, including those involving state-owned entities or sovereign representatives. The group counts commercial litigation, financial fraud, sovereign immunity issues, asset recovery cases and construction disputes among its areas of expertise. Roland Potts is is recommended in particular for construction disputes, while Marta Colomar-Garcia is a name to note for general corporate and commercial disputes. The team also handles international criminal work, particularly with a focus on regulatory and money laundering requirements; Diaz Jr. is stands out in this regard, as does associate Javier Coronado Diaz, who splits his time between Colombia and Miami.
Practice head(s):
Michael Diaz Jr.; Gary Davidson; Brant Hadaway
Other key lawyers:
Marta Colomar-Garcial; Roland Potts; Javier Coronado
Key clients
DRI Mortgage and DRI Capital Fund
Nestor Colon
Ruben Idler
Rosita Gomar
Eddy Salloum
Zev Supplies Corp.
Warren Barthes (individual) and Good Investments, SARL
Certain commercial defendants in Luxottica Group S.p.A. & Oakley, Inc. vs. The Partnerships, et al.
Certain commercial defendants in Ouyeinc Ltd. vs. The Partnerships, et al.
Midway Labs USA, LLC; Midway Tecnologia de Alimentos, LTDA.; Wilton Colle; and Catherine Colle
TCB Advisors, LLC, Inversiones Mirko, Hector Luis Hulian Garcia, Angel Franciso Bernardo Ugueto Otanez, Alberto Jose Sanchez Martinez
Work highlights
- Defending Ruben Idler in a dispute relating to an alleged oral contract to process, package, and sell fish through Venezuelan entities.
- Represented Zev Supplies in successfully obtaining a motion for alternative service under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4 to bypass the Hague Service Convention and serve a Chinese personal protective equipment manufacturer that is selling fraudulently labeled personal protective equipment.
- Defended Rosita Gomar and her Guatemalan company, Shalico Financial and Commercial, in a 28 USC § 1782 petition brought by a former employee seeking judicial assistance from the US courts to obtain Shalico’s financial information from a US bank, Banco Santander International.
Latin America: International firms > City focus - Miami Tier 1
Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance is primarily known for its work in corruption investigations and white-collar criminal proceedings, frequently representing public officials, business people, high-net-worth individuals, corporates and financial institutions in Latin America, most notably in Venezuela. More recently, the firm has gained additional traction in other Latin American jurisdictions such as Nicaragua. The firm is also active in the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions matters and international arbitrations involving Latin American entities. Global managing partner Michael Diaz is a leading figure in corruption investigations into serving and former public officials, OFAC sanctions, and international arbitration. Robert Targ is a senior name in money laundering and other corruption cases, while Gary Davidson has a fine record in disputes involving Latin American individuals and businesses. Marta Colomar-Garcia is also a key name.Practice head(s):
Michael Diaz; Gary Davidson; Marta Colomar-Garcia
Key clients
DRI Mortgage and DRI Capital Fund
Ruben Idler
Rosita Gomar
TCB Advisors
Amir Nassar
Hector Nuñez
Edoardo Orsoni
Rafael Cedeno
Chris Barkovic
Peter Karam
Fabio Tordin
Construcciones Monserca
Disargen
Nodus International Bank
Work highlights
- Represented Amir Nassar, a Venezuelan attorney representing Alex Saab, a well-known strawman for President Maduro and his wife, the First Lady of Venezuela, in a billion-dollar money laundering investigation.
- Represented defendant Ruben Idler in contract disputes involving Venezuelan entities.
- Represented Rosita Gomar and her Guatemalan company, Shalico Financial and Commercial in a petition seeking judicial assistance from the US courts to obtain Shalico’s financial information from a US bank, Banco Santander International.
Latin America: International firms > Compliance and investigations Tier 3
Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance has a fine reputation for representing public officials and other individuals in regulatory investigations and white-collar cases, alongside its experience in OFAC sanctions. While much of the firm's Latin America practice has centred on Venezuela over the years, it has built a much stronger record across Latin America, including Nicaragua and other Central American states. Global managing partner Michael Diaz leads many of the firm's key cases, with support from Robert Targ, another experienced figure in white-collar crime cases, including FCPA charges, OFAC sanctions, money laundering cases and bank fraud. Marta Colomar-Garcia is noted for anti-money laundering expertise.
Practice head(s):
Michael Diaz; Robert Targ
Key clients
Amir Nassar
Hector Nuñez
Edoardo Orsoni
Rafael Cedeno
Chris Barkovic
Peter Karam
Jespa and Romeo Mouawad
Eduardo Iglesias
Gustavo Orsoni
Fabio Tordin
Work highlights
- Represented Amir Nassar, a Venezuelan attorney representing Alex Saab, an alleged associate of President Maduro and his wife, the First Lady of Venezuela, in a billion-dollar money laundering investigation.
- Represented a former PDVSA official and oil trade manager in an active FCPA investigation by the Eastern District of New York and the US Department of Justice.
- Represented Edoardo Orsoni, former general counsel of CITGO Petroleum in Houston and Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), who has pled guilty to violations of FCPA laws for his participation in a kickback and money laundering scheme.
Latin America: International firms > International arbitration Tier 5
Gary Davidson and Michael Diaz, Jr. front the Latin American international arbitration practice at Miami-based Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance. The practice is focused predominantly on commercial arbitration and litigation work in sectors ranging from construction and mining to retail and technology. Clients value the firm’s ‘proven experience in all arbitration forums and procedures’ and ‘ability to integrate with internal lawyers’ on cases. The ‘methodical and organised’ Marta Colomar-Garcia in Bogota is highly regarded by clients who also praise Miami-based practice co-head Diaz Jr. for his ‘deep knowledge and experience’. Matter highlights include representing Western Building Group in a $16m construction arbitration dispute in Panama against construction company Construtora Norberto Odebrecht. Former practice co-head Brant Hadaway has left the firm.Practice head(s):
Michael Diaz, Jr.; Gary Davidson
Testimonials
‘Proven experience in all arbitration forums and procedures. They have a team of lawyers trained in the different systems of law, which allows them to know and apply the laws and precedents of each country, applicable to each case or arbitration process.’
‘The ability to work in an integrated way with the internal lawyers as a team and open to any suggestion. They are perfectly accessible and available.’
‘Michael Díaz Jr, stands out for his deep knowledge and experience. He adapts to the demands of each case.’
‘Marta Colomar is very methodical and organised in handling processes. She manages all aspects of communication and logistics to perfection.’
Key clients
Western Building Group
Work highlights
- Represented Western Building Group in a $16m construction arbitration in Panama against Construtora Norberto Odebrecht and concerning roofing work at Tocumen International Airport, Panama City.
Diaz Reus International Law Firm & Alliance > Firm Profile
Firm overview:
- Fraud, civil litigation and arbitration
- White collar crime, regulatory, criminal investigations and defense in matters of corruption, bribery, money laundering, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, OFAC, Magnitsky Act, CAATSA, Specially Designated Nationals, the Bank Secrecy Act and other US law violations
- Asset investigations, identification, location, tracing, and recovery
- Politically sensitive investigations and the recovery of US immigration status and visas
- Corporate / M&A
- Real Estate
- Sports and entertainment law
- Immigration, tax and estate, family law
- Sovereign trade, commerce, banking, real estate, intellectual property, capital markets, and finance
- Corporate/financial institutions, governance and compliance
- Blockchain and cryptocurrency
Diaz Reus serves US-based and global clients, including multinational corporations, import and export companies, manufacturers, technology companies, government entities, heads of states, political parties, public officials, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, family offices, high net worth individuals, and athletes and entertainers. Diaz Reus is an entrepreneurial, enterprising, emerging-markets law firm providing traditional legal services across all industries while focusing on promising new business opportunities for its clients. The firm is dedicated to growing and protecting its clients’ assets and securing their long-term stability. From twenty-seven offices located throughout Latin America, the US, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, our multicultural lawyers operate seamlessly, giving clients access to boots-on-the-ground, global legal counsel.
Main areas of practice:
High-stakes litigation and arbitration: Transnational litigation, arbitration, and appellate matters including commercial disputes, sensitive investigations, financial fraud, asset seizure and forfeiture, white collar criminal, asset recoveries, international law, intellectual property rights, and recovery of visas.
Transactional: Complex contract negotiations, finance, real estate, IP licensing, joint ventures, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, customs, trade, and franchising.
Regulatory: Anti-money laundering compliance, BSA, corporate governance, regulatory investigations, FCPA, customs, and criminal and civil RICO cases. Representing banks, corporations, traditional and non-traditional financial institutions, sovereigns, political parties, government entities and officials, and private individuals.
Private client: Domestic and international tax, athlete, and entertainer representation. Immigration, trust and estate, and family law matters.
Representative litigation and arbitration matters
- Represent holdout group of bondholders in $700m Argentinean government default
- Represent US citizen/Venezuelan national in defense of a federal criminal investigation in the Southern District of Florida (Miami) involving allegations of unlicensed money transmitting and money laundering
- Represent group of US auto dealerships in breach of agreements in importation and sale against Indian truck manufacturer. Claims include fraud, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent inducement, unjust enrichment, civil conspiracy, and violations of the federal automobile dealers Act and state ‘dealer day in court’ laws
- Represent head of political party in lawsuit for defamation against The Wall Street Journal
- Represent Latin American, Chinese, and Middle Eastern nationals in recovery of US Visas, following investigations for human rights violations and corruption
- Represent Venezuelan government agency in lawsuit alleging expropriated property in excess of $1bn, violating the US Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
- Arbitration of dispute in Panama between US company and Brazilian general contractor engaged in construction of airport
- Represent parties allegedly defrauded of equal shares in joint venture to sell power-generating turbines to Venezuelan electricity sector. Includes allegations of fraudulent transfer, an out of state trust, an affiliated company in Panama, and US law enforcement investigations
- Represented Mexican oil giant, PEMEX, in multimillion-dollar action under federal RICO, involving complex extraterritoriality issues
- Represented US-multinational corporation victimized by fraudulent acts during government bid process in Peru
- Represented Central American commodities enterprise in dispute with US-based supplier regarding cross-border shipment of goods under CAFTA-DR
- Arbitrated commercial dispute in purchase and sale contract transferring airplanes from Central to South American airlines, ultimately sold to a third-party airline in Dubai
- Represented iron/ore producer in defense of arbitration dispute for maritime vessel and iron/ore contracts in London, Zurich, Miami, and New York
- Represent prominent, wealthy Honduran family and their business empire against money laundering charges and OFAC designations in federal court in New York City
Global managing partner: Michael Diaz, Jr
Number of partners: 56
Number of lawyers: 60
Offices in: USA: Miami, Florida; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; Houston, Texas. Canada: Toronto. Latin America: Bogota, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Caracas, Venezuela; Lima, Peru; Mexico City, Mexico; Monterrey, Mexico; Panama, Republic of Panama; San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Santiago, Chile; Santo Domingo, DR; Sao Paulo, Brasil; Guatemala, Guatemala. Europe: Frankfurt, Germany; Madrid, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Moscow, Russia. Middle East / Asia: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Lahore, Pakistan; Shanghai, China. Beirut, Lebanon; Baghdad, Iraq. Africa: Johannesburg, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria.
Languages: Arabic, Catalan, Czech, English, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Shanghainese, Spanish
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
OFAC Sanctions, Corporate investigations and white collar criminal | Michael Diaz, Jr. | mdiaz@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
OFAC Sanctions, Corporate investigations and white collar criminal | Robert I. Targ | rtarg@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
International litigation and arbitration | Marta Colomar-Garcia | mcolomar@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
International litigation and arbitration | Gary E. Davidson | gdavidson@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
International arbitration | Michael Diaz, Jr. | mdiaz@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
International litigation and arbitration | Roland Potts | rpotts@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
White Collar criminal defense | Richard Wiedis | rwiedis@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
Immigration | Michael A. Harris | mharris@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
Real estate | George Diaz | gdiaz@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
Sports and entertainment | Ahmand R. Johnson | ajohnson@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
Litigation, Entertainment | Kenneth A. Linzer | klinzer@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
Tax planning and estates | Julio Barbosa | jbarbosa@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
Tax planning and estates | Steve Horowitz | shorowitz@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
White collar criminal defense | Juan Vargas | jvargas@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
Civil & Criminal Litigation | Greg Ahlgren | gahlgren@diazreus.com | +1 877.247.9277 |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Greg Ahlgren | Partner | View Profile |
![]() | Marcela Blanco | Partner, Head of the Bogota office | View Profile |
![]() | Marta Colomar-Garcia | Administrative Managing Partner | View Profile |
![]() | Javier Coronado Diaz | Partner | View Profile |
![]() | Gary Davidson | Partner | View Profile |
![]() | George Diaz | Partner | View Profile |
![]() | Michael Diaz, Jr. | Global Managing Partner | View Profile |
![]() | Robert Targ | Founding Partner | View Profile |
![]() | Juan Vargas | Of Counsel | View Profile |
![]() | Richard Wiedis | Partner | View Profile |
Legal Briefings
US anti-corruption developments – 2019 in review
Throughout 2019, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continued to actively investigate and prosecute individuals and corporations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for suspected involvement with political corruption and/or bribery around the world. The US implemented further aggressive measures to fight corruption, including economic sanctions administered …