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- Alejandro Rodriguez Vanzetti, Attorney | Sequor Law
Attorney. Former judicial law clerk, U.S. District Court (S.D. Fla.). U.S. State Dept and Defense Dept internships. Published across 4 legal outlets Practice Areas Asset Recovery International Commercial Litigation Financial Fraud Corruption & Proceeds of Crime Recovery International Arbitration Judgment & Arbitral Award Enforcement Bankruptcy & Insolvency Appellate Law High-Net-Worth Disputes Alejandro Rodriguez Vanzetti Attorney avanzetti@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 233 vCard Alejandro Rodriguez Vanzetti Attorney avanzetti@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 233 vCard Education Florida International University College of Law, J.D. (Magna Cum Laude , 2023) FIU Law Review Dean’s List The Pennsylvania State University, B.A. (Cum Laude , 2017) Study Abroad: The Umbra Institute, Perugia, Italy (2016) Department of State: Consulate General of the United States, Milan, Italy (2016); Department of Defense: National Defense University, Washington, D.C. (2015) Admissions Florida Bar Languages English Spanish Italian Location Miami Favorite Quote: “Más cuesta mantener el equilibrio de la libertad que soportar el peso de la tiranía. ” – Simón Bolívar Translation: “It is harder to maintain the balance of freedom than to endure the weight of tyranny. ” Bio Publications & Presentations Recognitions Media Alejandro Rodriguez Vanzetti is an attorney at Sequor Law, where he focuses his practice on asset recovery, international judgment enforcement, international arbitration and litigation, and financial fraud. Before joining Sequor Law, Alejandro served as a Judicial Law Clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. In this role, he assisted in all aspects of civil and criminal cases, including drafting substantive orders and reports and recommendations, reviewing pleadings and motions, and supporting courtroom proceedings such as evidentiary hearings and discovery hearings. Alejandro gained valuable experience as a law clerk at Sequor Law, where he conducted legal research and drafted motions on matters related to international asset recovery and Chapter 15 bankruptcy. During law school, Alejandro interned for U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez, drafting judicial opinions on a range of federal issues. Prior to law school, he worked at Kobre & Kim LLP, where he played a key role in large-scale litigation and government enforcement defense matters as well as developing the firm’s Litigation Assistant Program across its 14 global offices. Alejandro earned his Juris Doctor from Florida International University College of Law, graduating in the top 10% of his class. He served as Executive Submissions and Comments Editor of the FIU Law Review. Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Alejandro Rodriguez Vanzetti Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Alejandro Rodriguez Vanzetti to Its Growing International Asset Recovery Team Service of Process Abroad: No International Agreement? Awards CALI Awards of Excellence: Civil Procedure; Florida Civil Practice; International Commercial Arbitration; Immigration Law Kobre & Kim Scholars Program Law School Scholarship Publications The Waiting Game: Who Benefits from Recovered Assets Associated with Venezuelan State Corruption? Remission as a Solution , FIU Law Review, Vol. 17.4. Chapter 15 And 28 U.S.C. § 1782: New Developments and Uses in Fraud and Asset Recovery Cases , ICC FraudNet Global Annual Report (2023). How Florida’s Supreme Court Overturned a Ruling that Barred Recovery of Foreign Assets to Satisfy Judgments , Jurist (2023) . Service of Process Abroad: No International Agreement? No Problem. Rely on FRCP 4(f)(2) & (3) , ThoughtLeaders4 FIRE Magazine (2022). Legal Prowess. Global Impact.
- Carolina M. Rosso, Attorney | Sequor Law
Attorney. Summa cum laude and first in her FIU Law class. Former Sequor Law clerk. Cross-border insolvency, arbitration, and § 1782 experience Carolina M. Rosso Attorney crosso@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282 vCard Carolina M. Rosso Attorney crosso@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282 vCard Practice Areas Asset Recovery Bankruptcy & Insolvency International Commercial Litigation International Arbitration Education Florida International University College of Law, J.D. (Summa Cum Laude , 2025) Class Rank: 1st in Class Full Merit Scholarship Recipient FIU Law Review CALI Excellence for the Future Awards: Constitutional Law Contracts Business Organizations Sales Law Law & Procedure, U.S. & Florida Florida International University Honors College, B.B.A. in International Business (Magna Cum Laude , 2019) Braman Scholar Award Beta Gamma Sigma Award Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society Award Business School Dean's Award Admissions Florida Bar Languages English Spanish French Location Miami Favorite Quote “Pour faire de grandes choses, il ne faut pas être un si grand génie ; il ne faut pas être au-dessus des hommes ; il faut être avec eux.” – Montesquieu, Pensées , no. 1083. Bio Carolina M. Rosso is an attorney who focuses on complex cross-border legal matters, international litigation, insolvency, arbitration, and transnational commercial law. Prior to becoming an attorney, Carolina served as a Law Clerk at Sequor Law, where she conducted legal research and drafted analytical memoranda involving international asset recovery, cross-border insolvency, international litigation, and arbitration matters spanning multiple jurisdictions and legal frameworks. During her time at Sequor Law, Carolina assisted in the preparation of motions, briefs, and strategic submissions in federal, state, bankruptcy, and appellate proceedings. She analyzed complex legal issues involving turnover actions, guaranty enforcement, alter ego liability, civil conspiracy, arbitration, stays, and cross-border discovery. Her work also included matters arising under Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code, 28 U.S.C. § 1782, and other legal frameworks governing international enforcement, recovery, and judicial assistance. Carolina previously served as a Research Fellow to Professor Jorge L. Esquirol at Florida International University College of Law, conducting research in transnational commercial law and preparing comparative analyses of U.S., French, and developing-world legal systems. Her research focused on corporate governance, secured transactions, arbitration, and economic development. Beyond her legal practice, Carolina is the founder and director of Unidad Para Bolivia, an international civic and humanitarian-aid initiative through which she led pro-democracy advocacy, large-scale relief efforts, and community-development initiatives in Bolivia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she directed a ten-month humanitarian aid initiative that raised approximately $35,000, secured substantial food donations, and coordinated the distribution of more than 23 metric tons of food, medical devices, and biosecurity equipment across Bolivia. Carolina earned her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude , from Florida International University College of Law, where she graduated first in her class and was a recipient of multiple CALI Excellence for the Future Awards, including Constitutional Law, Contracts Law, Business Organizations, Sales Law, and Law & Procedure U.S. & Florida. She was also a member of the FIU Law Review. Prior to law school, she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business, magna cum laude , from the Florida International University Honors College. Having lived and studied in Bolivia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Carolina brings a global perspective to her legal work. She is fluent in Spanish and French and has conversational proficiency in Czech. Legal Prowess. Global Impact.
- Bob Lindquist, Director of Forensics | Sequor Law
Director of Forensics and CFE. 50+ years. Former PwC partner. ACFE Board of Regents Chairman. Expert witness in 60+ trials. $205M Madoff settlement Bob Lindquist Director of Forensics blindquist@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282 vCard Bob Lindquist Director of Forensics blindquist@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282 vCard Practice Areas Asset Recovery Asset Tracing Bankruptcy Fraud Commercial Disputes Corruption Fidelity/Surety Claims Investor Fraud Management Fraud Matrimonial Disputes Money Laundering Ponzi Fraud Shareholder/Family Disputes Education University of Windsor, Bachelor of Commerce (Honors , 1968) Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, C.A. (1991) C.F.E. Certified Fraud Examiner (1989) Chairman of the Board of Regents of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Austin TX (1993) Languages English Location Miami Favorite Quote: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. ” – Theodore Parker Bio Large Cases Managed Publications & Presentations Media Bob Lindquist B. COMM, FCPA, CFE, Director of Forensics at Sequor Law conducts financial investigations incorporating his strong analytical abilities, intuition and knowledge of fraud and corruption gained through his 40 years of domestic and international case experiences. Joe Wells, the Founder of the ACFE↗ , described Bob as “Mr. Forensic Accounting” in the Journal of Accountancy. Bob’s extensive case experience includes many high-profile investigations on behalf of corporations and governments in the United States, Antigua, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Grenada, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Malawi, Trinidad, Romania, St. Lucia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These cases include the World Bank, Victims of the Holocaust, Bernie Madoff and IBM. He has obtained courtroom experience through expert witness testimony and attendance with Counsel in trials for both sides on over sixty occasions. Also, Bob is the author of Accounting as an Investigative Aid and co-author of two textbooks on forensic accounting and commercial crime. Bob was a partner at Price Waterhouse in its Washington, DC office, but after the merger with Coopers in 1998, Bob re-established his own practice which continues today under the name of Lindquist Forensics. Bob was recognized for his professional contributions by his election in 1991 as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and his election to the Board of Regents for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, based in Austin, Texas. In 1993, he was elected Chairman of the Board. Director of Forensics Bob Lindquist Celebrates 50-Year Career Milestone Large Cases Managed 2017 – 2018, Miami, FL – Of service to Sequor Law on behalf of a foreign trustee to analyze the flow of funds in a $200,000,000 Ponzi scheme over a period of seven years in order to identify assets anywhere in the world for recovery 2014 – 2016, Miami, FL – Of service to Astigarraga Davis on behalf of the plaintiff to conduct an international search for the corporate and personal assets of the Defendant that resulted in a $13.4 million settlement in a matrimonial matter 2013 – 2014, New York – Of service to Boies Schiller & Flexner on behalf of the plaintiffs involved with Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme against defendants, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Citco Fund Services. Lindquist issued a “Rebuttal Expert Report” to opine on issues raised in three “Expert Reports” that essentially expressed the opinion that the defendants could not have “uncovered the Madoff Ponzi scheme because it was so sophisticated and impenetrable that even an investigation focused on fraud could not have discovered it”. A $205 million settlement was made with the two defendants 2013, Washington, DC – Of service to Sidley Austin on behalf of the Attorney General in Turks & Caicos in a matter that involved the Southern Health Network Inc., a Miami-based company that provided transportation and medical services to Turks & Caicos islanders. The Miami company issued suit against the Turks & Caicos government for non-payment of almost US$17 million but the plaintiff settled for less than $1 million 2012 – 2014, St. Lucia – Of service to the Attorney General to investigate various matters including alleged payments made to UWP members of Parliament by the Government of Taiwan upon the establishment of diplomatic relations and the UWP attempt to re-develop the Hewanorra International Airport 2009 – 2011, Trinidad & Tobago – Of service to the Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad to investigate the cause of the collapse of the US$10 billion empire of Lawrence Duprey/CL Financial Ltd. “Lindquist’s forensic findings,” sources said, “formed the bedrock for the civil suit filed against…” 2007 – 2009, United States and Canada – Of service to the Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association as Financial Advisor in regard to the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the thirty team owners of the National Hockey League 2004 – 2008, Antigua and Barbuda – Of service to the Attorney General to investigate allegations of corruption in the ‘IHI’ matter regarding the former government of Lester Bird that resulted in recovery of US$12.5 million from a defendant in Switzerland Publications Accounting as an Investigative Aid (co-author), 1995. J. Wiley & Sons in New York. The Accounting Handbook of Fraud and Commercial Crime (co-author), 1993. J. Wiley & Sons in New York. “The Puppet Masters: How the Corrupt Hide Stolen Assets Using Legal Structures and What to Do About It” (advisor), November 2011. The World Bank. Bob Lindquist has conducted many presentations on financial crime some of which include the IBA Conference in Cancun, the International Money Laundering Conference in Montreal, the ABA White Collar Crime Conference in San Francisco, and the Pacific Rim Money Laundering & Financial Crimes Conference in Vancouver. The titles of his presentations need no explanation: “Lack of Ethics and Poor Controls = Corruption”, “The Mindset of Corruption: A Case Study in Greed”, “Detecting Fraud and Non-Compliance”, “What to Expect From Your Forensic Accountant”, “Facts Beyond the Numbers: Forensic Accounting” In November 2011, The World Bank published “The Puppet Masters: How the Corrupt Hide Stolen Assets Using Legal Structures and What to Do About It”. Bob Lindquist was an advisor in what the Bank describes as the “Investigators Project” as a source for facts and opinions. Appendix D entitled “Grand Corruption” contains summaries of 10 cases of which two are Bob’s cases: on page 171 “Bruce Rappaport and IHI Debt Settlement” and on page 207 “Piarco International Airport Scandal”. The entire report can be accessed at www.worldbank.org/finance/star_site . Legal Prowess. Global Impact.
- Arnoldo B. Lacayo, Shareholder | Sequor Law
Shareholder. Board Certified in International Litigation. Burton Award winner. IBA Asset Recovery officer. ICC FraudNet Future. FL Bar Int' Lit. & Arb. Vice Chair Arnoldo B. Lacayo Shareholder alacayo@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 230 vCard Arnoldo B. Lacayo Shareholder alacayo@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 230 vCard Practice Areas Asset Recovery Financial Fraud Bankruptcy & Insolvency International Commercial Litigation Corruption & Proceeds of Crime Recovery International Arbitration Creditors' Rights Bank Litigation Education University of Miami School of Law, J.D. (Cum Laude , 2003) Received the 2003 Burton Award for Legal Achievement awarded by the Burton Foundation and the Library of Congress for an article he authored as Articles and Comments Editor for the University of Miami Inter-American Law Review. University of Notre Dame, B.A. (Magna Cum Laude , 2000) Admissions The Florida Bar 11th Circuit Court of Appeals United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida Languages English Spanish Location Miami Favorite Quote “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. ” – Martin Luther King, Jr. Bio Recognitions Publications & Presentations Representative Matters Media Arnoldo (Arnie) Lacayo, a shareholder at Sequor Law, focuses his international litigation practice on financial fraud, asset recovery and cross-border insolvency. He has experience litigating complex disputes in both state and federal courts, as well as before arbitral bodies, and has represented multi-national corporations, sovereign governments, Receivers, Trustees and other foreign officeholders in matters pending in U.S. Courts. Arnie regularly supervises transnational investigations and has instructed counsel in dozens of jurisdictions. He also has extensive experience working with the versatile 28 U.S.C. § 1782 discovery statute and Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Arnie is an active member of the International Bar Association (IBA) where he is an officer in the Asset Recovery Committee. He is also one of the U.S. members of ICC FraudNet where he co-chairs the FraudNet Future group. Arnie also remains active with the Florida Bar’s International Law Section as former Chair of the one-thousand member-plus organization and where he continues to serve as a member of the Executive Council. As a native Spanish speaker, prior to settling in South Florida, Arnie lived and studied in Latin America. He is a cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law. As the Articles and Comments Editor for the University of Miami Inter-American Law Review, he authored Seeking a Balance: International Pharmaceutical Patent Protection, Public Health Crises and The Emerging Threat of Bio-Terrorism, 33 U. Miami Inter-Am. L. Rev. 295 (2002), for which he received the 2003 Burton Award for Legal Achievement, an award presented annually by the Burton Foundation in association with the Library of Congress. Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Arnoldo “Arnie” Lacayo Sequor Law Adds ICC FraudNet Attorney as New DC Office Head Various Attorneys Recognized by SuperLawyers 2023 Arnoldo “Arnie” Lacayo and Juan Mendoza Attend 60th Annual AIJA Congress in Singapore WWL Thought Leader Global Elite - Arnoldo B. Lacayo Q&A Arnoldo Lacayo Thought Leaders Interview Sequor Law Is Honored to Support Associação João de Barro in Its Completion of a New School Global: An Introduction to Asset Tracing & Recovery (Law Firms) Sequor Law’s Latest Rankings and Recognitions 11th Circuit Court Of Appeals Affirms Sequor Law Section 1782 Orders The 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers Section 1782 Remains One of the Most Powerful Discovery Tools as Appellate Courts Uphold its Use in Aid of Private Commercial Arbitration Brazilian magazine group enters Chapter 15 in Florida Two Sequor Law Attorneys Named Rising Legal Stars by Latinvex New ‘Substantial Doubt’ Standard for Foreign Judgment Enforcement in Fla. Chilean liquidator in alleged Ponzi case recognised in Australia Argentine Publisher Files for Chapter 15 Recognition in Florida to Access Citibank Account Internationally Noted Attorneys Establish Sequor Law Fla. Judge OKs Espírito Santo’s $8M Deal With Bankrupt Bank Honors & Achievements Arnie is also a sought-after speaker and member of distinguished organizations: Recognized by Lawdragon 2026 - Financial Fraud, Asset Recovery & International Insolvency Litigation Recognized by Lexology Index: Asset Recovery 2025 Recognized in the 2025 edition of Legal 500's Miami Elite Rankings Vice Chair of the Florida Bar’s International Litigation and Arbitration Certification Committee Member of the Florida Bar International Litigation and Arbitration Certification Committee Officer of the International Bar Association Asset Recovery Committee Recognized by SuperLawyers in 2025 Former Chair of The Florida Bar’s International Law Section and member of the Executive Council Active with the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA) where he served as Co-Chair of the National Representatives Committee and officer in the Extended Bureau, and recognized as a lifetime honorary member of AIJA Arnoldo B. Lacayo is an ICC FraudNet Future. ICC FraudNet is a worldwide network of leading lawyers who specialise in fraud, international asset tracing and recovery. Visit https://iccfraudnet.org/members to learn more about the network and our members. Published Decisions Application of Consorcio Ecuatoriano de Telecomunicaciones S.A. v. JAS Forwarding (USA) , Inc., 747 F.3d 1262 (11th Cir. 2014): affirming the applicability of the 28 U.S.C. § 1782 discovery statute in support of contemplated foreign proceedings; In re Sociedad Militar Seguro de Vida , 985 F.Supp.2d 1375 (N.D. Ga. 2013): granting 28 U.S.C. § 1782 assistance in support of litigation pending in Curaçao Sallah v. Worldwide Clearing, LLC, et al ., 2011 WL 5914034 (S.D. Fla. Nov. 28, 2011): order denying various motions to dismiss fraudulent transfers and unjust enrichment claims by Receiver; In re Application of Dr. Afonso Henrique Alves Braga , 272 F.R.D. 621 (S.D. Fla. 2011) order denying motion to vacate or amend order granting petition for judicial assistance pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782; Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota S.A. E.S.P. v. Mercury Telco Group, Inc. , 670 F. Supp. 2d 1357 (S.D. Fla. 2009): order confirming and enforcing a multi-million dollar arbitration award in favor of a Colombian telecommunications company; Mercury Telco Group, Inc., v. Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogota S.A. E.S.P. , 670 F. Supp. 2d 1350 (S.D. Fla. 2009): order dismissing lawsuit against Colombian telecommunications company and compelling arbitration. Publications Contributor to Obtaining Evidence for Use in International Tribunals under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 – Second Edition – Edward M. Mullins and Lawrence W. Newman; Editors Contributor to International Litigation , in the International Law Deskbook - 2d Ed., The Florida Bar International Law Section 2026 Presentations Moderator at iLaw 2026, The Florida Bar International Law Section: "Parallel Proceedings and Forum Battles in the Age of Extraterritorial Enforcement" - February 13, 2026, Miami, FL Speaker at OffshoreAlert Miami 2024: “High-Value International Recovery” – April 2024 Speaker at Thoughtleaders4 Sovereign & States Disputes and Enforcement Conference: “Tips for working for a Sovereign” – January 2023, London, UK Speaker at C5 Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery Miami: “Cross-Border Insolvency and Restructuring as Mechanisms for Exposing Fraud and Recovering Assets” – October 2022 Speaker at OffshoreAlert London: “High-Value International Recovery: Tips From The Experts (Part Two)” – October 2022 Legal Prowess. Global Impact.
- How to Survive America’s Kill List| Sequor Law
Rolling Stone’s 2018 feature on the ‘kill list’ case put Tara J. Plochocki’s fight for a citizen’s due process rights before a national audience. How to Survive America’s Kill List Open In the News Open July 19, 2018 2 minutes read Sequor Law When *Rolling Stone* gave a single federal lawsuit the full weight of a long-form investigative feature, it made a quiet argument: the question of whether a citizen can be killed without a hearing belongs to the public, not only to lawyers and judges working behind closed doors. The 2018 piece followed Bilal Abdul Kareem, an American journalist who came to believe his work in Syria had landed him on a secret government targeting list after he survived a series of airstrikes. What might have read as a personal survival story instead opened onto a constitutional question most Americans never face: whether a citizen can even find out that his government has marked him for a drone strike, and whether a court is allowed to review that decision at all. For the press, these are not abstract concerns. Kareem was reporting from a war zone, and the case raised the prospect that journalists doing dangerous, unpopular work could be swept into a lethal designation with no way to contest it. Press freedom and due process rights, usually treated as separate concerns, met in a single file. A magazine known for cultural reporting recognized that and gave it the length the subject demanded, reaching readers who would never open a national security law journal. Carrying that litigation was attorney Tara J. Plochocki , who represented Kareem alongside the human rights organization Reprieve. The matter produced a notable result: a federal judge allowed his due process claim to move forward, refusing to treat the government's targeted killing authority as entirely beyond judicial review. For a citizen who wanted nothing more than a chance to be heard before the use of lethal force, that ruling mattered. The feature is worth reading in full for how it turns a dense legal fight into human terms. Sequor Law points readers to the original reporting: "How to Survive America's Kill List." The case also says something about the kind of work that defines Plochocki's record. She took it on earlier in her career; today she is a Partner at Sequor Law, where she leads the firm's Washington, D.C. office. An ICC FraudNet member admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and the D.C. and Second Circuits, she built a practice around cross-border asset recovery, financial fraud, and international commercial litigation, and she still litigates at the intersection of constitutional rights, international law, and national security, including amicus briefs on the laws of war. Beyond one man's ordeal, the feature kept a single premise in view: that government power, however secret, still answers to the Constitution — a kill list included. Testing that in court, and a national publication taking the time to explain why it counts, kept a hard question from slipping out of public view. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight May 19, 2026 1 minute read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Noah Rosenblum 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was drawn to law because I've always enjoyed solving complicated problems and thinking.. Attorney Spotlight May 9, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Michael Hanlon 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was less drawn to law in the abstract and more.. Firm News Apr 11, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Celebrates National Pet Day with Continued Support of Paws4You Rescue In recognition of National Pet Day, Sequor Law is proud to continue its support of Paws4You Rescue, a Miami-based nonprofit... 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.
- U.S. Invokes State Secrets Privilege to Block American Journalist’s Challenge to Alleged Spot on Drone ‘Kill List’| Sequor Law
After a 2018 due process win, the government invoked the state secrets privilege to dismiss Tara J. Plochocki’s client’s targeted-killing challenge in 2019. U.S. Invokes State Secrets Privilege to Block American Journalist’s Challenge to Alleged Spot on Drone ‘Kill List’ Open In the News Open September 24, 2019 2 minutes read Sequor Law A U.S. citizen asked a simple question: was his own government trying to kill him? In September 2019, a federal court decided he was not entitled to an answer. The plaintiff was Bilal Abdul Kareem, an American journalist who said five near-miss airstrikes in Syria suggested he had been placed on a U.S. targeted-killing list. His case had already cleared a hurdle that few claims of its kind survive. In 2018, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer had ruled that Kareem, as a citizen, could press a due-process challenge to his alleged inclusion on that list. That opening did not last. After settlement talks between Kareem's lawyers and the government collapsed, the government invoked the state secrets privilege, arguing that even confirming or denying his presence on any list would expose intelligence sources and methods and might help a target evade capture. Collyer agreed the government's authority to withhold that information was "absolute," and she dismissed the suit in a 14-page opinion. She named the tension directly, asking what constitutional right could be more essential than due process before the government takes a life, then concluding that federal courts hold only limited authority to resolve such questions, even when they touch constitutional rights. Tara J. Plochocki , today a partner at Sequor Law, represented Kareem and pushed the matter as far as the doctrine allowed. Her reaction drew the line plainly: "For the first time ever, a United States federal court ruled that the government may kill one of its citizens without providing him the information necessary to prove that he is being wrongly targeted." An early win recognized the right to be heard. The state-secrets dismissal then left that right unenforceable. Secrecy, in other words, can decide a case before a court ever reaches its merits. That collision between a citizen's claim and the executive's classification powers is the kind of problem Plochocki has built a career around, litigating where constitutional rights, international law, and national security meet. Her work at Sequor Law runs on the same instinct: securing evidence that adversaries would rather keep hidden, and pressing claims through federal courts and on appeal. Cross-border asset recovery and financial fraud both turn on prying loose concealed information. The Kareem case is a stark reminder of what is at stake when a court cannot compel its disclosure. The full account appeared in The Washington Post . Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight May 19, 2026 1 minute read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Noah Rosenblum 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was drawn to law because I've always enjoyed solving complicated problems and thinking.. Attorney Spotlight May 9, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Michael Hanlon 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was less drawn to law in the abstract and more.. Firm News Apr 11, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Celebrates National Pet Day with Continued Support of Paws4You Rescue In recognition of National Pet Day, Sequor Law is proud to continue its support of Paws4You Rescue, a Miami-based nonprofit... 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.
- Judge Allows Journalist to Challenge Claimed Inclusion on U.S. Drone ‘Kill List’| Sequor Law
Sequor Law partner Tara J. Plochocki secured a 2018 ruling that U.S. citizens have a due process right to be heard before being targeted for lethal force. Judge Allows Journalist to Challenge Claimed Inclusion on U.S. Drone ‘Kill List’ Open In the News Open June 13, 2018 2 minutes read Sequor Law Bilal Abdul Kareem grew up in New York and built a career as a freelance journalist. By his account, that work took him into reporting territory in Syria where five U.S. airstrikes nearly killed him. He came to believe the explanation was not coincidence but a designation: that his own government had placed him on a list of people marked for death. On June 13, 2018, a federal judge agreed he deserved the chance to find out. In a 30-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer refused to throw out Kareem's lawsuit, holding that an American citizen cannot be targeted for lethal action without any opportunity to be heard. Collyer rejected the idea that the executive branch holds unilateral authority to mark a citizen for death beyond the reach of any court. Due process, she wrote, "is not merely an old and dusty procedural obligation" but "a living, breathing concept that protects U.S. persons from overreaching government action even, perhaps, on an occasion of war." The Washington Post reported the ruling here . The decision was a rare one. Courts have generally been reluctant to second-guess national security determinations, and a co-plaintiff in the case, former Al Jazeera bureau chief Ahmad Muaffaq Zaidan, saw his claims dismissed as too speculative because he was not a U.S. citizen. What set Kareem apart was precisely his citizenship. The court treated his constitutional right to due process, together with his First Amendment rights as a journalist, as a "birthright" that an unreviewed government list could not erase. Representing the plaintiffs was Tara J. Plochocki , today a partner at Sequor Law, where she leads the firm's Washington, D.C. office. Her work on the kill list lawsuit is one strand of a practice that runs through constitutional rights, international law, and national security. The same command of federal litigation — and of the appellate rules that govern what a court may and may not review — is what she now applies to cross-border asset recovery and complex financial fraud at Sequor Law. The subject matter is different now; the method is the same. Find the legal question that controls the outcome, then press it through a federal system that concedes nothing without a fight. Targeted killing cases are extraordinary, and few practitioners will ever litigate one. Yet the principle the ruling protected is ordinary and foundational. Before the government acts against a citizen irreversibly, the citizen has a right to be heard. Plochocki's record on that question informs the matters she handles today. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight May 19, 2026 1 minute read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Noah Rosenblum 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was drawn to law because I've always enjoyed solving complicated problems and thinking.. Attorney Spotlight May 9, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Michael Hanlon 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was less drawn to law in the abstract and more.. Firm News Apr 11, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Celebrates National Pet Day with Continued Support of Paws4You Rescue In recognition of National Pet Day, Sequor Law is proud to continue its support of Paws4You Rescue, a Miami-based nonprofit... 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.
- China’s Defiance Over South China Sea Shows Limits of International Courts| Sequor Law
Forbes quoted Sequor Law’s Tara J. Plochocki on the 2016 South China Sea ruling and why enforcing international arbitration awards against sovereigns is hard. China’s Defiance Over South China Sea Shows Limits of International Courts Open In the News Open July 12, 2016 2 minutes read Sequor Law The Philippines left The Hague in July 2016 with a sweeping win. A tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration found that China had broken international law by building artificial islands to push its territorial claims hundreds of miles into the South China Sea. China's answer was just as blunt. It would not abide by the ruling, it had refused to take part in the proceedings, and it denied that the tribunal held any authority over what it called a territorial dispute. Forbes asked the obvious follow-up: what is a paper victory worth when the losing side refuses to recognize it? Tara J. Plochocki — today a Partner at Sequor Law and head of the Washington D.C. office — was quoted throughout the piece. The absence of China's consent, she noted, had been visible "from 14 years away": Beijing had signed a 2002 framework to resolve these disputes through negotiation, and it never agreed to let a tribunal decide questions of sovereignty. The whole story hinges on consent. Nations routinely agree to international arbitration in commercial matters and must live by the outcome. They are reluctant to agree to such arbitration when a dispute touches sovereignty. As the article notes, the United States has done the same thing China did, brushing off the International Court of Justice in the 1980s over Nicaragua and again in the 2000s in a death-penalty case involving a foreign national. Beijing is not the only sovereign to refuse to honor an unfavorable ruling. For businesses, Plochocki drew a practical line rather than a political one. China, she said, "is not an unreasonable place to do business — you can sign a contract there and have it enforced." Her caveat travels well beyond this case: companies contracting with state-owned enterprises should decide in advance on a dispute-resolution forum those enterprises have actually honored before. A favorable award means little if it lands somewhere the other side can ignore. Her closing observation captured the distance between winning and collecting. The Hague, she said, often serves as the court of international opinion; enforcing its judgments is a separate fight. The full Forbes article is here: "China's Defiance Over South China Sea Shows Limits Of International Courts." That distance is the center of Plochocki's work today. At Sequor Law she concentrates on international arbitration and on enforcing arbitral awards and foreign judgments, including against sovereigns and state-owned enterprises that would rather not pay. The South China Sea ruling is the dramatic version of a problem her clients face in quieter forms every day: a judgment is only as good as your ability to enforce it. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Attorney Spotlight May 19, 2026 1 minute read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Noah Rosenblum 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was drawn to law because I've always enjoyed solving complicated problems and thinking.. Attorney Spotlight May 9, 2026 2 minutes read Attorney Spotlight – Get to Know Michael Hanlon 1. What inspired you to pursue a law career? I was less drawn to law in the abstract and more.. Firm News Apr 11, 2026 2 minutes read Sequor Law Celebrates National Pet Day with Continued Support of Paws4You Rescue In recognition of National Pet Day, Sequor Law is proud to continue its support of Paws4You Rescue, a Miami-based nonprofit... 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.
- International Commercial Litigation | Sequor Law
Representing Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, and sovereigns in cross-border commercial disputes. Section 1782 discovery and global coordination International Commercial Litigation Sequor Law represents Fortune 50 companies, global financial institutions, multinational corporations, and sovereign entities in complex commercial disputes across multiple jurisdictions. With deep experience and a global network of trusted advisors, the firm is uniquely positioned to design and execute litigation strategies that operate seamlessly across borders. Litigating Cross-Border Disputes Across Federal and State Courts In the United States, Sequor Law appears regularly in federal, state, and appellate courts nationwide. The firm has extensive experience with doctrines central to international litigation, including forum non conveniens, personal jurisdiction, conflicts of law, sovereign immunity, and international treaties. Its attorneys have handled disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, tortious interference, investment disputes, distributorship disputes, breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy, and other complex commercial claims arising under U.S. and foreign law. Sequor Law is also highly experienced in assisting foreign counsel and international clients in obtaining evidence in the United States under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 and other similar procedural mechanisms. These tools are often critical in building cases pending in foreign jurisdictions and form a core component of the firm’s cross-border litigation strategy. Where disputes span multiple jurisdictions, Sequor Law frequently assumes a leadership role in structuring and coordinating global litigation efforts. The firm works closely with local counsel in each jurisdiction to ensure consistency, protect the client’s position, and drive outcomes aligned with a unified strategic objective. Our attorneys regularly operate with trusted partners in foreign jurisdictions and are familiar with the procedural tools, remedies, and litigation dynamics specific to each legal system. This experience allows Sequor Law to advise clients not only on legal strategy, but also on the broader considerations that often shape international disputes, including reputational risk, political sensitivities, and local business practices. Unified Strategy Across Multiple Jurisdictions and Local Counsel Representative Representative Cases Alter Ego Findings Lead to Multi-Million-Dollar Recovery in PPE Fraud Case Sequor Law represents a healthcare company in litigation against a purported PPE supplier involving breach of contract, money had and received, and alter ego liability. The supplier’s false representations and failure to deliver one million boxes of nitrile gloves or return a multi-million-dollar deposit led to summary Judgment in California for US$2,580,000 in damages, plus prejudgment interest and attorneys’ fees. US$19.5 Million Jury Verdict for Defrauded Shareholder Sequor Law represents a minority shareholder in litigation involving conspiracy, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and fraudulent transfer against the majority shareholder of a Colombia-based family construction materials business and other co-conspirators. After a multi-week jury trial, Sequor obtained an amended final judgment of US$19.5 million plus prejudgment interest against co-conspirator purchasers and a separate final judgment of US$19.5 million plus prejudgment interest against the majority shareholder and offshore co-conspirators. Open Gregory S. Grossman Founding Shareholder ggrossman@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 235 Open Edward H. Davis, Jr. Founding Shareholder edavis@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 228 Open Leyza B. Florin Shareholder lflorin@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 300 Open Open Key contacts Key Contacts
- Appellate Law | Complex Appeals & Cross-Border Litigation | Sequor Law
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 Tara J. Plochocki Partner tplochocki@sequorlaw.com (+1) 202-900-8740, Ext. 310 Open Open Key contacts Key Contacts
- Bank Litigation | Sequor Law
Chambers-ranked firm representing financial institutions in operational banking disputes, deposit account claims, and insolvency fiduciary actions in the U.S. Bank Litigation Sequor Law has extensive experience representing financial institutions in operational banking disputes and defending them against claims asserted by customers and insolvency fiduciaries. Full-Spectrum Bank Litigation from Institutional Defense to Asset Recovery Sequor Law has substantial experience in matters involving the Uniform Commercial Code, including Article 3 on negotiable instruments, Article 4 on bank deposits and collections, Article 4A on funds transfers, and Article 5 on letters of credit. Sequor Law defends financial institutions against overreaching claims while remaining focused on operational realities, industry standards, and the governing legal framework. The firm also regularly represents clients seeking bank records from third-party financial institutions. Whether tracing stolen or fraudulently transferred assets through the banking system or pursuing the assets of a judgment debtor, Sequor Law has extensive experience navigating the procedures required to reach assets to which clients are entitled. Representative Representative Cases Defense of Money Center Bank Against Online Banking Security Claims Sequor Law successfully defended JPMorgan Chase in a suit alleging that weaknesses in its online banking system allowed internal fraud by a customer’s bookkeeper. The court granted summary Judgment based on defenses under UCC Articles 3 and 4, including limitations on claims apparent from account statements. Defense of Regional Bank Against Customer Claims Regarding PPP Loans Sequor Law successfully defended Ocean Bank against allegations that the bank failed to properly administer PPP loan processes in connection with a forgiveness request. Defense of Regional Bank Against Assignee Regarding Overdraft Fees Sequor Law successfully defended Ocean Bank against allegations by an assignee in an assignment for the benefit of creditors that the bank improperly assessed overdraft fees and charges. Representation of Barclays Bank in Letter of Credit Dispute Sequor Law obtained summary Judgment establishing that, under UCC Article 5 and applicable law, a letter of credit issuer had no preferred rights to proceeds paid under the letter of credit. Open Gregory S. Grossman Founding Shareholder ggrossman@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 235 Open Edward H. Davis, Jr. Founding Shareholder edavis@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 228 Open Leyza B. Florin Shareholder lflorin@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 300 Open Open Key contacts Key Contacts
- Evidence Gathering Tools | Sequor Law
Pioneering 28 U.S.C. Section 1782 and cross-border discovery for foreign litigants seeking U.S.-based evidence in international proceedings Complementary Resources Section 1782 & Evidence Gathering Tools Strategic U.S. Evidence-Gathering for Cross-Border Litigation and International Proceedings A Precedent-Setting Leader in U.S. Federal Discovery for Foreign Litigants Sequor Law is frequently called upon to strengthen cross-border investigations and represent foreign litigants and interested parties that need evidence connected to the United States. Drawing on years of experience with a wide range of evidence-gathering tools, few firms can match Sequor Law’s ability to deploy the right tool for the matter. Sequor Law is a leader in the use of 28 U.S.C. § 1782, including precedent-setting victories in multiple federal circuit courts of appeal, such as Consorcio Ecuatoriano de Telecomunicaciones S.A. v. JAS Forwarding (USA), Inc., 747 F.3d 1262 (11th Cir. 2014), and Novalpina Capital Partners I GP S.A.R.L. v. Read, 149 F.4th 1092 (9th Cir. 2025). Known colloquially as “Section 1782,” the statute allows foreign litigants and interested persons to seek judicial assistance from U.S. federal courts to obtain evidence for use in proceedings before foreign or international tribunals. Federal courts have confirmed that evidence obtained under Section 1782 may be used in civil, criminal, probate, bankruptcy, marital, administrative, and regulatory matters, among others. Unlike other cross-border discovery mechanisms such as letters rogatory or Norwich Pharmacal orders, Section 1782 can often be pursued directly by the applicant, without the involvement of the foreign court or government authorities. A successful applicant gains access to U.S.-style discovery, including site inspections, document production, and deposition testimony under oath. Typical subpoena targets include businesses, affiliates, subsidiaries, financial institutions, former employees, lawyers, accountants, brokers, escrow agents, galleries, and auction houses. Section 1782 can often be pursued on an ex parte basis and does not require the applicant to show that domestic evidence-gathering mechanisms in the foreign case have been exhausted or that the evidence will be admissible abroad. Sequor Law’s professionals also have substantial experience with treaty-based evidence-gathering tools, including MLAT requests, Hague Evidence Convention requests, letters rogatory, and letters of request. Comprehensive Evidence-Gathering Mechanisms For Global Disputes Open Alain M. Acanda Attorney aacanda@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282 Open Giovanni Angles Counsel gangles@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 213 Open Maria Jose Cortesi Attorney mcortesi@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 265 Open Open Key contacts Key Contacts






