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Stephen Abreu focuses on structuring and negotiating complex intellectual property and commercial transactions for life sciences companies, including strategic collaborations, cross-border transactions, and co-development, license and manufacturing agreements. Stephen leverages both his graduate training as a molecular biologist and his experience leading monoclonal antibody research and development programs in advising his clients on their transactional and business matters.

BEN AGOSTO III

ABRAHAM, WATKINS, NICHOLS, AGOSTO, AZIZ & STOGNER PERSONAL INJURY Associate

Ben Agosto III is a trial lawyer at Abraham Watkins. A Houston native, Ben was born to be an advocate. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida and South Texas College of Law Houston. Following graduation, Ben was a Law Clerk with the Honorable Larry Weiman of the 80th District Court in Harris County, Texas, which at the time, was among the top three in trials in the state. Ben now brings this experience to Abraham Watkins, where he continues to work zealously to maximize the value of his clients’ cases.

BENNY AGOSTO, JR.

ABRAHAM, WATKINS, NICHOLS, AGOSTO, AZIZ & STOGNER PERSONAL INJURY Managing Partner

Benny Agosto, Jr., a partner with Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner of Houston, Texas was born in New York City and raised in Puerto Rico. He went on to the University of Houston to work on his graduate degree in microbiology and taught high school and college students for six years. Agosto realized that although he loved teaching and coaching soccer, he needed more. He was accepted to South Texas College of Law Houston, where he excelled in mock trial and academics and is now a board-certified trial lawyer.

NATALIE ALFARO GONZALES

BAKER BOTTS L.L.P. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Partner

Natalie Alfaro Gonzales practices in all areas of intellectual property law, including patent and trade secret litigation, patent prosecution, and IP and technology transactions. Natalie is a member of the firm's Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and is also deeply involved in her community, including serving as President of the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston, on the Steering Committee for the Texas Minority Counsel Program, as a Trustee for the Foundation of Advancement of Diversity in IP Law, and has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Law Center.

BEATRIZ AZCUY

SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP REAL ESTATE Partner

Beatriz is the head of Sidley’s Real Estate group in Miami. She has over 25 years of experience representing private equity and other institutional clients in complex commercial real estate matters, including the financing, sale, acquisition, development, management, equity investment in and leasing of all types of commercial properties throughout the U.S. Beatriz has extensive real estate workout and restructuring experience.

At Baker Botts, Dino serves as the global chair of the Project Finance practice. Dino’s practice focuses on domestic and international project development and finance, with particular emphasis on US, Latin American and Caribbean infrastructure projects, debt financings and mergers and acquisitions. Dino regularly represents lenders, investors and developers in a wide range of domestic and international project financings in the energy, power, infrastructure and commercial sectors.

ALMA BENAVIDES

LAW OFFICE OF ALMA R. BENAVIDES, PLLC FAMILY LAW Attorney

Alma R. Benavides has been licensed to practice law since May 2001, shortly after graduating from Texas Tech School of Law. She is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Family Law and in Child Welfare Law. She has been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell and Texas Super Lawyers. Serving as a council member for the State Bar of Texas Child Protection Law Section. Alma often presents as a speaker on predicate orders for children seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and is an experienced mediator.

BRIGIDA BENITEZ

STEPTOE & JOHNSON LLP COMMERCIAL LITIGATION Partner and General Counsel

Brigida Benitez is a partner and General Counsel of Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Her practice focuses on complex civil litigation, internal investigations, and global anti-corruption issues. She draws on almost 30 years of experience representing clients in high-stakes, complex disputes and helping them solve challenging problems. She is a past president of the DC Bar, the largest unified bar in the country, and a past vice-president of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

MARISA CASABLANCA

AKERMAN LLP IMMIGRATION Partner, Chair, Immigration Planning and Compliance

Maria Isabel “Marisa” Casablanca assists corporate clients and individuals with immigration benefits for over 30 years. She is Board Certified and serves on national liaison committees with USCIS, ICE, CBP, and Department of State. She handles all areas of immigration including high net worth clients for EB5 and employers before government agencies. She litigates in federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court. She can think outside the box and apply innovative strategies.

MARLEN CORTEZ MORRIS

OGLETREE, DEAKINS, NASH, SMOAK & STEWART, P.C. LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT; FRANCHISE; COMMERCIAL LITIGATION Shareholder

Marlén Cortez Morris is a seasoned advocate and litigator for businesses on a wide range of labor and employment, franchise, and commercial litigation matters. Marlén’s deep litigation experience includes the enforcement of contract and intellectual property rights, franchise disputes, and employment-related claims. She also routinely provides strategic guidance on workplace matters and franchise relationship issues to facilitate compliance and mitigate legal risk.

Manuel L. Crespo is a partner in the Real Estate practice group at Greenspoon Marder. Crespo has concentrated his practice in real estate and commercial transactions and has litigated real property disputes, contract and title disputes, construction, landlord-tenant, foreclosures, among others. Crespo has also contributed to the Latino community, including past presidency of the Cuban-American Bar Association (CABA), one of the largest minority voluntary bar associations in Florida.

JORGE R. DE ARMAS

SCARINCI HOLLENBECK, LLC PUBLIC LAW Counsel

Jorge R. de Armas, Counsel, is a member of Scarinci Hollenbeck’s Public Law group. He has over seventeen years of experience and demonstrated ability in the representation of individual, corporate, and public sector clients, with a focus on the representation of municipalities, counties, authorities and school boards. De Armas’ practice has also focused on issues involving regulatory compliance, insurance coverage, municipal governance as well as contract formation and negotiation.

DANIEL DIAZ LEYVA

DIAZ LEYVA GROUP REAL ESTATE / BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS CEO

Daniel Diaz Leyva is an attorney and trusted advisor with a broad range of transactional experience, focused on the areas of real estate and business. He co-founded the boutique law practice Diaz Leyva Group representing owner-operators, family offices, investors, home builders and developers as well as bank and non-bank lenders. He supports clients in structuring, joint venturing, acquiring, financing, leasing, developing and selling real estate, and loan transactions for bank and non-bank lenders.

MIGUEL DOMINGUEZ

MORGAN & MORGAN PERSONAL INJURY AND CIVIL RIGHTS Partner

Specializing in personal injury & civil rights cases, Miguel has carved out a reputation for turning traditionally under-valued cases into 7-figure verdicts. In his role as trial coordinator for the firm, he provides trial consultation, supervises, and conducts, most of the personal injury jury trials that are noticed for trial in Georgia. His most recent verdicts include $500,000, $1,200,000, and $1,500,000 against the City of Atlanta and $6,400,000 against the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.

SARA GARCIA DURAN

SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP PRIVATE EQUITY/ M&A/CAPITAL MARKETS Partner

Sara Garcia Duran, a partner at the global law firm of Sidley Austin LLP, guides leading private equity firms and public companies through a variety of complex corporate transactions. This includes industry-changing public and private acquisitions, divestitures, and investments. She also advises clients on general corporate governance matters and compliance issues. Sara’s range, experience, and results have earned her significant recognition, including most recently by this very publication, and she is noted for her deep community involvement.

Isaac Faz is Of Counsel for Buckingham Barrera Vega in Dallas, Texas and practices throughout Texas. Isaac’s career has been focused on being involved in the community and an advocate for citizens, the elderly, and students. Isaac attended Dallas College, received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin, studied law in Madrid, Spain, and received his Juris Doctorate from Texas Southern Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, TX. He lives in Dallas, Texas and has two daughters.

MAYRA FORNOS

FORNOS LAW FIRM, APC CIVIL / MEDIATION Attorney/Mediator

Mayra Fornos, Esq. is an accomplished litigator and trial attorney with three decades of experience handling a wide range of civil matters, with expertise in the fields of catastrophic personal injury. She has served as a Settlement Officer and Mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court in addition to receiving extensive training in mediation and conflict resolution from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law, earning certificates in Mediating the Litigated Case and in Elder/ Dependent Adult Care Mediation.

PATRICIA GANNON

GREENSPOON MARDER LLP IMMIGRATION Partner, Co-Chair of the Immigration & Naturalization Group, and Deputy Managing Partner of the New York Office

Patricia L. Gannon is a partner, chair of Greenspoon Marder’s Immigration and Naturalization practice group, a member of the Management Committee, and the Deputy Managing Partner of the New York office at the firm. Gannon focuses her practice on business immigration, advises multi-nationals on employment verification matters, and develops compliance strategies and programs. Gannon, as a member of the Foreign American Counsel, concentrates her international practice on global immigration.

ISABELA GARCIA

GARCIA-WINDSOR, PC FAMILY LAW Founding Attorney and CEO

Isabela Amie Garcia, a first-generation Latina lawyer and relentless advocate for her clients, credits her competitive drive from playing professional tennis for Mexico, the mentorship of family law icons, and overcoming numerous personal obstacles as reasons for her success. The road to becoming a lawyer as challenging for Garcia after having significant education gaps in Mexico and the U.S. and eventually graduating high school with a GED diploma. “Being mentally tough works well in this field, as does tenacity,” she says. “I never gave up and am proud of our work.”

VERONICA GARZA

THE LAW OFFICES OF VERONICA GARZA PLLC IMMIGRATION Owner/Managing Attorney

Veronica Garza earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Wesleyan School of Law. She did her undergraduate studies at Texas State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Political Science and a minor in Psychology. Garza, a US citizen born in Mexico, to a Mexican mother and an American father, has experienced first-hand the complexities of the US immigration system and is always able to relate to her clients’ plight.

Raed Gonzalez is recognized as an outstanding immigration litigator and advocate in the U.S., and his opinions are respected and trusted in the legal community. He was born in Puerto Rico. He earned his B.A. Cum Laude in 1992, and his J.D. Cum Laude, in 1996 from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. In addition, attorney Gonzalez has served as expert on immigration cases on many matters including disciplinary proceedings on behalf of the State Bar of Texas.

JAVIER GRAJEDA

LAW OFFICES ROBERT E. WISNIEWSKI COMPENSATION Partner

Javier C. Grajeda is a Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist under the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization. Growing up in Los Angeles, CA, he worked in his family’s landscaping business, where he appreciated the value of hard work and first became interested in workers’ rights. Javier is a devoted advocate for injured workers who need a voice. He is the first person in his family to earn a college and law degree. He is also a graduate of the State Bar of Arizona Leadership Institute.

PATRICIO J. GUTIERREZ

GUTIERREZ LAW GROUP CORPORATE & INTERNATIONAL Founder & Managing Partner

Patricio is the Founder and Managing Partner of Gutierrez Law Group PLLC and focuses his practice on corporate and international law. His practice advises foreign companies on a variety of transactions concerning business operations in the United States. The firm is based in Dallas with additional offices in South Texas and Mexico. Patricio is a frequent contributor to Forbes Mexico and currently sits on the Board of Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Patricio is admitted to practice law in Texas.

STEFFI HAFEN

SNELL & WILMER LLP TAX AND TRUSTS AND ESTATES Partner

Steffi Gascón Hafen has a thriving legal practice as the managing partner of the San Diego office of Snell & Wilmer, a full-service business law firm with 16 locations throughout the United States and in Mexico, including three offices in California. She is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, California Board of Legal Specialization. She is a co-leader of the firm’s Private Client Services practice group, a partner in the General Federal Tax practice group and her practice is concentrated in tax, trust, and estate matters.

ARNULFO HERNANDEZ

HERNANDEZ & ASSOCIATES, P.C. CRIMINAL DEFENSE & IMMIGRATION LAW Managing Partner

Arnulfo is the founder and managing partner of Hernández & Associates, P.C., the largest immigration law firm in Denver, Colorado and surrounding states. Arnulfo concentrates his practice on immigration law and criminal defense litigation, particularly cases in which both practice areas intersect an area of law known as crimmigration. Native fluent in Spanish, Arnulfo represents immigrants and their families in the Denver metropolitan area before federal and state courts as well as federal agencies and numerous consulates around the world.

Christine M. Hernández is a shareholder at Hernandez & Associates, PC in Denver, CO. She specializes in removal defense, family-based immigration and federal appellate litigation before the Board of Immigration Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Tenth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Christine was included in 5280 Magazine’s Colorado Top Attorneys in 2022. She is currently the Region XIII President for the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), has been Co-Chair of the HNBA’s Immigration Section since 2015.

CASSANDRA HERNANDEZ

HERNANDEZ LAW GROUP CIVIL & IMMIGRATION Partner

For over a decade, attorney Cassandra Garcia Hernandez has served the Latinx community all over Texas. She practices in personal injury litigation and leads the immigration department as a partner at Hernandez Law Group. Outside of her practice, she is involved in several legal organizations -such as Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA). She is a former commissioner on the City of Dallas Ethics Advisory Commission and enjoys contributing her time pro-bono to organizations. She was recognized as 2022 Texas Monthly Top Woman Attorney.

JUAN CARLOS HERNANDEZ

HERNANDEZ LAW GROUP PC PERSONAL INJURY/TRIAL LAW Managing Partner

Juan Hernandez is one of the mere 2% of attorneys with certification from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization to practice personal injury law. Hernandez takes pride in ensuring the clients get the best representation they deserve, and he aggressively fights for their legal rights. At Hernandez Law Group, P.C. you’re not just a client, you’re part of our family. Hernandez is fluent in Spanish and English. He has a J.D. from Baylor University.

RAFAEL LANGER-OSUNA

SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS LITIGATION Partner

A proud dual citizen of the U.S. and Bolivia, Rafael M. Langer-Osuna (they/elle) is a partner at Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP where they (1) try cases in state and federal courts for and against foreign sovereigns and (2) litigate disputes involving technology companies or the internet, including cases arising from online defamation, online copyrights and contracting, data privacy, hacking, and software licensing conflicts. They maintain an active pro bono practice and multiple leadership positions.

JORGE LEON

MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH LLP EMPLOYEE BENEFITS & EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION Partner

A boardroom insider for public and private companies, Jorge Leon enjoys the confidence of directors, compensation committees and C-suite executives, solving critical compensation and benefit issues. Jorge also counsels on plan design and compliance and ERISA litigation. Publishers, journalists, and organizations frequently seek Jorge’s views on ERISA and diversity. Jorge also advises policymakers on benefits. He is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and a Trustee of the Field Museum.

Martinez is an accomplished trial lawyer and leading national health care fraud practitioner. He represents individuals and corporations in a wide range of matters involving allegations of health care fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, cybercrime, public corruption and tax offenses, among other matters. He conducts internal investigations and defends people in connection with internal investigations. He was a federal prosecutor for more than a decade before embarking on private practice.

VIRGINIA MCGARRITY

ROBINSON & COLE LLP EMPLOYEE BENEFITS (ERISA) Partner

A noted ERISA lawyer, author, and speaker, Virginia represents employers in benefits matters involving retirement and welfare plans and executive compensation. She plays a key role in M&A transactions and represents clients before various governmental agencies. She is Vice-Chair of her firm’s Diversity Committee and is Past President of the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association. She has received multiple awards in recognition of her outstanding contributions to diversity in the legal profession.

GABRIEL MESA

COVINGTON & BURLING LLP CORPORATE TRANSACTIONS Partner

Gabriel Mesa is a partner in the firm’s New York office and a member of the Corporate Practice Group. He advises companies on corporate transactions, including joint ventures, private mergers and acquisitions, financings and restructurings in Latin America and other emerging markets as well as in the United States. His work spans venture capital and private equity investments, strategic acquisitions, privatizations and oil and gas ventures.

JORGE A. MESTRE

RIVERO MESTRE BUSINESS LITIGATION Partner

Jorge A. Mestre engages exclusively in a commercial-litigation practice and is Board Certified in International Litigation and Arbitration by the Florida Bar. In Chambers USA, he has been praised for “his strategic sense and creative thinking in critical litigation matters” and has been characterized as “a brilliant litigator with the creative edge; he sees a tactical advantage in what seems like an intractable problem.”

PEDRO MIRANDA

SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS PUBLIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE Partner

Pedro Miranda focuses his practice on public finance. He has served as bond counsel and underwriters’ counsel on financings by governmental bodies in Arizona, Florida, Texas and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. He has broad experience representing issuers and underwriters on both new money public financings and refunding. His experience includes financings secured by project revenues, special sales taxes, general obligation bonds and special assessment bonds.

Richard Montes de Oca is the founder and Managing Partner of MDO Partners. He is a Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in American, and AV Preeminent-Rated attorney in Corporate, Contracts and International Law with 20 years of experience. He is an expert in the areas of corporate governance, corporate finance, mergers and acquisition transactions, and securities. He has extensive experience representing clients in various corporate law matters, including transactions valued at over $5 Billion.

YVETTE OSTOLAZA

SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP COMMERCIAL LITIGATION AND DISPUTES /CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC RESPONSE/ENERGY/SECURITIES AND SHAREHOLDER LITIGATION/WHITE COLLAR: GOVERNMENT LITIGATION AND INVESTIGATIONS Management Committee Chair

She is the only woman and first Latinx to lead a top seven AmLaw revenue firm. She maintains a Band 1 Chambers-ranked litigation practice and transformed Sidley’s office in Dallas into one of the city’s most prestigious and diverse firms. Yvette’s historic appointment to chair Sidley’s Management Committee in 2022 follows a decades-long career of trailblazing accomplishments. Before Yvette’s arrival, Sidley had 15 lawyers in Dallas. Her vision was to establish a large, elite, full-service office in Dallas, and as office managing partner she quickly accomplished her goal.

JOHN MANUEL PADILLA

PADILLA & RODRIGUEZ, LLP PERSONAL INJURY Partner

John M. Padilla is licensed in Texas and California. He is managing partner of Padilla & Rodriguez, LLP, a boutique law firm of personal injury trial lawyers, headquartered in Houston, Texas. Padilla is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has represented catastrophically injured plaintiffs for over 25 year. Padilla earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree with Highest Honors from the University of Texas at Austin, and successfully completed the prestigious Honors Business Program.

MARLON PAZ

LATHAM & WATKINS CAPITAL MARKETS Partner

Marlon Paz counsels broker-dealers and other financial services firms in relation to securities regulation, regulatory enforcement, internal investigations and examinations, and compliance. He also helps clients navigate acquisitions of brokers, dealers, and investment advisers. Paz brings clients seasoned advice drawing on his experience as a senior official at the SEC, and is an adjunct faculty member of Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

JAVIER PEREZ

PEREZ LAW LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT Managing Attorney

Javier Perez is a Board-Certified employment attorney with a diverse and bilingual employment law practice. Javier is a two-time President of the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association and served on the Merit Selection Panel for the U.S. District Court, the City of Dallas Civil Service Board, and the HNBA Judicial Endorsement Committee. Mr. Perez was named a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation, and an ally of the Dallas Women Lawyers Foundation.

Judge Pamela Peynado has touched the lives of many through her leadership and mentorship. She serves as a reminder that immigrants deserve an opportunity at the “American Dream.” Born in the Dominican Republic, she fights tirelessly to defend her community as an immigration attorney. Pamela is the youngest and only female partner at a thriving immigration law firm, Lee and Peynado Immigration Law Group. In January of 2022, Pamela was appointed Judge Pro Hac Vice of the City of Atlanta Municipal Court making her the only Latina Judge in the court.

IRENE PONS

PONS LAW FIRM FAMILY LAW Owner/managing attorney

For over 15 years, Irene has been both a full-time Family Law, Immigration and Adoption attorney as well as a full-time professor at UCF. Her classes include Family Law, Civil Litigation, Law & the Legal System, Legal Writing, Legal Research, among others. She sits on various committees at the university and is running a Pro Bono clinic with the UCF Immigrant Justice Center assisting immigrants with their asylum petitions. A project that was the amazing result of a Collaborative endeavor to find the truth about the Humanitarian Crisis at the US Border.

VERONICA QUINONEZ

VERONICA QUINONEZ LAW, PLLC FAMILY LAW AND MEDIATION Principal

Verónica Quiñónez is the owner of Veronica Quinonez Law, PLLC. Her practice focuses on providing legal representation and mediation services in the area of family law, including civil protection orders and cases involving domestic violence and sexual abuse. She taught negotiations as an affiliate professor at the University of Washington School of Law in 2018. Veronica was also the President of the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington and the Region XVI Deputy President of the HNBA.

ANGEL REYES

ANGEL REYES - REYES BROWNE REILLEY PLAINTIFF'S PERSONAL INJURY President

Angel Reyes is the Founder and Managing Partner of the law firm Angel Reyes - Reyes Browne Reilley. He began his legal career on Wall Street, subsequently relocated to Dallas, Texas, and opened his law firm. Since 1993, Angel has helped over 45,000 injury victims receive over $1 Billion in compensation for their injuries. Angel was named to the 2008-2022 Texas Monthly Super Lawyers list, the top honor issued to the best lawyers in Texas. Angel is often quoted by newspapers and periodicals and is a frequent guest on television and radio shows.

RAMON E. RIVERA

SCARINCI HOLLENBECK, LLC PUBLIC LAW/LABOR & EMPLOYMENT Partner & Chair

Ramon E. Rivera is a Partner at Scarinci Hollenbeck and chairs the firm’s Labor and Employment practice group. Ramon focuses much of his practice on Labor and Employment matters in both the public and private sector on behalf of management. Specifically, Ramon focuses on resolution of employment disputes, collective bargaining, employee grievances, EEOC complaints, and other workplace issues. Ramon represents several municipalities as Labor Counsel, wherein he provides legal advice and representation on employment matters and others.

Esteban Rodriguez is a rising star whose practice focuses on defending companies in high-stakes commercial, mass-tort, and consumer class action matters. His varied experience includes defending J&J in nationwide opioid litigation and Top Rank in the Manny Pacquiao “Fight of the Century” MDL. He has been a key member of multiple trial teams, including for the multibillion-dollar opioids trial in Oklahoma. He also regularly speaks on product liability and mass-tort litigation. A recipient of the Hispanic National Bar Association’s 2022 Top Lawyers Under 40 Award, Esteban champions pro bono work and serves in prominent board leadership roles, including as Chair for Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County.

ENEIDA ROMAN

ROMAN LAW SMALL BUSINESS | ESTATE | REAL ESTATE President

A nationally recognized leader, Eneida is a trained attorney and organizational psychologist, and for two decades, she has used her expertise in law, conflict resolution and cultural competence to advise her clients. Eneida is Founder of Roman Law, a Boston-based boutique law firm focused on small business, real estate, and estate law. She is known as a catalytic pacesetter and a purpose-driven champion of advancing women and Latinos.

ROBERT SALCIDO

AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP HEALTHCARE Partner

Health care partner Robert Salcido represents clients in False Claims Act (FCA) and qui tam litigation and provides counseling on application of health care fraud and abuse laws. As lead counsel, he has successfully defended a number of FCA actions, obtaining dismissal of the lawsuit on appeal, at trial, at summary judgment and at the pleading stage. He is also a thought leader who has authored books and articles on the FCA and health care fraud and abuse laws and lectured extensively.

CANDELARIO SALDANA

CADWALDER, WICKERSHAM & TAFT LLP CAPITAL MARKETS Associate

Candelario is an associate in Cadwalader’s Capital Markets Group in Charlotte. He represents investment banks and other financial institutions in secured commercial lending transactions, commercial mortgage-backed securitizations and other asset-backed securitizations. He is also one of Cadwalader’s Black & Latino Association Immigration Clinic leaders. Candelario is a member of the National LGBTQ Task Force and the Pauli Murray LGBTQ+ Bar Association Board of Directors. He was appointed to the Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Committee for the North Carolina Bar Association.

MARIA SAMPEDRO-IGLESIA

MAZE RESOLUTIONS PA MEDIATION Mediator

Maria Sampedro-Iglesia (former Circuit Court Judge) is a neutral with MAZE Resolutions PA. She facilitates all areas of alternative dispute resolution which are civil and family mediations, arbitrations, neutral umpire work, and special magistrate services. Mari is a natural, creative problem solver with over 30 years of legal experience, resolving numerous complex civil and family matters.

Former Chief Legal Officer and City Solicitor of the City of Pittsburgh, is a partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP. She practices in the areas of government enforcement, corporate compliance and internal investigations, government related civil litigation, and the False Claims Act. She has substantial trial experience in both state and federal court where she has tried numerous bench and jury trials in a multitude of jurisdictions. Sánchez is also deeply involved in the community. She serves as a Governor for the Allegheny County Bar Association.

ADRIANA TIBBITTS

SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP GLOBAL LIFE SCIENCES - TECHNOLOGY AND LIFE SCIENCES TRANSACTIONS; EMERGING COMPANIES AND VENTURE CAPITAL; M&A Partner

Clients consult Adriana for her experience with technologies that have been of significant interest in the life sciences industry, including cell and gene therapies and digital health. She advises inventors and entrepreneurs on forming, financing, licensing and development activities for emerging companies with novel technologies. She helps clinical-stage companies expand their global footprint and engage commercialization partners. She regularly handles cross-border matters, including in China.

FILEMON VELA

AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP PUBLIC LAW AND POLICY Partner

A former U.S. Representative, public law and policy partner Filemon Vela was first elected to serve the 34th Congressional District of Texas in 2012, then re-elected four times. Rep. Vela maintains close ties across the Democratic Caucus, particularly with pro-business Democrats and the Hispanic Caucus. Prior to serving in Congress, Rep. Vela spent more than 20 years as a litigator in private practice. He advises on commerce, energy, economic, agriculture, national security and defense issues.

VERONICA YEPEZ

COVINGTON & BURLING LLP WHITE COLLAR: CROSS-BORDER INVESTIGATIONS AND ANTI-CORRUPTION COMPLIANCE Of Counsel

Veronica Yepez leads Covington’s anti-corruption and investigations practice in Latin America. She is an experienced white-collar lawyer who regularly conducts cross-border investigations and represents corporate and individual clients before U.S. criminal and civil enforcement authorities. She has been recognized by Latinvex as among Latin America’s top 100 female lawyers. Complementing her investigations practice, Veronica advises multinational companies on compliance with anti-corruption laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

RAFAEL ZAHRALDDIN

LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH LLP CORPORATE, BANKRUPCY & INSOLVENCY, UKRAINE CONFLICT RESPONSE Partner

Rafael X. Zahralddin is a partner in Lewis Brisbois' Wilmington office and a member of the Corporate, Bankruptcy, Complex Business & Commercial Litigation, Digital Asset, and Ukraine Conflict Response Practices. He is a skilled business attorney with significant experience advising clients in commercial litigation, insolvency, distressed M&A, compliance, corporate law and entity formation, corporate governance, commercial transactions, cyber law, regulatory actions, and cross-border issues.