2022 rising stars

RISING STARS

LAWYERS

THESE are the names that undoubtedly will shine in the coming years. Keep an eye out for their future accomplishments. We are sure they will continue the standards of law practice and ethics. They will also continue to pave the way for future generations, allowing new names to continue rising!

Having been a part of a blended family herself, Julie knows firsthand the complexities of family law and does not take lightly the trust clients place to be their voice and advocate as they navigate through the legal process. Julie graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Then, she graduated cum laude from at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in May 2015. Prior to joining the firm, Julie worked as a civil litigation attorney for a Dallas firm, getting a great deal of courtroom experience.

GUSTAVO AKKERMAN

COVINGTON & BURLING LLP| Corporate (Mergers & Acquisitions) Special Counsel

Gustavo Akkerman advises clients in a broad range of domestic and cross-border merger and acquisition transactions, including public and private, ranging from strategic product acquisitions, division divestitures and joint ventures to large company sales and acquisitions and deSPAC transactions. Gustavo represents both U.S. and international clients, including in the life sciences, energy, and financial services industries.

JOSÉ ARVELO

COVINGTON & BURLING LLP| International Arbitration and Litigation Of Counsel

José E. Arvelo helps clients navigate and tackle their most complex disputes as counsel in high-value international arbitrations as well as transnational and multi-district litigation. He has helped secure sizeable awards in arbitral proceedings conducted in English and Spanish, and defended clients against multi-million-dollar claims brought before international tribunals and U.S. courts. A native Spanish speaker, José also helps clients investigate and address allegations of bribery or other misconduct in Latin America.

LAURA BAEZ TORRES

LAURA BAEZ TORRES LAW| Immigration Owner and Founder

Laura Baez Torres was born in Rioverde, San Luis Potosi and immigrated to the United States with her parents at a young age. Her passion for immigration stemmed from her first-hand experience and knowledge of what it was like to be an immigrant. Today, she helps families stay together through family petitions and immigration services in her solo practice. Above all her accomplishments, she is most proud of raising two kind and intelligent children, Angelique and Esteban, with her husband Jake.

RYAN DAHAN

AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP| Tax Counsel

Ryan Dahan advises a broad base of clients on domestic and international tax matters. In particular, Ryan provides tax advice regarding the structuring of investment funds primarily investing in the credit space, including loan origination, litigation finance, trade claims, distressed debt, nonperforming loans, debtor-in-possession financing and structured credit. Ryan also advises on mergers and acquisitions, partnership matters, capital markets transactions, as well as restructuring matters.

Nancy was born in Mexico City and grew up in Laredo, Texas. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University in College Station. After college, Nancy attended South Texas College of Law Houston. During her time at South Texas, Nancy served as a student attorney for the Actual Innocence Clinic and as a varsity member in the schools nationally-ranked advocacy program. In addition to her studies, Nancy honed her litigation skills working at a tax firm, criminal defense firm and personal injury firm.

MARIA GARCÍA HENRÍQUEZ

SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS| Corporate Associate

María Pía García Henríquez is an associate attorney in the Santo Domingo office of Squire Patton Boggs, where she advises a wide range of clients in general transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, real estate matters, consumer protection, intellectual property, and civil aviation matters. She provides ongoing advice on corporate, commercial, intellectual property, regulatory and tax-related matters, and assists corporate clients with their day-to-day legal needs.

ALINA GONZALEZ

WICKER SMITH| Professional Liability & Transporation Associate Attorney

Alina Gonzalez is an associate in Wicker Smith’s Miami office where she focuses her practice in the areas of professional liability and transportation law. In 2013, Gonzalez graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She then continued her education at the University of Miami School of Law and earned a Juris Doctor in 2017. Prior to joining Wicker Smith, Gonzalez was a managing attorney and compliance officer for four years at a large personal injury law firm.

LENA LAURENZO

ABRAHAM, WATKINS, NICHOLS, AGOSTO, AZIZ & STOGNER| Personal Injury Associate

Lena Laurenzo practice is 100% personal injury and maritime law. Lena represents people who have been injured or killed by the negligence of other individuals and/or companies. Her experience includes 18-wheeler/commercial vehicle crashes, Jones Act and general maritime cases, wrongful deaths, workplace injuries, and all other types of automobile and pedestrian crashes. At her first trial, she co-lead a complex wrongful death case that resulted in a jury verdict of $17,720,000.

EDUARDO MARQUEZ CERTUCHA

SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP| International Law Senior Managing Associate for Sidley Austin’s Houston office

Eduardo’s practice includes a wide range of cross-border M&A and joint ventures, with an emphasis in energy, mining, and transportation. Eduardo is licensed to practice law in Mexico and Texas and has experience advising strategic and financial investors in complex transactions in Latin America. Eduardo earned his Master of Laws from Georgetown, where he graduated with distinction, and was on the Dean’s List. Eduardo has also worked at the World Bank and the Organization of American States.

Venezuelan by birth, Wady had to move at an early age to El Salvador, before finally settling in Houston. As a law student in South Texas College of Law Houston, Wady focused his efforts in helping lower income individuals with their legal needs by taking part on many pro bono events. As an Abraham Watkins attorney, Wady’s cases currently focus on motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries, petrochemical explosions, and wrongful death.

MARIO SAMOS

SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP| Energy Law Managing Associate in the energy group in Sidley’s Houston office

Mario R. Samos is part of Sidley’s energy group and advises clients on buying, selling, financing and operating energy and infrastructure projects. Mario has represented clients in connection with power generation facilities, battery storage projects and electric vehicle charging infrastructure as well as with power and gas utility cost recovery financings. Mario earned his J.D. and M.B.A. in Finance from Northwestern University and his B.A. in Mathematical Economic Analysis from Rice University.

ALANNA SANDOVAL

AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP| Funds Associate

Alanna Sandoval is a trusted advisor assisting prominent private investment funds, sponsors, and institutional investors on a range of investment management matters. She focuses her practice on the formation and operation of domestic and offshore private funds, including private equity funds, hedge funds and hybrid vehicles. While studying at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Alanna was a member and staff editor of the Northwestern University Law Review.

GEORGE SPENCE

SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS| Corporate Senior Associate

George Spence is a senior associate based in our Santo Domingo office. He has also worked at the office in Washington DC, and continues to work closely with the teams in the United States. George’s practice focuses on corporate transactional matters, including acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, joint ventures, and group reorganizations in a diverse range of industries and sectors, involving inbound and outbound international business transactions.

CLOVIS TREVINO

COVINGTON & BURLING LLP| International Arbitration and Litigation Special Counsel

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Clovis emigrated to the United States in 2001 against the backdrop of Venezuela’s economic and humanitarian crisis. She joined Covington & Burling in 2015 and is Special Counsel with the firm’s international arbitration and litigation practice. Her recent work includes ground-breaking public international law matters before the International Court of Justice, UNCLOS, and the European Court of Justice, business and human rights arbitration, investment arbitration, and commercial arbitration.

EDUCATION

Education has been recognized as one of the most relevant resources for Latinos to keep rising in our current environment. Education will open new opportunities, better choices, and stronger positions in favor of the professional level of our communities. We applaud the universities that have created programs for the advancement of Latino students; they are the ones paving the way for the future of America.