Sequor Law obtains a U.S. court order compelling Citibank to comply with financial discovery under the FSIA to enforce a judgment against the Republic of Kazakhstan, a key asset recovery win. U.S. Court Orders Citibank to Comply with Financial Discovery in Kazakhstan Judgment Enforcement Open Case Results Open February 21, 2025 1 minute read Sequor Law In a recent ruling that is of particular interest to parties seeking financial discovery relating to foreign sovereigns, Sequor Law, acting as part of a global enforcement team along with Astraea Group Ltd and Hillmont Partners, sought and obtained an Opinion and Order in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York compelling Citibank N.A. and various affiliated entities (together, “Citi”) to respond to financial discovery in furtherance of Petitioners’ efforts to enforce their judgment against the Republic of Kazakhstan. A copy of the Court’s Opinion and Order, which reaffirmed various core principles governing the rights of creditors to obtain discovery under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (the “FSIA”), can be accessed below. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

This article outlines cross-border asset recovery as an emerging legal niche in Chile, describing how teams of lawyers, investigators, and forensic accountants pursue hidden assets across jurisdictions using networks like Fraud Net. Recuperar activos ocultos en el extranjero: Nuevo nicho para abogados Open In the News Open November 7, 2017 3 minutes read Sequor Law Las estrategias combinan legislaciones de distintos países. By Antonio Collados El peruano Vladimiro Montecinos, el chileno Alberto Chang y el matrimo‐ nio filipino de Imelda y Ferdinando Marcos tienen algo en común: oculta‐ ron en el extranjero los bienes que obtuvieron mediante fraudes. Si bien la recuperación transnacional de activos es un área de práctica legal muy extendida en el mundo, es muy poco conocida en Chile. Se trata de un área de derecho relativamente nueva, en donde se requiere trabajar en equipo no solamente de abogados de distintos países, sino también con investigadores y con contadores forenses, según explica Guillermo Jorge, jurista argentino que participó el viernes pasado en un almuerzo organizado por el Estudio Rivadeneira Colombara Zegers, al cual asistieron algunos profesionales chilenos y varios expertos internacionales. Esta oficina se está integrando a una red internacional de estudios que se dedica a estos temas y que están agrupadas en Fraud Net, donde hay abogados de Estados Unidos, Argentina, Suiza y Reino Unido. La especialidad también se aplica a casos de divorcios de personas de alto patrimonio en que uno de los cónyuges tiene parte de sus bienes fuera de su país, como fue el caso del ex futbolista y actual entrenador del Atlético Madrid, Diego Simeone, cuya bien asesorada ex esposa obtuvo 20 millones de euros como producto de estas pesquisas. En el seminario del viernes, el abogado estadounidense Edward Davis Jr. destacó el sigilo como uno de los aspectos más relevantes de estas gestiones. “Esto es como cuando un tigre sale a cazar, se mueve con mucha tranquilidad, se toma su tiempo, es silencioso, pero no es lento”, dijo. Davis asegura que todo se hace de una manera diseñada para que no alerte a la persona que está escondiendo el activo, porque el dinero puede moverse de un día para otro. “Hay que ser un tigre inteligente y ágil”, agrega Jorge, su colega argentino, quien destaca que algo que les da mucha agilidad a los equipos de abogados privados son los recursos. Explica que un fiscal debe ceñirse a procedimientos lentos y formalidades para pedir cooperación internacional, lo que contrasta con las redes de abogados privados conectados en grupos de whatsapp, con bases de datos a las que acceden simultáneamente. Una “Interpol privada” De acuerdo a la descripción que realizan, estos equipos trabajan como “una suerte de Interpol privada”, ya que pueden reaccionar rápidamente y actuar de manera simultánea en todos los países que sea necesario, según comenta Ciro Colombara, socio del estudio chileno, quien explica que la globalización hace que los conflictos jurídicos también sean globales. “Casi todos los casos relevantes tienen una arista internacional y en el caso de los temas económicos es muy habitual que los activos económicos estén en otros países, especialmente en paraísos fiscales”, añade. Esto hace que el conocimiento idiosincrático de las distintas jurisdicciones donde tendrán lugar las pesquisas sea una clave fundamental de su éxito. “Si le pides a un juez de un país ‘A’ que le pida algo a un juez del país ‘B’, se lo tienes que pedir en un lenguaje tal que él lo lea como algo muy parecido a lo que hace todos los días, hay que saber cómo hacer coincidir los sistemas, qué palabras claves incluir”, dice Arnie Lacayo , otro experto de Estados Unidos que participó en el seminario. Tanto Lacayo como Davis Jr. trabajan actualmente en el caso Stanford, un fraude de más de US$5 mil millones, sólo superado en magnitud por el caso Madoff, en que la defraudación alcanzó los US$50 mil millones. Los especialistas explicaron que la clave en estos casos es la capacidad de seguir el flujo del dinero para entender cómo se hizo el fraude, dónde están los activos y así definir la forma de recuperarlos. Para leer el artículo completo, oprime aquí. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

Sequor Law handles complex appellate litigation in U.S. and cross-border disputes, coordinating closely with trial teams to preserve or reverse decisions below Appellate Law Sequor Law has a proven history of successfully handling high-stakes appeals in the United States, representing clients in complex disputes involving fraud, insolvency, and cross-border enforcement. The firm focuses on preserving favorable outcomes and reversing legal or factual errors through disciplined, strategic appellate advocacy. An Integrated Approach Built for Complex, Multi-Jurisdictional Disputes Sequor Law approaches appellate litigation as a critical phase of complex dispute resolution, representing clients in courts of second and third instance across the United States. The firm represents clients in appellate matters involving complex legal and factual issues, in both offensive and defensive postures. Its work is directed at preserving favorable rulings, reversing adverse decisions, and addressing errors of law or fact arising from proceedings below. Appellate strategy is developed in coordination with trial and evidentiary hearing teams, ensuring continuity in issue development, record preservation, and legal positioning throughout the life cycle of a dispute. This integrated approach is particularly important in matters involving extensive records, cross-border elements, and evolving legal frameworks. The firm identifies and develops dispositive issues for appellate review, prepares comprehensive briefing, and presents arguments aligned with the standards and expectations of appellate courts. Sequor Law has appeared in matters before the United States Supreme Court, multiple United States Courts of Appeals, and United States District Courts sitting in their appellate capacity, as well as state intermediate and supreme courts. The firm also acts as instructing counsel in cross-border appellate and post-judgment proceedings, including matters in jurisdictions across the European Union and the Americas. The firm represents sovereign governments, high-net-worth individuals, victims of fraud, institutional insolvency practitioners, court-appointed fiduciaries, businesses, and financial institutions. Its appellate work frequently arises from disputes involving fraud, corruption, asset recovery, and cross-border insolvency, where the legal issues are technical, the factual records are extensive, and the outcomes carry significant financial and strategic consequences. A Global Appellate Footprint — From U.S. Courts to Cross-Border Proceedings Open Christopher A. Noel Partner cnoel@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 264 Open Leyza B. Florin Shareholder lflorin@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 300 Open David Short Counsel dshort@sequorlaw.com (+1) 202-900-8740 Open Open Key contacts Key Contacts

Sequor Law's Cristina Vicens Beard and Andrew Dawson examine the Second Circuit's ruling on Madoff trustee clawback actions against non-US entities and international comity principles. Asset recovery column: The long arm of the liquidating trustee – Madoff trustee reaches offshore transferees Open Legal Insights Open June 13, 2019 1 minute read Sequor Law Christina Vicens Beard and Andrew Dawson / Sequor Law June 13, 2019 Sequor Law attorney Cristina Vicens Beard and of counsel Andrew Dawson consider the implications for non-US entities of the US Second Circuit’s recent ruling that international comity principles should not stop clawback actions by the trustee of Bernie Madoff’s investment firm. Read full article here Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

Sequor Law's Arnoldo Lacayo, Daniel Coyle, and Alejandro Anselmi explore how traditional asset recovery instruments can be adapted to trace and recover cryptocurrency assets globally. Global: An Introduction to Asset Tracing & Recovery (Law Firms) Open Legal Insights Open August 10, 2021 11 minutes read Sequor Law By Arnoldo B. Lacayo , Daniel M. Coyle , Alejandro Anselmi Facing the Cryptocurrency Challenge With Existing Asset Recovery Instruments: Give Us the Tools and We Will Finish the Job The coronavirus pandemic has caused extreme damage between 2020 and 2021. The human toll itself is staggering: the United States recently surpassed six hundred thousand COVID-19 deaths. In other parts of the world, 1.2 million lives lost across Europe, over 500,000 in South-East Asia, and more than 100,000 in Africa have contributed to an approximate worldwide total of over 4 million deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Moreover, the genesis of new variants on different continents threatens the amazing progress made on the development of vaccines and the mass distribution of these scientific wonders throughout the world’s populations. Even though healthcare workers, medical practitioners, and the scientific community must be praised for facing the viral threat in several hundred million infections and engineering at least six different vaccines to combat a novel virus, the community of legal practitioners has addressed the secondary effects of the world’s shut-down: battered economies and economic sectors and increased opportunities for fraudulent practices. This article will endeavour to provide a bird’s eye view of two of the most significant challenges that have emerged from the changed landscape of the post-COVID world economy: the growing ubiquity of cryptocurrencies and corresponding opportunities for their misuse. However, considering that the impacts of the catastrophes the world experienced in 2020 and 2021 are still playing out today, the consequences of economic contraction and recovery and the role of cryptocurrencies for U.S.-based legal practitioners are anything but clear and will depend largely on the motivations of a wide array of actors, ranging from federal and state governments, the ordinary consumer, and potential fraudsters seeking opportunities from the uncertainties of a changed world. Insolvencies and Stock Market Disappointments in Early 2020 Benefitted Cryptocurrencies The economic crisis spurred by the shutdowns in 2020 abruptly ended the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, which had been ongoing since the passing of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. As a result, public company bankruptcy filings reached their highest level in the past decade, with corporations in the service and oil and gas industries leading the drive in these numbers. Moreover, given the dive in stock prices during March 2020, investors of all kinds flocked to the cryptocurrency market, while banks, money managers, and other financial entities more readily embraced digital assets like cryptocurrencies. Despite the astounding rebound in the stock market by December 2020, to say nothing about the elemental disconnect between success stories on Wall Street and the pain felt by most on Main Street, digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ether saw their value exponentially increased, 300% and 470% respectively. These sharp increases in value, albeit unstable, further incentivized the use of these virtual currencies for everything from purchasing a sandwich at Subway and for more nefarious purposes, like facilitating ransomware payments, scamming and defrauding amateur investors, money laundering, financing terrorism, or drug trafficking on the dark web. International asset recovery and insolvency practitioners must study these trends and develop effective strategies to better serve their clients and help combat fraudulent practices worldwide. However, considering that traditional cash assets were already highly mobile, the decentralized nature of many cryptocurrencies facilitating the unregulated movement of these at even larger scales will make the illegitimately achieved gains from criminal enterprises or fraudulent transfers exponentially more difficult to find and recover. Typically, the victims of fraudulent transfers or other criminal enterprises that succeed in recovering their lost assets depend on both the ability of asset recovery practitioners to analyse, identify, and attach stolen assets within existing legal frameworks in disparate jurisdictions where scammers and fraudsters decide to hold or hide their ill-gotten gains. As has become well known, the biggest challenge for insolvency and asset recovery lawyers in cases involving digital assets like cryptocurrencies involves the dual challenge of discovering where these assets may be hidden, plus the second challenge of deploying either untested or poorly adapted legal mechanisms available throughout the world to freeze these assets. The Cryptocurrency Angle: Still Relatively New, But Already Wreaking Havoc Currently, many regulations acting on the exchange and use of cryptocurrencies are found at the state level. Some states, like Wyoming, have moved to facilitate the use and transaction of digital assets. For instance, the Wyoming legislature created a new type of “bank” that will serve businesses by allowing investors to deposit their digital assets. Other states have exempted cryptocurrencies from state securities laws and accepted the payment of taxes in cryptocurrency. Other jurisdictions remain apprehensive about the use of digital currencies and have either altogether prohibited the use of cryptocurrencies when paying for government services or simply warned their citizens about the risks of investing in cryptocurrency. The federal government in the United States has yet to comprehensively address the regulation of cryptocurrency, despite apparent recognition that embracing cryptocurrencies will prove important for the nation’s future infrastructure and its role in the vanguard of the market’s development worldwide. On one hand, apprehension or unwillingness to act on cryptocurrencies is best illustrated by the Securities Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) recent announcement that it will not address virtual currency regulation in the short term despite their meteoric rise in value and transactions. On the other hand, the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (“AML Act”) made several changes to the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), through which it modified the BSA’s definitions to encompass regulation of cryptocurrency and other digital assets. The AML Act achieved these modifications by referring to cryptocurrency and digital assets as “value that substitute for currency or funds,” perhaps to cast as wide a net as possible in recognition of the highly fungible nature of the market for digital assets and cryptocurrency. Similarly, administrative action through federal agencies, like the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), has resulted in proposed rulemaking in 2020 and 2021. For instance, FinCEN’s proposed regulation, pursuant to the aims of the BSA, seeks to establish requirements for banks and money services businesses transacting virtual currencies and other digital assets with legal tender status. New requirements under the proposed regulation would demand banks and money service businesses to submit reports, maintain records, and verify the identities of customers involved in transactions of virtual currencies and digital assets. However, FinCEN’s proposed regulation has not yet cleared the requisite administrative procedures to come into force. Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bipartisan effort to legislate digital assets. If approved by the Senate and signed by the President, the Eliminate Barriers to Innovation Act of 2021 would establish a working group, composed of members of the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), tasked with facilitating collaboration between the government and the private sector and clarifying when the SEC has jurisdiction over digital assets as securities or when the CFTC would have authority when digital assets are categorized as commodities. Nonetheless, some policymakers worry that suddenly promoting too much regulation will eliminate incentives for investors and consumers to develop the market. In the meantime, what was once a trickle of queries and consultations for asset recovery specialists relating to losses associated with digital assets (or where ill-gotten gains may have been converted into digital assets) has grown to a steady stream and portends to grow even further. To be sure, for some victims the losses are material and are causing real financial pain and damage. What Can Courts and Practitioners Do? Mechanisms to recover digital currencies are limited because of the very nature of cryptocurrencies. Digital currencies were created with the singular purpose of avoiding the influence of any central or official authority. For instance, cryptocurrencies are designed as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. Cryptocurrency traders on decentralized exchanges benefit from the lack of an official entity that regulates all digital currency transactions because there is no need to confirm the credentials of other traders with a payment processor when conducting a transaction. On decentralized platforms, only a particular owner may access and dispose of their digital asset because no central authority exists that can exercise control over a particular cryptocurrency wallet to preserve or help recover ill-gotten proceeds. Meanwhile, cryptocurrency wallets hosted on centralized exchanges may be subject to government regulatory oversight, requiring wallet owners to provide identifying information. Public addresses, the equivalent of bank accounts in the digital currency world, can only be accessed and controlled by private keys linked to that address. As long as the owner of the cryptocurrency maintains their private key secret, no one and no governmental authority is able to access their funds, even in official proceedings. Consequently, the only way to access funds that have been converted into crypto assets is to gain access to the owner’s digital asset wallet with a private key. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) reports that the allure of increased anonymity in cryptocurrency transactions (as opposed to traditional cash deals) has led to a rise in scams since October 2020. According to the FTC, approximately 7,000 people have reported losses totalling more than $80 million, nearly twelve times the number of reported cases in 2019. Another increasingly popular tool in the repertoire of fraudsters and online criminals that have adopted cryptocurrency is the utilization of ransomware attacks against companies and institutions with weak IT systems. Cybersecurity has become more difficult to maintain during the coronavirus pandemic because many workers are working from home, using personal internet connections to access delicate institutional mainframes. Coupled with the benefits of decentralized digital currencies, cybercriminals are more easily able to attack weak security systems and evade law enforcement and other financial regulations when they demand payment in cryptocurrency, providing a blueprint for white-collar criminals seeking to hide assets including during and after judicial proceedings. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack during May 2021 was a wakeup call for both cybercriminals and asset recovery practitioners. After Colonial paid $4.4 million in Bitcoin, the Department of Justice was able to trace the ransom money through blockchain analysis. The FBI was able to recover approximately $2.3 million of the original payment, demonstrating to the legal community that it is possible to recover assets criminally taken, even if in cryptocurrency form. Nonetheless, while clearly a victory for law enforcement, it still presents a challenge for asset recovery specialists practising primarily through civil process. It is still unclear precisely how the FBI was able to retrieve the funds from the cryptocurrency wallet containing them because the government has not revealed how it was able to obtain the private key. In private civil proceedings, insolvency and asset recovery lawyers dealing with fraudulent transfers likely will not have the international cooperation, technical resources or subpoena power available to the FBI to quickly uncover information or to freeze the cryptocurrency, much less to access cryptocurrency wallets to obtain an injunction or once a court order or judgment against fraudulent transferors has been issued. At the pre-trial stage, asset recovery efforts face two significant challenges. First, cryptocurrency wallets on decentralized exchanges are identified only by the public address and there is no way to discover the identity of the owner of the wallet unless the exchange is required to—and does—maintain “Know Your Customer” information. Therefore, those seeking to recover stolen assets converted into digital currency and “hidden” must first conduct blockchain analysis, like the DOJ’s Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force efforts during the Colonial Pipeline investigation. A blockchain analysis involves reviewing the public ledger, where all cryptocurrency exchanges are recorded, to trace the transactions of the ransom payment and subsequent transactions the fraudsters use to attempt to secrete the digital assets that are the proceeds of the fraud or theft. The analysis identifies suspicious transactions that are linked with the fraudster’s attempts to disguise the flow of the cryptocurrencies. This step might prove costly for some practitioners who might not have in-house access to the necessary quality of cyber and forensics teams available to the government, forcing some practitioners dealing with a cryptocurrency hunt to outsource blockchain investigations to third-party commercial entities. Further complicating issues for international asset recovery practitioners there is a stark absence of internationally recognized rules governing the collection and handling of digital evidence. This greatly benefits cyber-criminals and fraudsters because the speed with which private asset recovery specialists and law enforcement are able to trace and gather required evidence to litigate or prosecute (as opposed to simply recovering ransom pay, like in the Colonial Pipeline situation) is likely to be slower than criminals and debtors can move and hide their assets. This is especially true given that cryptocurrency is truly global in nature, and cross-border asset recovery is dependent upon principles of comity where domestication/recognition of non-final orders may be non-existent and domestication/recognition of final orders is time-consuming and expensive. However, as with other asset recovery efforts, not all hope is lost when confronted with a sophisticated fraudster or criminal. The key thing is to identify the institutions and entities that can be compelled to produce evidence, which will allow for the trace or forensic review. This is where knowledgeable professionals and courts can assist victims seeking to uncover and recover digital assets. Second, ensuring that a court preserves its jurisdiction over a defendant (i.e., preventing flight or further transfer and secreting of assets) and avoiding judgment-proofing tactics through unmonitored transactions presents a wholly different set of challenges for practitioners. Luckily, insolvency and asset recovery specialists can seek preliminary injunctive relief to prevent debtors from judgment-proofing tactics by inhibiting the movement of assets or can seek equitable remedies such as the naming of a trustee, receiver, or other disinterested third-party office holder to take control of a vehicle used to hold an asset or perpetuate a fraud. Additionally, courts can issue different kinds of orders, like various injunctions, worldwide freezing orders, and Spartacus orders, which can help prevent wrongdoers from further transacting ill-gotten gains. Furthermore, the availability of these judicial tools largely depends on applicable law, which is an issue further complicated by the nature of digital assets, which makes it so that victims of cyber-criminals have a more limited ability to prevent an absconding defendant from secreting the digital assets beyond the jurisdiction with the most effective legal tools. Perhaps this area most strongly requires an international effort to recognize cross-border asset recovery operations involving cryptocurrencies. A legislative approach like the Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (UNCITRAL), which has promoted a coordinated legal regime that facilitates cooperation between nations in international insolvency cases, may be what is required to afford victims and asset recovery practitioners an effective way to tackle the novel practicalities of dealing with digital currency recoveries. At the post-judgment stage, some of the instruments to recover stolen cryptocurrency assets (or those converted into digital currencies) are writs of execution, replevin, and levy as well as in personam orders compelling individuals to act with certain assets under pain of contempt However, while these tools may be powerful to recover properties and enforce money judgments, these mechanisms are difficult to use where judgment creditors are not in possession of private keys necessary to access cryptocurrency wallets or where the debtor has absconded the court’s jurisdiction with digital assets and the private keys to access them. Even where judgment debtors are threatened with contempt of court for failure to comply with judicial orders, judgment debtors fleeing U.S. jurisdictions with large amounts of digital assets may not be sufficiently motivated to comply given the ease with which they can easily move, transfer, and otherwise hide their digital wealth abroad. Amendment of statutory provisions and tools for post-judgment recovery to better address crypto-assets must be considered in the immediate future. The Uncertainties of the Mission Require Even More Preparation While it appears that cryptocurrencies are here to stay, providing bona fide investment opportunities to professional and amateur traders alike, as well as a regulation and law enforcement evasion tool for cybercriminals, their stability and value in the long run remains uncertain. In late May 2021, a widespread cryptocurrency crash eliminated approximately $1 trillion in market value, with Bitcoin losing close to 30% of its value. The causes of the crash, statements from Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk and crackdowns in China over use of digital currencies, strongly suggest that the market remains exceedingly sensitive to pop-culture and regulatory influences. While cryptocurrencies have increasingly become more mainstream, they are still relegated to the edges of financial systems because they are still not widely accepted as legal tender and are limited to private transactions between individuals online. However, more and more nation-states and municipalities are voicing openness to potentially accepting these digital currencies for official business. Whether cryptocurrencies will become the main form of payment for all transactions in the future is an altogether different question that remains to be comprehensively answered and may also depend on the environmental impact of the mining of cryptocurrency, which is notoriously energy-intensive. However, that does not mean that insolvency and asset recovery practitioners can afford to wait for the question to be settled. Given the current trends seen regarding the prevalence of cybercrime and its preferred method of payment, lawyers at the vanguard of fraud and cross-border asset recovery must contribute to the development of judicial tools and legislative frameworks that promote international cooperation and facilitate digital asset recovery. Developing these tools will allow the law and the courts to modernize with the times, placing cyber-crime victims, creditors, and practitioners on equal footing with online criminals, debtors, and the Internet. To see the original article, click here . Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

Sequor Law's Amanda Finley interviews Judge Walsh for the Business Law Section's Women's History Month series, exploring her journey from public defender to appellate judge. The BLS Celebrating Women’s History Month: An Interview with Judge Walsh Open In the News Open April 5, 2021 10 minutes read Sequor Law By: Amanda Finley In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, the Business Law Section is interviewing a series of women judges to learn about their experiences, trials, tribulations, and advice for other women lawyers. I had the honor of interviewing Judge Walsh. Rise to the Bench Judge Walsh explained her journey as an attorney and career path to becoming a judge. She worked in the public interest as a public defender. She tried about 30 jury trial cases and in private practice, she owned her firm focusing almost exclusively on appellate work. Her appellate practice consisted of a variety of subject matters, so that gave her flexibility. She put that to use after she became a judge because she was able to adapt and transition from dependency, to criminal, to civil, back to criminal, and again to civil. This flexibility also assists her now in her position as the administrative judge in the Appellate Division. Judge Walsh’s experience and career is nothing short of remarkable. Obstacles and Silver Linings Judge Walsh expressed constant gratitude that her experience in the law has been a positive one. While not unruffled, she said, “there are always challenges in getting business or in handling a particularly difficult case or just in handling the burdens of the profession or running a business. But I’ve been relatively fortunate in always having work, finding success in the law, developing my craft and skills, and building a business.” When asked about an example of a hurdle, she explained that she experienced a challenge in bringing in criminal appellate work when she was particularly qualified, knowledgeable, and experienced in that practice area. By the time she went into private practice, she had handled over 300 appeals – one all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court as well as arguing cases at the Eleventh Circuit, and a number of cases before the Supreme Court of Florida. Given her background, it would seem logical that she would be able to easily bring in criminal appellate work. However, it was not easy and the difficulty was sadly rooted in discrimination. She stated, “I would be told to my face, we’re going to take your male partner to visit the client. We’re not going to take you. The clients just think that you’re not going to fight for them. I was judged on my appearance. That’s tied to my gender. There’s no way around that.” However, where there is an obstacle, there is also a solution and typically a silver lining. Despite having no experience at that time handling civil appeals or marital appeals, she was able to bring in those cases with ease and was able to build her practice and develop a substantial book of business fairly easily within a year and a half. She ended up confronting this hurdle and ultimately making it work to her advantage. National Association of Women Judges Next, we discussed Judge Walsh’s experience with bar associations. Before she was appointed to the bench, she got involved with the Florida Association for Women Lawyers and was its president in 2007-2008. In 2015-2016, Judge Walsh became the President of the National Association of Women Judges (“NAWJ”). She stated that she valued the platform, which provided “unbelievable opportunities for growth and development as a speaker, as a lawyer, as a judge, and as a leader. Without a doubt, that was the most extraordinary experience professionally of my life to become the president of the National Association of Women Judges. It is an incredible organization. There are judges in every state, federal, state, military, tribal, and administrative.” She explained that “NAWJ is the U.S. chapter for the International Association of Women Judges. The year that I became president was also the year that the United States was hosting the Bi-Annual Conference of the International Association of Women Judges. I got to stand in front of a room of 1,000 women judges from all over the world, as the President of the host chapter of the U.S. chapter in Washington, DC, and welcome the world of women judiciary to the United States for a four-day conference while participating in those events.” Judge Walsh described how amazing it was to meet and get acquainted with judges from so many other jurisdictions. The U.S. judges would describe how they practice law, manage a civil system and our business courts, while learning how judges from other jurisdictions practice law and manage their court systems. Learning from other judges “broadens your mind to the things that you can do to improve your practice here, improve your judging here.” She expressed that she is “so incredibly lucky to have had that role for that year to be their president.” Judge Walsh explained that “our Supreme Court Justices, not only the women justices, but also Chief Justice Roberts are all members” of NAWJ. She had the opportunity to meet the late Justice Ginsburg, one of the most incredible women jurists of our time. Judge Walsh was also able to meet Justice Sotomayor, who was so “generous with her time and stood at a conference for three hours so that every person could shake her hand or take a picture with her.” Judge Walsh most wishes that she could have met the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. She admired her for her philosophy, deliberateness on the Court, and fun-loving down-to-Earth nature outside of court. At the NAWJ conferences, she would lead a conga line. Justice O’Connor would wear a t-shirt that says, “I’m not Ruth,” and Justice Ginsburg would wear a t-shirt that says, “I’m not Sandra.” Words of Wisdom and the Unforgiving Concept of “Balance” When asked what advice she would give to her 21-year-old-self, Judge Walsh said “time passes very quickly. Try to notice each important moment. There is a tendency when you are young to script the important moments in your life and think about the details … to master every part of every equation” (the birth of your first child, setting up your home, first day of school, family vacations). Her advice to her younger self would be to “manage my professional life, while having a fulfilling personal life as well a fulfilling family life” and “to not be so sure that I understand my path that I’m not open to walking in a different direction. Looking back, I may have spent too much time in one place without being open to move or change. Because every time you take a step forward, that is a step on your path, whether that is ultimately the right direction or not, it will move you ultimately in the right direction, but standing still rarely gets you there.” This circles back to the universal issue for every woman in law or business – how to achieve the coveted goal of work/life balance. Judge Walsh takes a unique and refreshing stance on this issue. She said “I don’t believe that there is such a thing as balance. There’s an amalgam of life, all of which is important. It’s a matter of which part of your life you are … prioritizing in a particular moment.” She explained that “oftentimes, when you’re young, you don’t get to pick your priorities. When you are a young person, you are beholden to your boss, your partner, your manager, to the concept of establishing yourself and building your business to the networking that you need to ensure … the quality of your product, which is going to take longer when you’re less experienced. This is the paradox of youth in business and family. I would personally scrap the idea of balance because I think it places additional, unneeded pressure on the shoulders of young people especially young women. This idea of balance is another opportunity to tell yourself that you’re failing at something.” Another overarching issue is mindfulness and learning to focus on the present. Judge Walsh expressed, “I look back and wonder if I was present enough. I was so proud of myself for always physically being where I needed to be. I made professional decisions about where I worked and how I worked in order to ensure that I could always be physically present where I needed to be. I could bill frankly, as much as my husband did. I could get everything done on time. I could serve my clients. I could be available to my clients, and manage my business, and also be at every assembly, take my kids … to every pediatrician or dental appointment, every parent teacher conference, every soccer meet, every piano recital, every concert, every chess match, I could do all of that.” Being meaningfully present everywhere was understandably the difficulty. Judge Walsh encourages everyone to “absolutely relinquish the idea of perfection. I think that in work, as well as in your home life, that perfect is the enemy of the good. Because the most important thing is that if your child wants you [to] read a book to them that you have the time and the space and the presence of mind to be able to do it and be completely meaningfully present for them. I would let go of a concept of ‘balance’ and let go of the concept of ‘perfection,’ or of really caring that other people who don’t matter to you perceive you as perfect. At the end of the day, the end of your life, what other people think right now is irrelevant. The only thing that matters to me is the quality of the childhood and the upbringing that I gave to my kids.” The Effect of the Pandemic Judge Walsh remarked on the effect of the pandemic – both personally and professionally. On one hand, the pandemic has successfully integrated technology into the everyday practice of law by allowing Zoom hearings, which are more efficient and cost-effective. Judge Walsh would like to see mass calendars continue virtually even after the effects of the pandemic subside. On the other hand, since most lawyers are working from home, there is less of a clearly defined boundary for personal or family time. Judge Walsh stated that she is “very concerned about the effect that the pandemic is currently having on the profession, specifically on women – whether it’s going to send women backward. There is an existing problem in the practice of law that women in their 40s and 50s are leaving in disproportionate numbers than their male counterparts. That phenomenon has been explained in the past as some work/life balance or family issue. I don’t think that’s what drives it. I think it’s financial equality in the practice of law. That is the driving force in that issue. What’s happening right now is that children are at home virtual schooling, while women are working at home virtually. There are no demarcations right now between work and home. Work is 24 hours a day; childcare is 24 hours a day; there is no help; and you’re 100% in the house.” She continued, “women are leaving the profession or they’re leaving other professions, which means that their financial stability is going to slip. Their power is going to slip. How do you develop business under these circumstances? It depends how quickly we recover from this. I know that the practice of law generally is not suffering very much, but I do … think that women practitioners are experiencing a unique phenomenon. I just hope that it doesn’t have a semi-permanent effect on the push for equal opportunity in the practice of law.” Mentorship Judge Walsh had many mentors, who came to her very naturally. Her boss at the public defender’s office, Beth Weitzner, was the best boss she ever had and truly helped her develop as a writer. She gave her that “eureka moment to understand written persuasion – how to capture the attention of a judge; how to maintain, develop, and never lose your credibility; how to take your reader on a journey from point A to point Z, which is the conclusion you want them to reach; and how to deal with difficult people and difficult facts.” Judge Walsh’s other mentors were Lauri Waldman Ross and Pamela Perry, who were exceptional appellate lawyers that helped her immensely when she was starting out. Judge Walsh emphasized that peers can be mentors too. Younger lawyers do not necessarily have to seek out lawyers that are a generation older to be their mentor. Finding peers with different strengths, weaknesses, and experiences is important. Judge Walsh stated, “I’m a big proponent for relying on your backup. You need your true friends – really close professional colleagues and friends where you nurture each other along the way and everyone succeeds.” The Next Generation of Women Leaders When asked about the next generation of women leaders, Judge Walsh stated that she is “impressed with the next generation and the current generation of women leaders because they do not wring their hands. They don’t ask for permission. When I was 25 just starting out and my superior would say to me, argue x do x, my first impulse would be – can I do that? Whether it is … okay or am I allowed never enters the minds of the women in the profession now. Now, the question in their mind is not whether, but how.” She remarked that “there’s a core strength, a self confidence that is incredibly healthy and refreshing and combined with a work ethic and a fearlessness that make for a formidable combination.” Last Words of Advice Judge Walsh’s last words of advice were encouragement and offering assistance. “My colleagues and my peers, we’re here for you. We want to be helpful to you. We really want to see you shine. I can’t tell you how good it makes me feel when it’s no longer an issue as to who comes to court to argue. I have really big cases where there are millions of dollars in controversy or large developments of lands. When I see that there is a young woman lawyer, who is arguing the position of their client, just as well as anyone else who’s in the case, it just gives me an extra charge. It doesn’t mean that they’re going to win their position, of course, but that just shouldn’t be an issue. It shouldn’t be an issue as to who gets to argue a point. I can’t tell you how many times in the past I’ve seen that the person who actually wrote the pleadings and signed the pleadings sitting quietly at counsel table, while their partners were arguing and didn’t know the nuance, the details, or the elements in the record to be able to argue as effectively as I know that his associate could have done the job.” “It doesn’t matter if they’re women or men or lawyers of color or lawyers of a different ethnic background. None of it should matter. Everyone should have the same opportunity for success depending upon their qualifications, their experience, their skill, and their ability to develop business.” She reiterated “we’re here for you – if anyone wants to pick up the phone and talk or thinks that you have an issue of professional development or wants advice. Don’t cocoon. Get out there and talk to the people that care, so that you can do the best for yourself because you only have one shot at your career. You only have one shot at your life. All of us want to make sure that you take that shot and give it your best shot.” Read the original article here. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

Sequor Law's Andrew B. Dawson, UM professor and Vice Dean, has been awarded the Judge A. Jay Cristol Endowed Chair in Bankruptcy at the University of Miami. Judge A. Jay Cristol Endowed Chair in Bankruptcy Open Awards & Recognition Open March 3, 2020 1 minute read Sequor Law Andrew (Drew) B. Dawson , Of counsel at Sequor Law , distinguished law professor, and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Miami, has been awarded the Judge A. Jay Cristol Endowed Chair in Bankruptcy. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

Sequor Law earns Chambers USA 2019 recognition in Bankruptcy and Restructuring, with Leyza Blanco and Gregory Grossman ranked and the firm shortlisted for Diversity & Inclusion honors. Sequor Law Recognized by Chambers USA 2019 Open Awards & Recognition Open May 3, 2019 1 minute read Sequor Law We are honored to announce that Sequor Law has received the prestigious Chambers USA 2019 “Recognized Practitioner” designation among Florida law firms in Bankruptcy/Restructuring. Additionally, the firm has been shortlisted at the Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: USA 2019 as “Most Inclusive Firm for Minority Lawyers”. The following Sequor Law attorneys are included in Chambers USA 2019 guide: Leyza Blanco Band 2, Bankruptcy/Restructuring Gregory Grossman Band 3, Bankruptcy/Restructuring Chambers is the authoritative guide to the world's leading lawyers, with rankings based on exhaustive research, including confidential interviews with clients and attorneys. We warmly thank our clients for their trust and confidence, which have driven these recognitions. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

An examination of how US companies, including law firms, have responded to diversity and inclusion calls following the George Floyd death and growing social justice movement. How US Companies Have Responded to Calls for Equality, Inclusion and How Law Firms Can Follow Suit Open In the News Open July 21, 2021 6 minutes read Sequor Law Many of our country’s largest industries have made significant changes as a result of this increased awareness and outspokenness in regard to the systemic issues that underlie the failures in diversity at the leadership levels. By Harsh Arora | July 21, 2021 With the recent anniversary of the death of George Floyd and the conclusion of the trial and sentencing of Derek Chauvin that has dominated the national conversation, it is clear that the calls for racial equity and equality that have defined the past year will continue into the foreseeable future. Many of our country’s largest industries have made significant changes as a result of this increased awareness and outspokenness in regard to the systemic issues that underlie the failures in diversity at the leadership levels. Such organizations have responded by committing to both long-term and immediate initiatives in order to rectify their own institutional biases. While the lack of representation at the leadership and executive levels of our country’s largest and most recognizable companies is far from a novel issue, many companies have recently committed to diversity and inclusion efforts that have the potential to create real and lasting change due in large part to the increased pressure from shareholders and customers. Notably, these efforts go beyond previously broad responses; and instead, range from creating funds and investing in initiatives designed to expand opportunities and promote equality to disclosing previously private race, gender and ethnicity workforce data. It consequently has had a dual effect of helping identify underrepresented groups as well holding the reporting companies accountable. Although these investments and increased transparency are significant steps, it is also important to point out that diversity at the executive level at our nation’s largest companies still presents a significant challenge. For example, only about 10% of directors at the 200 biggest S&P 500 companies are Black and the percentage of Black executives joining boards has recently stagnated. There are many reasons for this lack of representation as there are systemic issues in relation to hiring practices and pools of candidates. While the investment initiatives in which many companies are engaging will increase the number of diverse applicants and help create more opportunities, many companies and their outside institutions are also taking more immediate steps in order to increase diversity. For example, since September 2020, at least 75 organizations have taken part in or have supported the Board Challenge to add a Black director within the next year and foster continued diversity efforts. Moreover, the NASDAQ recently filed a proposal with the SEC requiring any company with fewer than two diverse directors, including persons who self-identify as either an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ+, to provide a reasonable explanation as to why or risk being delisted. Even governments are getting involved as the State of California recently passed a law requiring publicly traded corporations headquartered in California to appoint directors from underrepresented communities to their boards. Despite the pendency of the NASDAQ proposal and likelihood of challenge to the California diversity law, these initiatives represent how organizations are responding to the consumer push for immediate and recognizable results. Accordingly, based on a report by BoardProspects, Black board members accounted for 18.5% of all new board appointments to Russell 3000 companies following George Floyd’s death. Moreover, 62% of all Black director appointments between 2019 and 2020 occurred after he died. As corporations and their related institutions pledge to do their part to promote diversity and racial equity, many companies and organizations have pressured the law firms that represent them to respond in kind. In general, the legal profession is often perceived as lagging behind other professions and industries in the area of diversity, particularly in leadership positions. This perception is backed by the most recent report from the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) which shows that while persons of color make up 25% of law firm associates, they make up less than 10% of partners. NALP described the progress toward diversity at law firms as steady and incremental but “so slow as to almost seem imperceptible.” Accordingly, more and more business owners and corporate executives are starting to notice that the lawyers and law firms hired to represent their interests do not resemble them demographically. This discrepancy, combined with the renewed commitment to addressing diversity issues, has led to increased and more comprehensive diversity requests from clients inquiring about how specifically law firms are supporting diverse attorneys. In response to these demands and client pressure, law firms have similarly spent the past year creating and investing in initiatives in order to confront their diversity issues. These initiatives include considering diversity and inclusion-related work as billable hours that will count toward bonus thresholds, creating mentorship programs for new associates in order to help increase retention and internal promotion, and more generally, expanding and improving recruiting efforts to reach more diverse candidates. In addition to the foregoing initiatives(much like the corporations they represent) law firms are being pushed by their clients for immediate actions and results. Accordingly, over 100 law firms have signed on to seek certification under the Mansfield Rule, which is overseen by the legal diversity organization, Diversity Lab and requires the consideration of at least 30% women, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions. While this general push by the legal community is encouraging, many corporate lawyers and outside counsel are held to even a higher standard due to the polices of the companies they represent. This higher standard includes requiring law firms to implement policies and hire associates at rates that are tied to national census data. The most publicized proponent of this effort has been Coca-Cola, which earlier this year announced a policy requiring at least 30% of billed associate and partner time be from diverse attorneys; and stated that if firms fail to meet diversity requirements for two consecutive quarters, that it will cut 30% from the firm’s fees for new matters and possibly lead to losing Coca-Cola as a client. Since the announcement of this policy; however, its status has come into question as GC, Bradley Gayton who spearheaded the initiative, has recently stepped down and his replacement, Monica Howard Douglas, has reportedly told the legal team the policy had been paused. While this change disrupts the momentum that was created when Coca-Cola’s diversity policy was first announced, it has not stopped the overall corporate pressures on law firms to meet diversity criteria as just recently Nokia launched an equality, inclusion and diversity scorecard program to assess whether their key law firms are implementing an effective equality, inclusion and diversity strategy. While Nokia’s policy and others like it are not as forceful as the in-flux CocaCola policy, they represent how companies are holding their law firms accountable and mandating actual improvement in the areas of diversity and equality. Despite the foregoing, it is completely justifiable to be skeptical over the effectiveness of scorecards and surveys without the inclusion of concrete milestones and penalties; especially considering that this is not the first time corporations and general counsels have put pressure on law firms to increase diversity and inclusion efforts. In 2019, general counsels from more than 170 organizations similarly called on law firms to increase diversity and signed a letter that threatened to move on from outside counsel that do not try to hire and retain female and nonwhite attorneys. With diversity numbers at law firms in 2020 increasing slightly, but ultimately failing to signify significant improvement, the extent to which the GCs that signed the 2019 letter followed-up on their diversity demands is largely unknown. The difference between 2019 and the current movement and why the apparent demise of Coca-Cola’s forceful diversity policy is not a troublesome indicator; however; is that companies are still being pressured by consumers to have diversity metrics and executive suites that match the make-up of our country. As such, it is no longer acceptable for law firms to hold themselves accountable, as after a year of racial reckoning, clients and customers have now assumed that responsibility. This shift in accountability is already being felt in the legal community as the institutions that surround the legal industry are putting mechanisms in place to foster positive change. This is especially evident in Florida, with the diverse leadership within the Florida Bar business law section (BLS) and the recent initiatives of BLS. For the first time in its history, the BLS will have consecutive female chairs as Kacy Donlon was recently named chair-elect, following the current chair, Leyza B. Florin (the first Hispanic chair of BLS). As one of its initiatives, BLS set forth a new policy requiring a minimum number of diverse faculty at section sponsored continuing legal education programs. While the Florida Supreme Court ruled against this policy in April, it is yet another example of how the legal landscape, especially in connection with business law and corporate lawyers, is ready to be changed. Harsh Arora a partner with Kelley Kronenberg, P.A., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and is the co-chair of firm’s diversity & inclusion committee. He focuses his practice on business litigation and serves as outside general counsel for public and privately held businesses. Contact him at harora@kklaw.com To see the original article, click here . Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

Sequor Law's Amanda E. Finley examines how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) affects document discovery obligations in US litigation and insolvency proceedings. The Effect of the General Data Protection Regulation on Discovery in the United States Open Legal Insights Open December 8, 2020 4 minutes read Sequor Law By Amanda E. Finley , Miami The European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and it became effective on 25 May 2018. 1 The GDPR enforces privacy requirements to protect EU citizens. 2 “The GDPR applies to the processing of ‘personal data,’ which is defined as any information related to an ‘identified or identifiable natural person,’” who can be directly or indirectly identified by the data produced. 3 The GDPR purports to have extraterritorial effect by applying “regardless whether the processing takes place in the EU or elsewhere.” 4 The GDPR allows imposition of penalties and sanctions that “significantly increase[d] the maximum fine to €20 million, or 4% of annual worldwide turnover, whichever is greater.” 5 Further, “[t]he GDPR provides an individual with access to the courts to seek a judicial remedy” in addition to any administrative remedy. 6 Essentially, any production of documents that contain information about EU citizens could cause serious consequences and large fines for a GDPR violation. The early cases in the United States suggest that the GDPR may have a profound impact on discovery in the United States. The GDPR may provide for targets subject to the jurisdiction of courts in the United States to object to discovery with the purpose (or possibly under the guise) of protecting EU citizens’ privacy. Defendants may object to production as a whole, request significant redaction of the discovery, request a strict confidentiality agreement, request to produce anonymized data that does not identify any EU citizen, or any combination thereof. There is limited case law on the implications of the GDPR on U.S. discovery because it is a relatively new regulation. So far, U.S. courts have taken divergent approaches on how to address and resolve objections to discovery based on the GDPR. Overall, it appears that most courts are allowing production of the discovery in some form, over a defendant’s GDPR objection. U.S. Courts’ Historical Response to Discovery Objections Based on Foreign Privacy Statutes or Secrecy Laws Historically, U.S. courts have been unwilling to allow a foreign privacy statute to preclude the production of responsive documents that were otherwise discoverable in U.S. litigation. As the Supreme Court stated, “[i]t is well settled that such statutes do not deprive an American court of the power to order a party subject to its jurisdiction to produce evidence even though the act of production may violate that statute.” 7 The Court further noted that the French “blocking statute” was “originally ‘inspired to impede enforcement of United States antitrust laws,’ and that it did not appear to have been strictly enforced in France,” which further undercut U.S. courts’ interest in enforcing that foreign privacy statute over the American interest of full disclosure in discovery. 8 Prior and subsequent courts similarly ruled that foreign privacy statutes are not dispositive on production of discovery in U.S. cases, although the statutes may be relevant to the issue of whether sanctions should be imposed for failure to comply with U.S. discovery orders. 9 Likewise, U.S. courts deemed foreign bank secrecy laws insufficient to preclude discovery in U.S. litigation. 10 Therefore, generally, courts in the United States overwhelmingly have held that full disclosure in discovery outweighs any interest in enforcing foreign privacy or secrecy laws. A Chronological Review of U.S. Courts’ Approaches to GDPR Discovery Disputes and Other Foreign Privacy Statutes On 5 October 2018, the first published ruling on GDPR in U.S. litigation involved a defendant, Microsoft, raising a GDPR objection to discovery based on the undue burden and cost of producing the discovery due to “the alleged tension with GDPR.” 11 The court did not significantly analyze the GDPR issue, but stated that “the court [wa]s not persuaded by Microsoft’s arguments concerning undue burden” and required the production of documents. 12 On 17 December 2018, the first substantive ruling by a U.S. court to address an objection to discovery based on GDPR was in the context of a 28 U.S.C. § 1782 application to obtain discovery for use in a foreign proceeding. 13 The court “grant[ed] the application with respect to documents held by foreign custodians only to the extent that the Applicants (1) assume the costs of the document production, including the costs of compliance with the GDPR or other applicable European data privacy laws and (2) indemnify Respondents against any potential breaches of European data privacy laws.” 14 Although the court granted production of the documents over the GDPR objection, this ruling has serious adverse consequences for parties seeking discovery in U.S. litigation if the GDPR is implicated because it required unknown and potentially multimillion-dollar indemnification liability on the party receiving the documents. The approach in Hansainvest of requiring indemnification of the discovery target “against any potential breaches of European data privacy laws” is a serious deterrent to any party seeking discovery. 15 It would be unusual and highly unlikely that any party would knowingly accept such an open-ended and potentially large financial risk given the large fines for a GDPR violation. If courts routinely adopted this approach, it would have a significant chilling effect on U.S. discovery when the GDPR is implicated. Hansainvest is the only U.S. court, thus far, to rule that indemnification of any GDPR liability is a condition precedent to production of the documents. In later rulings, U.S. courts have taken less drastic approaches to GDPR objections to discovery. Click here to read the full article in the Spring 2020 International Law Quarterly (page 16) and the Business Law Section. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

Sequor Law's Leyza B. Florin represents joint liquidators of Gibraltar-registered Privilege Wealth One seeking Chapter 15 recognition in Miami amid fraud and mismanagement allegations. Gibraltarian payday loans business files Chapter 15 in Miami Open In the News Open August 15, 2018 4 minutes read Sequor Law Two weeks after its UK sister company filed for Chapter 15 protection in New Jersey, the joint liquidators of a Gibraltar-registered payday loans business embroiled in fraud and mismanagement allegations, have sought recognition of their appointment in Miami. With counsel from Sequor Law shareholder Leyza B. Florin , Grant Thornton partners David Ingram and Frederick White filed the Chapter 15 petition in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida on 14 August. Ingram and White were appointed joint liquidators of Privilege Wealth One by the Supreme Court of Gibraltar in June, five months after administrators were appointed over its sister company, UK-registered holding company Privilege Wealth, in England. Soon after the UK administrators were appointed, the group caught the attention of the UK’s Mail on Sunday , which quoted a letter to investors from Privilege Wealth One blaming the group’s problems on a series of bad decisions, including the UK company;s investment in a payday loans business in South Dakota run by a Native American Sioux Tribe, and serviced – at least initially – from a call centre in Panama. The head of that call centre, according to the Mail, was a UK national and “well known scam operator” who was reportedly shot in an assassination attempt in Panama last year. He was later arrested at the request of Spanish police, which accused him of running a scam oil venture from a call centre in Marbella targeting British investors. In a declaration filed at the Miami court, Ingram said Privilege Wealth One was plunged into compulsory liquidation after Chilean creditor Richard Leclerc filed a statutory demand in Gibraltar in March. Leclerc requested payment owed to him by Privilege Wealth One and its general partner Privilege Wealth Management (PWM) under a loan note agreement. After the companies failed to satisfy the demand they were presumed insolvent under Gibraltarian law and Leclerc made an application to appoint the joint liquidators, supported by three additional investors. Those four creditors have combined unsatisfied debts of US$600,000 in US loan notes and £800,000 (US$1.02 million) in European loan notes. Ingram told the US court that he has taken steps to gather information on the affairs of Privilege Wealth One and PWM, and to notify all creditors and interested persons of his appointment. But he said that the information available to the joint liquidators so far has not allowed them determine “the precise details of the funds received from creditors” for investment in the Privilege companies, or how the proceeds were used. The Chapter 15 application “is of critical importance to addressing these issues”, Ingram’s declaration said. “[R]ecogonition under Chapter 15 is essential to the joint liquidators’ worldwide pursuit of assets with which to recover the funds received from creditors”. Under Gibraltarian insolvency law, no distinction is applied between the assets of an insolvent entity located within Gibraltar and those outside the territory. “The joint liquidators are empowered to seek recovery of all assets and rights, wherever located,” Ingram said, adding they are duty bound to pursue assets and claims of the debtor in the United States. Other actions GRR has already reported that the UK administrators Privilege Wealth, filed Chapter 15 recognition proceedings in New Jersey on 2 August. David Rubin & Partners’ Stephen Katz and John Kelmanson of Kelmanson Insolvency Solutions were appointed by the England and Wales High Court back in January, after the company defaulted on funds owed to the Gibraltarian entity. In a declaration filed in New Jersey, Katz said he had become aware that Privilege Wealth had possible rights and causes of action arising out of a 25,000 strong portfolio of payday loans. He said any outstanding loans and the proceeds from the portfolio may now lie with US company Oliphant Financial, which was allegedly engaged to service the loans after the UK company’s own Panamanian subsidiary stopped servicing them. Katz and Kelmanson intend to file lawsuits in the US to obtain what funds they can for creditors, and have also asked the New Jersey bankruptcy court’s permission to repatriate any proceeds recovered to the UK. Privilege Wealth One and Luxemburgish fund Helix Investment Management are described as the UK company’s two primary lenders in its Chapter 15 application. They appear on a list of entities against whom Katz and Kelmanson may seek provisional relief in the US, along with Florida foreign limited partnership Privilege Direct, and numerous Oliphant entities, which are being pursued by Helix in the District Court of the Middle District of Florida. Helix, which may be owed US$7 million by Privilege Wealth according to the UK’s Mail on Sunday , is seeking damages of US$75,000 plus interest and injunctive relief in those proceedings for the breach of various security arrangements relating to loans it issued to the company. In Ingram and White’s Chapter 15 petition in Miami, they also list the Oliphant groups and Helix as entities against whom the Gibraltarian company may seek interim relief, as well as the UK company Privilege Wealth. A hearing to decide Privilege Wealth One’s recognition application will take place before Judge Laurel Isicoff in Florida on 9 September. Meanwhile, a recognition hearing for Privilege Wealth’s action in New Jersey has been listed for 6 September, with Judge John Sherwood assigned to the case. In the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida In re: Privilege Wealth One Limited Partnership Judge Laurel Isicoff Joint Liquidators of Privilege Wealth One Grant Thornton Partners David Ingram in London and Frederick White in Gibraltar Counsel to the joint liquidators of Privilege Wealth One Sequor Law Partners Leyza B. Florin and Edward Davis in Miami To view full article, click here. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.

Sequor Law's Nyana Abreu Miller participated in a Portuguese-language webinar on mediation and alternative dispute resolution in bankruptcy proceedings, comparing Brazil and the U.S. A Mediação Na Resolução De Conflitos E A Recuperação Judicial, Comparativo Brasil X EUA Open Events & Speaking Open May 18, 2020 1 minute read Sequor Law Sequor Law attorney Nyana Abreu Miller participated in a Portuguese-language webinar discussing mediation and alternative dispute resolution in bankruptcy cases, comparing Brazil and the U.S. Click here to view the webinar . Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight Jan 29, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alain M. Acanda 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was inspired to pursue a career in the law after having negative experiences with the law as. Firm News Jan 13, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Washington, D.C. Office with Addition of David Short Sequor Law expands its Washington, D.C. office with the addition of David Short, strengthening its cross-border litigation, asset recovery. Firm News Jan 12, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Expands Asset Recovery Practice With the Addition of Attorneys Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Michael Hanlon and Noah Rosenblum have joined the firm as attorneys further strengthening the firm’s. Attorney Spotlight Oct 9, 2025 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know David Short 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I don’t think that it was a matter of inspiration, but of choice – I wanted a career that.