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 Firm News Jun 23, 2026 3 minutes Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Carolina M. Rosso to Its Expanding International Litigation and Asset Recovery Team Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Carolina M. Rosso has joined the firm as an Attorney. 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...

An original UNCITRAL Model Law draftsman responds to proposals regarding the Centre of Main Interests (COMI) framework in cross-border insolvency proceedings. Model Law draftsman responds to COMI proposals Open Legal Insights Open September 15, 2023 1 minute read Sequor Law An original UNCITRAL Model Law draftsman responds to proposals regarding the Centre of Main Interests (COMI) framework in cross-border insolvency proceedings. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Firm News Jun 23, 2026 3 minutes Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Carolina M. Rosso to Its Expanding International Litigation and Asset Recovery Team Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Carolina M. Rosso has joined the firm as an Attorney. 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...

How the unlimited homestead exemption in Florida and Texas lets wealthy debtors protect mansions from creditors, creating a $70B legal loophole in South Florida real estate. The $70B loophole, or: How to turn your mansion into an offshore account Open In the News Open October 23, 2018 9 minutes read Sequor Law Wealthy in a financial bind increasingly turn to the homestead exemption By Konrad Putzier In the fall of 2016, Roger Ailes was by all accounts a very wealthy man. Fox News had just pushed him out from the company he built over allegations of sexual harassment, but paid him $40 million for his troubles. So he did what many other rich retirees before him have done: he bought a house in Florida. Through a trust, Ailes paid $36 million in cash for a six-bedroom, 12,747- square-foot mansion in Palm Beach. In November that year, the longtime Putnam County, NY resident filed a declaration of domicile in Florida, public records show, making the new property at 6 Ocean Lane his primary home. The declaration had its perks. Ailes was a defendant in a potentially expensive sexual-harassment lawsuit by former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros and was about to become a defendant in another, by former contributor Julie Roginsky. A judgment against him could put his assets on the line. But making the Palm Beach mansion his primary residence could insulate the house and up to half an acre of land around it from any legal claims, thanks to a handy Florida law known as the “homestead exemption.” Ailes died in May 2017 at age 77. Fox News, also a defendant in the suits, settled Roginsky’s lawsuit in December of that year and Tantaros’ lawsuit was dismissed in May 2018. Ailes’ widow, Elizabeth Ailes, declared the Palm Beach property her homestead for tax purposes in 2017 and 2018, property records show. A spokesperson for Elizabeth did not respond to requests for comment. Curious if someone of means is in a financial pickle? Check if they recently bought a mansion in Florida or Texas. Paying millions for a palatial home in the Sunshine State is usually an indicator of unfettered wealth. But it could also be a warning sign that the buyer may be trying to protect money from creditors or legal claims. Florida and Texas are among the few states with a so-called unlimited homestead exemption, a law enshrined in the state constitution stipulating that your home is off limits to creditors, no matter how much it is worth or how much you owe. For people staring down big debts or potentially costly lawsuits, this creates a powerful incentive to buy the priciest property they can find in a homestead state. Rising home prices mean more wealth is now beyond the reach of creditors. In three South Florida counties — Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach — alone, the combined appraised value of all luxury homes appraised at $1 million or more whose owners claim the homestead exemption in tax filings is $69.9 billion (see chart), according to The Real Deal’s analysis of the Florida Department of Revenue’s 2018 tax roll. The true market values of these properties could be much higher.* “If you go to a lawyer and ask ‘how do I protect my assets?,’ the first thing they say is: ‘Buy a valuable homestead,’” said Jeffrey Davis, a law professor at the University of Florida. “Some people just sort of call it estate planning.” Funny laws Residents of most U.S. states get a homestead exemption protecting some of their home equity from creditors. In California, for example, most people have a cap of $75,000, while in Virginia, the cap is $5,000. Florida, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma and South Dakota, however, have no limit. In these states, buying an expensive property and claiming the homestead exemption has some of the perks of stashing your money in an offshore account — protection from creditors and lawsuits — without having to transfer money overseas. “If you’re faced with losing what you have, the psychological toll it takes on you is the same whether you’re really rich or an average Joe,” said Wayne Patton, a Miami-based asset-protection attorney. “So the idea of moving somewhere where you can protect the bulk of what you have is very appealing.” The list of the rich and famous who have taken advantage of the exemption is long, and it includes NFL legend O.J. Simpson, movie star Burt Reynolds and one of the original Miami Worldcenter developers, Marc Roberts. Simpson had spent much of his life in California, but bought a home in Miami for $575,000 in 2000 and moved there after he lost a $33.5 million civil suit brought by the relatives of his murdered ex-wife. “They got funny laws in this state,” Simpson told the New Yorker in 2001, explaining why he likes living in Florida. The unlimited exemption has been around for more than a century, but its popularity is on the rise. Several offshore financial centers have increased transparency and made life harder for those looking to hide money abroad. Meanwhile, Florida’s rising property market over the past decade has made buying homes there more attractive. In both Florida and Texas, debtors need to actually move into the property and show that they want to make it their permanent residence – by changing their voter registration, for example – to get the exemption. But they do not need to have lived in it for long. There are exceptions: those who buy a home with proceeds from criminal activity aren’t protected, and homeowners who fail to pay taxes or don’t make mortgage payments on their homestead can still see it seized. Evading creditors isn’t the main reason people claim the homestead exemption, asset-recovery lawyers say. Making a property your homestead carries significant tax benefits. But even if people buy a property purely and explicitly to bilk their lenders, that’s totally legal – at least in Florida. In 2001 , the state’s Supreme Court ruled that the exemption protects a property owner even if she bought the home with “the specific intent of hindering, delaying, or defrauding creditors.” The ruling has turned into a nightmare for lenders and asset-recovery lawyers nationwide. Because many debtors across the U.S. can, in theory, move to Florida at a moment’s notice and buy a house, they know that a part of their fortune equivalent to the value of a hypothetical Florida mansion can’t ever be seized by creditors. Of all of Florida’s eccentric laws, the homestead exemption is the one it sort of managed to force on the rest of the country as well. “We’ll have a lawsuit against somebody where they will say ‘you can sue me, and might even win, but by the time you win I’m going to sell my house up here and all my other assets and I’m going to buy a house in Florida’,” said Schuyler Carroll, a New York-based asset-recovery attorney at Perkins Coie, adding that he’s been involved in dozens of cases where the exemption came up. “So we settle.” Paupers with palaces Tom Hicks made a fortune as a private-equity investor and a name for himself as the owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team and English soccer club Liverpool F.C. But the Dallas resident found himself in deep trouble after the financial crisis. In 2010, the Rangers filed for bankruptcy, and Hicks sold the team to pay off his creditors. In 2011 , a group of former Rangers investors sued Hicks , claiming he had used the team to improperly enrich himself. JPMorgan Chase reportedly sought $35.4 million from him. As Hicks fought for what was left of his wealth – he had also been forced to sell Liverpool F.C. – he could be fairly certain of one thing: no one could take away his palatial Dallas estate. Hicks had bought the nearly 30,000-square-foot home at 10000 Holloway Drive in 1999 — the year his Dallas Stars hockey team won the Stanley Cup. Built by architect Maurice Fatio for Italian aristocrat Pio Crespi in the 1930s, the 25-acre property includes a library decked in walnut wood, crystal chandeliers, two guest houses, a pool and a lake. In 2013, Dallas County appraisers valued the property at $40 million. Property records show that Hicks claimed the homestead exemption on the property. “He was pleading poverty, but everyone knew he had this absolutely phenomenal house,” recalled a source familiar with the Rangers bankruptcy. An attorney for Hicks declined to comment for this article. Hicks can thank an earlier banking crisis for the law that shielded his mansion. In 1837, a year after Texas declared its independence from Mexico, a financial panic hit the U.S., leading to a wave of loan defaults and bank failures. The crisis would have a lasting impact on the state’s laws, according to Michael Ariens, a legal historian at St. Mary’s University. “When Texas became a state in 1845, the idea that creditors could take the essentials of a farmer’s or workman’s way to earn a living was anathema,” Ariens said. “And there are always more debtors than creditors as voters.” The homestead exemption eventually became a “sacrosanct” part of the constitution, according to Joe Wielebinski, a Texas-based asset-recovery attorney at Winstead PC. “Texas is a state with a history of people from other areas coming to this free, open and large state for a lot of reasons,” he said. “Whether it’s embarrassing or not, one of the reasons they came here was to avoid creditors in other states.” In Texas, the debtor protection covers up to 10 acres in cities and up to 100 acres for an individual (200 for a family) in the countryside from creditors. In Florida, which included the exemption in its constitution in 1868, it covers just half an acre in a municipality and 160 acres outside a municipality. But as property prices in Miami and Palm Beach rose in the 1990s and early 2000s, debtors realized that they could squeeze a lot of money into half an acre. So sue me In late 1989, former Major League Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn’s Manhattan law firm went bankrupt. Weeks later, Kuhn bought a $1 million, five-bedroom home in Ponte Vedra Beach and claimed the homestead exemption. “There is nothing inappropriate about my actions,” he told the New York Times in 1993: “People do this all the time.” In 1996, Burt Reynolds filed for bankruptcy but kept his $2.5 million property near Palm Beach. Paul Bilzerian, a former corporate raider who went bankrupt in Florida for the second time in 2001 with $140 million in debt, got to keep his $5 million, 11-bedroom home in Tampa Bay, which included an indoor basketball court and a cinema. Martin Kenney, a British Virgin Islands-based asset-recovery lawyer, recalls representing a hedge fund in the early 2000s. The fund had lent $20 million to a Florida doctor, who defaulted on the loan and pleaded poverty even though he owned a $7 million home near Sarasota, according to Kenney. “We didn’t litigate over the house because we thought, ‘why do that if you’re just going to waste your time and lose?’” he said. “Like all policy choices, you end up with people that are unethical, abusing the privilege, doing things that probably the folks who created that homestead law never envisioned would happen.” As abuse spread, the banking industry lobbied to change bankruptcy laws, facing fierce resistance from the real-estate industry and property owners in homestead states. In 1998, George W. Bush, then governor of Texas, wrote a letter to the House Judiciary Committee arguing that a “homestead cap is a clear violation of states’ rights with regard to state private property.” Current Attorney General Jeff Sessions, then a senator representing Alabama, found himself on the other side, telling the Times in 2001 that the unlimited exemption “isn’t just.” The bankers prevailed and in 2005, Congress passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act. It stipulated, among other changes, that those who file for bankruptcy can no longer claim the unlimited exemption unless they have lived in the property for at least 40 months. “If a bankruptcy filing occurs today, it’s not clear that a homestead is bulletproof from all creditors’ claims,” said Wielebinski, the asset-recovery attorney. “Thirty years ago, if you put money into your homestead you were virtually immune from the claims of all creditors except for the mortgage lender and taxes. So it’s a dramatic change.” The housing crisis further eroded the appeal of the exemption. Property prices plummeted, and there’s no point in claiming the exemption on a home that’s underwater anyway. “Since 2008 we saw less people claiming it because there was no equity in the house,” said Michael Bakst, a Palm Beach-based attorney at Greenspoon Marder who specializes in bankruptcy and insolvency cases. But as the Florida real estate market recovered from the crisis and the state attracted more of the world’s wealthy, so did the homestead exemption. Marc Roberts, a former boxing promoter and one of the original developers behind the Miami Worldcenter project, claimed the homestead exemption on his $1.5 million home in Jupiter, Florida, when he filed for bankruptcy in March 2010, court records show. Roberts could not be reached for comment. Keurig Green Mountain founder Robert Stiller reportedly paid $55 million for a mansion in Palm Beach through an LLC in January 2014 while he was still a defendant in three shareholder lawsuits against Green Mountain. He already owned a home in the same town but soon declared the new property his homestead, public records show. Although there is no indication Stiller bought the property because of the exemption, his role as a defendant meant he could potentially benefit from the law. An attorney representing Stiller did not comment. The exemption continues to be highly effective. Gregory Grossman , a Miami-based asset-recovery attorney at Sequor Law, said he was unable to contest the exemption on behalf of creditors in more than 95 percent of the cases he was involved in. And even the fact that your money is tied up in your home isn’t too much of a problem for those with patience. Take Tom Hicks. While the lawsuits against him dragged on, he continued to claim the Dallas estate as his primary residence. Then, in late 2012, Hicks settled a legal dispute with the Rangers, and on January 11, 2013, a lawsuit brought by his lenders was dismissed. Two weeks later, news broke that Hicks had put the home on the market for $135 million — at the time reportedly the most expensive residential listing in the country. He later cut the asking price to $100 million and sold it in January 2016 for a reported $58 million. 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 Firm News Jun 23, 2026 3 minutes Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Carolina M. Rosso to Its Expanding International Litigation and Asset Recovery Team Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Carolina M. Rosso has joined the firm as an Attorney. 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...

Sequor Law monitors COVID-19's impact across Latin America, analyzing emerging threats to cross-border insolvencies as the pandemic disrupts economies, court systems, and exit financing. COVID-19 and Cross-Border Insolvencies Open Legal Insights Open April 17, 2020 5 minutes read Sequor Law Brazil’s health minister has predicted that the spread of COVID-19 would reach its peak between April and June and has warned that Brazil’s health system could reach saturation by the end of April. As the novel coronavirus has been spreading throughout the region, Sequor Law has monitored its impact across Latin America. Brazil confirmed its first COVID-19 case, the first in Latin America, from a traveler who had visited Northern Italy before arriving in Sao Paulo, a city of approximately 20 million people with the largest urban population in the Americas. It is also the country’s financial center and a business hub representing one of Latin America’s largest economies. The news, which arrived after a long weekend of Carnival celebrations, brought with it a deep and almost immediate dive in the Ibovespa stock index similar to the losses that have been seen elsewhere around the globe. Most recently, Brazil closed its border to eight neighboring countries, banned travel from Europe and Asia, and closed schools, colleges, courts, and commercial business in its largest cities. Brazil’s top soccer teams have handed stadiums over to health authorities to turn them into field hospitals and clinics in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Brazil’s health minister has predicted that the spread of COVID-19 would reach its peak between April and June and has warned that Brazil’s health system could reach saturation by the end of April. At present, the country has over 4,600 confirmed cases, 165 deaths and reports indicate that the number of new cases is steadily growing. With various government officials testing positive for COVID-19, including 14 who accompanied its president, Jair Bolsonaro, to Florida a few weeks ago, the federal government has declared a national emergency in Brazil allowing the government to free up budget resources and announcing an economic stimulus package of approximately $40 billion euros. Notwithstanding all of these measures, Brazil’s currency recently hit an all-time low of R $5.2 per dollar before its Central Bank helped pare losses by cutting its benchmark interest rate to an all-time low of 3.75%, pledging to deploy financial stability policies to fight the crisis. Like the United States, closures of commercial establishments and travel bans have hit Brazil’s retail, entertainment and aviation sectors hard. Like Brazil, nations throughout the region are in a race to “flatten” the exponential spread of COVID-19. Recent reports have stated that every country in Latin America and the Caribbean now have confirmed cases of COVID-19. Argentina is on total lockdown. In Chile—a country that already faced a political crisis prior to the coronavirus pandemic—restricted freedom of movement has postponed its April referendum for a new Constitution. Examples of such “social distancing”-inspired policies are ubiquitous. Efforts to get ahead of the most horrific potential consequences of COVID-19, however, have begun to exact a hefty price, as large sectors of the regional economy have all but shut down. Even in these early days, we have already begun to see an impact in U.S. bankruptcies, as distressed companies in pending reorganization proceedings are losing their exit financing and private equity investors are lowering or pulling bids to acquire the assets of bankrupt companies due to market volatility caused by the pandemic. Unfortunately, with no clear medical solution on the horizon and talk of increasing infection rates impacting the region, it appears likely that the situation will get worse before it gets better. On March 27, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said that the global economy has now entered a recession that could be as bad as or worse than the financial crisis in 2009. Although Georgieva noted that the world economy could experience a “sizeable rebound” in 2021 if nations are successful in containing the pandemic, she stressed that “a key concern about a long-lasting impact of the sudden stop of the world economy is the risk of a wave of bankruptcies and layoffs that not only can undermine the recovery but erode the fabric of our societies.” These statements capture the reality that, unlike other recent recessions, it is difficult to identify sectors of the economy that will not be impacted by the current crisis. The extent of the crisis is perhaps most poignantly captured by the report that more than 6.6 million workers filed claims for unemployment in the United States this week—a number that shattered all prior records for such filings. Although the most widely publicized effects of the worldwide shutdown have been seen in the aviation, cruise, hospitality (restaurant and hotel) and retail sectors, this crisis will undoubtedly result in a sharp increase in both domestic bankruptcy cases, and cross-border insolvency matters across all sectors where foreign companies and liquidators may seek U.S. assistance to obtain relief from creditors (such as by obtaining a stay of collection actions), to protect assets located in the United States or to obtain information or directly enforce rights against third parties in furtherance of a foreign bankruptcy proceeding. Certainly, our years of experience as bankruptcy specialists tell us that the rise of domestic bankruptcy cases for small businesses and the sectors of the economy hardest hit by the shutdowns are inescapable, as many businesses cannot withstand the strain of even a temporary closure without revenue combined with continuing obligations to pay fixed costs. It is likely that a similar dynamic will play out in national economies around the globe, including Brazil and other Latin American countries. Countries are already responding to the anticipated surge in insolvencies. In the United States, the recently enacted stimulus bill dramatically expands access to the simplified and expedited procedures that apply to small business bankruptcies, such that relief may temporarily be accessed to reorganize debts up to $7,5 million (up from $2,725,625) through Dec. 31, 2020, and extending payment plans under Chapter 13 up to seven years due to financial consequences stemming from COVID-19. Similarly, in Brazil, the Chamber of Deputies approved new preventive restructuring measures to enable companies facing financial difficulties to continue their operations including a special recovery plan for micro and small companies, allowing the extension of payment terms, reduction of interest and fines relating to tax debts, allowing more flexibility in relation to the possibility of negotiation of the parties in structuring a recovery plan and simplification of judicial procedures. In addition to the potential for increased bankruptcy filings, our experience in cross-border fraud suggests that widespread financial distress (such as that seen during the last financial crisis) and the ensuing insolvency proceedings that follow, bring increased oversight, investigations, and, potentially, the discovery of financial frauds (like Madoff or, more recently, the “Operação Lava Jato” or “Car Wash” scandal in Brazil) that may have previously been overlooked. The discovery of improper transfers and fraud, which are more likely to come to light during a downturn, and certainly in bankruptcy, may result in the filing of cross-border insolvency proceedings under Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code, where administrators and trustees search for offshore assets and information that will facilitate recovery for their creditors. Even if the United States is fortunate enough to avoid the worst potential outcomes of this pandemic (most critically as it relates to the loss of human life), it appears inescapable that the ongoing shutdown of the global economy will result in increasing insolvency proceedings in all economic sectors (both in the United States and abroad). As numerous international businesses have substantial ties and interests in the United States (particularly, in South Florida), this drastic increase in foreign insolvency proceedings will inevitably translate to increasing numbers of cross-border insolvency proceedings in the United States. Leyza B. Florin and Fernando J. Menendez are shareholders at Sequor Law in Miami. The firm specializes in hidden asset recovery, notably Brazil-linked Chapter 15 cross-border cases. To view 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 Firm News Jun 23, 2026 3 minutes Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Carolina M. Rosso to Its Expanding International Litigation and Asset Recovery Team Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Carolina M. Rosso has joined the firm as an Attorney. 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...

Sequor Law's Leyza B. Florin becomes IWIRC's first Hispanic Chair effective January 1, as the global insolvency and restructuring community announces new leadership and industry moves. Community roundup: IWIRC gets its first Hispanic chair amid new year hires and promotions Open In the News Open December 17, 2020 3 minutes read Sequor Law The International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) will have its first Hispanic chair come 1 January, as a Dutch firm hires from Loyens & Loeff, and Vinson & Elkins and Cooley promote in New York. Leyza B. Florin , a shareholder at Miami-based cross-border insolvency and asset recovery boutique Sequor Law, will become the first Hispanic chair of IWIRC’s board at the start of next year, after serving as vice-chair in 2020 under the outgoing chair, PwC partner Michelle Pickett in Ontario. Blanco’s new vice-chair is Lowenstein Sandler counsel Jennifer Kimble in New York, who is currently IWIRC’s secretary. Kimble will be replaced in the secretary role by Boston-based Marjorie Kaufman of management consulting firm Getzler Henrich & Associates, who is currently finance director. The current vice finance director, Karen Fellowes QC at Stikeman Elliott in Vancouver, will also now graduate into the directors’ role, while a new member of IWIRC’s executive board, Troutman Pepper partner Evelyn Meltzer in Wilmington, Delaware, will be appointed vice finance director. Fellowes joined Stikeman Elliott in July from DLA Piper, and is a former winner of IWIRC’s Fetner Award, which is given each year to an outstanding international member. Blanco – herself an IWIRC founders award-winner in 2019 – said she was “honoured” to have been named IWIRC’s next chair. “I will be a steward to the IWIRC mission and continue to make IWIRC accessible to everyone, increasing diversity and helping our worldwide members connect and forge productive relationships,” she said. In an inaugural speech delivered on 15 December at a hybrid in-person and virtual event for IWIRC’s 2020 Rising Star Award – an honour presented to Sequor Law attorney Nyana Miller , who is the first Latin America regional chair on IWIRC’s international board – Blanco said the chaos of this pandemic year had actually delivered “a silver-lining” in the form of online events. She jokingly thanked covid-19 for uncovering “this extra arrow in our quiver” and pledged to use virtual events to drive focus on inclusion, labelling them “an invaluable tool to help us in our mission – to connect women worldwide”. Speaking to GRR, Blanco notes that the past three years have seen IWIRC add Brazil, Latin America and Korea networks to its ranks, and that it is her ambition to work on expanding the European network and developing new networks during her time as chair. “Efforts are already in the works for the development of networks in New Zealand, Ireland, Dubai, South Africa and Pacific Northwest,” Blanco says. “It is my hope that women from across the globe who are not already represented in an IWIRC network will have a network to join and participate with IWIRC in the promotion of women in the insolvency field worldwide,” she adds, noting that anyone interested in joining or forming a new IWIRC network is welcome to get in touch with her directly. Blanco joined Sequor law in mid-2018 from GrayRobinson in Miami, alongside another shareholder, Fernando Menendez . She regularly works on international litigation and insolvency matters relating to the US and Latin America, especially Chapter 15 recognition cases. In November, she asked the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida to recognise the most recent liquidator of Ukrainian bank PJSC Bank Finance and Credit, following a series of different appointments in the wake of the bank’s licence being revoked in 2015. She is also the regular author of GRR’s asset recovery column . Click here to read the full article. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Firm News Jun 23, 2026 3 minutes Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Carolina M. Rosso to Its Expanding International Litigation and Asset Recovery Team Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Carolina M. Rosso has joined the firm as an Attorney. 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...

An Australian court recognised CP Legal partner Carlos Parada Abate as liquidator and foreign representative of Alberto Chang Rajii under Australia’s Cross-Border Insolvency Act, building on earlier recognition decisions in Florida, the UK and Isle of Man and Chapter 15 recognition of the Onix proceedings. Chilean liquidator in alleged Ponzi case recognised in Australia Open In the News Open February 13, 2018 3 minutes read Sequor Law By Douglas Thomson An Australian court has become the latest to recognise Chilean liquidation proceedings in what is alleged to be the South American state’s first major Ponzi scheme dismantling, following courts in the US, UK and Isle of Man. JusticeJacqueline Gleeson at the Federal Court of Australia’s New South Wales registry in Sydney recognised CP Legal partner Carlos Parada Abate as liquidator and foreign representative of the estate of Chilean businessman Alberto Chang Rajii, under Australia’s Cross-Border Insolvency Act in a ruling on 29 January. She also recognised proceedings to liquidate Chang’s assets before the 15 th Civil Court of Santiago as a foreign main proceeding under the Australia’s embodiment of the UNCITRAL Model Law. The court followed up with a notice to creditors on 2 February. The recognitions follow a trio of similar decisions by courts in Florida, London and the Isle of Man over the course of September. The US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida has also granted Chapter 15 recognition of separate Chilean proceedings liquidating Chang’s investment vehicle Onix, a company he co-founded with his mother in 2009. Chang is accused of using Onix to defraud investors through a set of promissory notes guaranteed by what was in fact another Chang company, Grupo Arcano. The US Securities and Exchange Committee has accused him of manufacturing an identity as an award-winning angel investor, holding himself out as an early Google financier with an MBA from Stanford University, who falsely told investors their money would be put into Silicon Valley companies like Uber and Snapchat. Liquidator Parada has said in court filings that in fact Chang only invested a small part of the funds, using them to fund a lavish lifestyle for himself instead. Onix went into compulsory liquidation in May 2016 after it defaulted on its liabilities to a Chilean creditor, with the Santiago court appointing Parada as its liquidator. The company had over US$120 million in liabilities to over 1,000 creditors at the time of its liquidation. A year later, Chiang’s own estate was placed in compulsory liquidation by the 15 th Civil Court of Santiago and Parada was appointed to oversee this case too. Chang is now facing charges in Chile of fraud, money laundering and operating without a valid licence. He left Chile for Malta the month before Onix’s liquidation and although he was arrested there in December 2016, the Maltese courts have refused Chile’s request for his extradition. Chile has appealed that ruling. In a service ruling in December, the Australian court described Chang’s current whereabouts as unknown, though he did then appear at a hearing relating to his extradition from Malta on 24 January. The court said he would be served through his personal email address and his Chilean legal counsel. Parada was represented in the Australian proceedings by Sydney firm Arnold Bloch Leibler, and the hearings were attended by Sequor Law partner Edward Davis from Miami, his US counsel. Davis says, “We are very happy to have obtained, along with local counsel, additional recognition for Mr Parada in Australia which will allow him to secure real estate, bank accounts and artwork that are believed to be worth more than AU$5 million [US$4 million] in value.” Chang’s alleged personal spending on properties in Australia, the British Virgin Islands, Miami and London has instigated the global round of recognition proceedings for his Chilean liquidation. Chang’s property on the territory’s Moskito Island was partially destroyed last year by Hurricane Irma. The asset is nevertheless among those in the territory being pursued by a companion BVI liquidation with Grant Thornton as liquidator and Parada as its largest creditor, as the BVI does not permit the recognition of foreign liquidators. In the Federal Court of Australia Bench Justice Jacqueline Gleeson Counsel to Carlos Parada Abate (liquidator and foreign representative) Arnold Bloch Leibler In the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, Chancery Division Counsel to Carlos Abate Parada (liquidator and foreign respresentative) PCB Litigation Partner Jon Felce in London In the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida In re: Alberto Samuel Chang Rajii Judge Laurel Isicoff Counsel to Carlos Abate Parada (liquidator and foreign representative) Sequor Law Founding shareholders Gregory Grossman and Edward Davis with partner Arnoldo Lacayo in Miami In the Isle of Man Counsel to Carlos Abate Parada (liquidator and foreign representative) Callin Wild Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Firm News Jun 23, 2026 3 minutes Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Carolina M. Rosso to Its Expanding International Litigation and Asset Recovery Team Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Carolina M. Rosso has joined the firm as an Attorney. 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. 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.

Partner. Super Lawyers Rising Star. $1.02B jury verdict affirmed. $388M ICC award enforcement. Cross-border insolvency, HNW disputes, and art fraud Christopher A. Noel Partner cnoel@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 264 vCard Practice Areas Asset Recovery International Commercial Litigation Appellate Law High-Net-Worth Disputes Corruption & Proceeds of Crime Recovery Financial Fraud International Arbitration Judgment & Arbitral Award Enforcement Christopher A. Noel Partner cnoel@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 264 vCard Education University of Miami School of Law, J.D. (Magna Cum Laude , 2015) Honors: Dean’s List; Stearns Weaver Scholarship; Dean’s Certificates of Achievement in Evidence, International Economic Law, and Elements; Certificate of Achievement in Legal Communications Law Review: The University of Miami Inter-American Law Review , Executive Editor University of Miami School of Business Administration, M.B.A. (2011) University of Miami School of Business Administration, B.B.A. (2010) Honors: Provost’s Honor Roll; Dean’s List; Henry King Stanford Scholarship Admissions Florida U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Associations & Memberships Third District Court of Appeal Historical Society Legal Services of Greater Miami Leaders Council Legal Services of Greater Miami Young Professionals Council Languages English Location Miami Favorite Quote “Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done .” – Hon. Louis Brandeis Bio Publications & Presentations Representative Matters Media Christopher A. Noel, a partner at Sequor Law, focuses his practice on international litigation, arbitration, and appeals. He represents sovereign governments, individuals, and corporate and institutional victims of fraud, corruption, and financial misconduct in the United States and abroad. Christopher’s experience includes a variety of international asset recovery efforts from fraud investigations and pre-suit negotiations to the prosecution of jury trials and appeals, with a particular focus on the recovery of specialized assets such as fine art and antiquities in addition to monetary damages. He has worked on matters involving North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Christopher is a past Chair of the Legal Services of Greater Miami Young Professionals Council and is a member of its Leaders Council. He is also an active member of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal Historical Society. Christopher is regularly invited to present on topics related to international litigation and fraud at various forums around the world. He has been honored by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star in International Law since 2021. Prior to joining Sequor Law, Christopher worked on a trial and appellate team at an AmLaw 100 law firm, specializing in complex issues of first impression and “bet the company” lawsuits. Before practicing law, he worked as a foreign policy advisor to both governmental and non-governmental entities operating in the Western Hemisphere. Christopher is admitted to all Florida State Courts as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits. Publications & Presentations Mitigating Reputational Risks in the Crosshairs of Fraud and Asset Recovery: Fine Tuning Your Messaging and PR Strategy, C5 Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery Conference, Geneva, March 12, 2026 Beyond the Bar: How Non-Lawyers Are Shaping Cross-Border Disputes, TL4 Circle, Windsor, UK, November 21, 2025 Political Change and Handling Disputes in “High Risk” Jurisdictions , TL4 Circle, Windsor, UK, November 20, 2025 Asset Tracing in Hostile, High-Risk Jurisdictions , C5 Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery Conference, Miami, September 30, 2025 Litigation Funders, Investigators and Asset Recovery Practitioners: Bringing The Fight to the Fraudsters and Recovering for Your Clients , C5 Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery Conference, Geneva, March 13, 2025 Exotic Asset Recovery: Multi-Jurisdictional Tracing & Recovery of Non-Traditional Assets C5 Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery Conference, Miami, Florida, October 24, 2024 FEPA: Combatting the Demand-Side of Bribery, International Law Quarterly, Vol. XL, No. 2 , International Law Section, The Florida Bar, Spring 2024 Complex, High-Value Asset Recovery Cases: Practitioner Tips for Overcoming Vexing, High Stakes Obstacles , C5 Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery Conference, Geneva, March 15, 2024 High Value International Recovery: Ask Me Anything, Offshore Alert Conference, London, December 5, 2023 A Practitioner’s Guide to Enforcement of Foreign Country Money Judgments, International Practitioner’s Deskbook Series: International Litigation Strategies and Practice, 3rd Ed. , American Bar Association, July 5, 2023 Property or Not: Should NFTs Be Recognized as Protectable Digital Assets? , C5 Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery Conference, Geneva, March 17, 2023 Interaction Between Fraud & Insolvency: When Injunctions Are Contemplated and Implemented , Thought Leaders 4 Fire Conference, Dublin, February 24, 2023 NFTs Aren’t Going Anywhere, and Neither are the Lawsuits , Florida Bar iLaw 2023 Conference, February 17, 2023 Art for Fraud’s Sake , Fraud Intelligence Magazine (UK), July 25, 2022 The “Out of the Box” Vehicles for Fraud: Art, Vintage Collectibles and Other Cultural Property , C5 Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery Conference, Geneva, March 24, 2022 International Family Law Trends – High-Net-Worth Asset Recovery , US-Mexico Bar Association Annual Conference, October 20, 2021 High Net Worth Matrimonial Asset Recovery: Tips and Best Practices from the Experts , West LegalEd Center, August 5, 2021 Euromepa and Gorsoan, oh my! , Global Restructuring Review, November 20, 2020 Globalisation Catches Up With the US Insolvency Courts , Global Restructuring Review, September 17, 2019 Seventy Years Later: The Danger of Looted Nazi Art at the Norton Simon Museum (White Paper 2015). Basic Bankruptcy–Welcome to the Fishbowl , The Florida Bar Asset Protection Seminar, Levels I & II. Salvage at Your Own Peril: A Common Law Approach to Maritime Treasure Recovery , 46 U. Miami Inter-Am. L. Rev. 89 (2014). A Twenty-First Century Prisoner Exchange: The Case of the Isaís Brothers , U. Miami Inter-Am. L. Rev. Blog (April 26, 2014). Media Sequor Law Promotes Juan J. Mendoza, Christopher A. Noel, and Joseph B. Rome to Partner Sequor’s Insights on International Anti-Bribery Legislation 11th Circuit Appeal News Sequor Law Announces Promotion of Attorney Christopher A. Noel to Counsel Various Attorneys Recognized by SuperLawyers 2023 Art for Fraud’s Sake – Fraud Intelligence Article by Christopher A. Noel ATTORNEY SPOTLIGHT: Christopher A. Noel Christopher A. Noel to Speak at the 27th USMBA Annual Conference Asset recovery column: Euromepa and Gorsoan, oh my Asset recovery column: Globalisation catches up with the US insolvency courts Announcing the Addition of Two Exceptional Attorneys Representative Matters Represented nation’s largest homebuilder through multiple levels of appeal to affirm a $1.02 billion jury verdict for conspiracy to extort money and defamation. Represented sovereign government in multi-jurisdictional fraud, corruption, and racketeering litigation to recover approximately $100 million converted by corrupt public officials and individuals during the planning, construction, and maintenance of the country’s flagship international airport. Represented foreign representatives in Chapter 15 proceeding to obtain and defend on appeal a finding of the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege to pierce the privilege and discover communications in furtherance of a fraudulent and likely criminal attempt to transfer and conceal assets subject to the foreign bankruptcy estate. Represented general partner of a Luxembourg-based investment fund on appeal to prevent a federal appellate circuit split regarding the use of discovery obtained pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782 in foreign proceedings other than those identified in the § 1782 petition. Represented victim of sexual assault to recover assets from world famous musician. Represented world’s largest litigation funder to enforce personal guaranty arising from arbitration in the London Court of International Arbitration. Represented UK-based foreign representatives to affirm Chapter 15 bankruptcy recognition of foreign main proceedings on appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals where debtor challenged whether Section 109 of the US Bankruptcy Code must be satisfied as a prerequisite to recognition. Represented healthcare company specializing in personal protective equipment (PPE) in litigation and international arbitration to obtain multi-million dollar contractual damages awards through summary findings of alter ego liability. Represented victims of terrorist attacks in efforts to recover funds from US-held bank accounts tied to state sponsors of terror in order to satisfy $4.3 billion damages award. Represented German art financier to recover approximately $30 million in artworks converted by a well-known art dealer. Represented repressed minority shareholder to obtain and defend in more than 18 appellate challenges a $19.5 million jury verdict and $30+ million final judgment based on international fraud, conversion, and conspiracy claims. Represented former spouse of a Russian oligarch to recover unpaid maintenance and child support obligations in a multi-jurisdictional investigation and asset recovery matter. Represented international mining corporation in global efforts to recover a $388 million International Chamber of Commerce arbitral award. Represented foreign liquidators of a UK electronics importer/exporter to recover losses from a VAT carousel fraud scheme perpetrated against HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Represented global deep-sea exploration company in a fraud investigation. Represented nation’s largest homebuilder in a five-day Lanham Act federal jury trial. Represented global mining corporation as statewide counsel of record to defend against multiple lawsuits alleging strict products liability under Florida’s long-arm statute. Represented world’s largest satellite media company before the Florida Supreme Court to address four certified questions from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals involving Florida’s common law copyright protection for pre-1972 audio recordings. Represented court-appointed receiver to defend against appeal challenging the denial of an untimely motion to award attorneys’ fees. Legal Prowess. Global Impact.

Sequor Law announces the promotion of Nyana Abreu Miller and Daniel M. Coyle to Counsel, recognizing their contributions to asset recovery, bankruptcy, and cross-border insolvency matters. Sequor Law Promotes Two Attorneys to Counsel Open Firm News Open February 8, 2021 2 minutes read Sequor Law February 8 th , 2021 Miami, Florida – Sequor Law, a boutique, Miami-based international law firm working in the areas of asset recovery, financial fraud, insolvency and financial services litigation, both domestically and cross-border, announced today that two attorneys have been named to new roles within the firm, effective February 8 th , 2021. Sequor Law is delighted to announce that Nyana Abreu Miller and Daniel Matthias Coyle have been promoted to Counsel at Sequor Law. “We are exceptionally pleased that Nyana and Daniel have accepted this new role,” said Founding Shareholder Edward H. Davis Jr. “With their focus on building relationships and winning strategies for clients, Nyana and Dan have been tremendous assets on some of our firm’s most high-profile and challenging cases. This promotion is a reflection of their ability as well as our commitment to developing and recognizing talent.” Daniel joined the firm over ten years ago and has focused his practice on bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, secured transactions, collections, executions, asset recovery and cross-border insolvency, routinely representing financial institutions and other creditors in bankruptcy, federal and state court litigation. Daniel is on the international committee for NAFER, recently joined the International Law Committee of the American Bankruptcy Association’s Business Law section and was named Rising Star by Super Lawyers consecutively from 2016-2018. Daniel received his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 2008 and was a Magna Cum Laude Graduate and Order of the Coif. Nyana has focused her practice on international asset recovery and financial fraud. Nyana has worked on cases brought under Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on behalf of foreign trustees seeking to take discovery, administer property and bring claims against third parties. Currently serving as the Latin America Regional Director for the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Federation (IWIRC), she was awarded 2020 Rising Star by IWIRC International and 2020 Emerging Leader by IWIRC’s Florida Network. Nyana received her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 2011, where she was valedictorian of her class. “Nyana’s and Dan’s accomplishments since joining the firm seven and eleven years ago respectively, have exceeded the expectations we had for them,” said Founding Shareholder Gregory Grossman . “They both have achieved success in their careers because they demonstrate tremendous ability, consistent dedication to our clients providing the highest standards of service. This commitment and energy help drive their achievement and benefits both our clients and our firm.” ****** Sequor Law is a Miami-based international law firm representing financial institutions, sovereign governments and state-owned enterprises, public and non-public companies, insolvency practitioners and individual clients in the areas of asset recovery, financial fraud, insolvency and financial services litigation. More information is available at www.SequorLaw.com . Click here for Nyana’s headshot and Daniel’s headshot . Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Firm News Jun 23, 2026 3 minutes Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Carolina M. Rosso to Its Expanding International Litigation and Asset Recovery Team Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Carolina M. Rosso has joined the firm as an Attorney. 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...

Sequor Law's Leyza B. Florin is named the first Hispanic Chair of IWIRC's 2021 Board of Directors, committed to increasing diversity in the restructuring and insolvency industry. 2021 IWIRC Board of Directors Announced Open Awards & Recognition Open December 3, 2020 2 minutes read Sequor Law Stanardsville, VA – December 3, 2020 – The International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), the premier international, networking, and professional growth organization for women in the restructuring and insolvency industry, recently announced its 2021 Board of Directors. Carrianne Basler (AlixPartners, Chicago), Past Chair and Chair of the 2021 Nomination Committee announced that “This year’s process highlighted the incredible breadth of talent in our membership and their fervent dedication to IWIRC worldwide. We are delighted to present the composition of this new Board that will be leading this organization in 2021”. Leyza B. Florin (Sequor Law, Miami) will be the first Hispanic Chair of the Board of Directors. Blanco stated, “I am honored to have been named IWIRC’s next chair. I will be a steward to the IWIRC mission and continue to make IWIRC accessible to everyone, increasing diversity and helping our worldwide members connect and forge productive relationships.” The other officers include Jennifer Kimble (Lowenstein Sandler, New York), Vice-Chair; Marjorie Kaufman (Getzler Henrich & Associates LLC, Boston), Secretary; Karen Fellowes (Stikeman Elliott, Vancouver) Finance Director; Michelle Pickett (PwC Canada, Toronto ) Immediate Past Chair. New to the Executive Board is Evelyn Meltzer (Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP) as Vice Finance Director. “I believe strongly in IWIRC’s mission to connect and promote women in the insolvency and restructuring profession and look forward to continuing to advance this important work in my new role with the Executive Board in 2021 and beyond,” said Meltzer. Michelle Pickett, outgoing Chair shared, “One of IWIRC’s missions is to provide opportunities for members to develop their leadership skills. Well, I certainly got that opportunity in 2020. Being chair of IWIRC in 2020, during a global pandemic, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s an experience I will fondly remember and certainly not soon forget. It was a growth opportunity for members of the executive, the board, and our administrative director. We all had to think differently about how we delivered value and supported members around the globe during these uncertain times. I finish my year as Chair knowing that IWIRC will be in very capable hands with Leyza Florin Blanco as Chair in 2021. Leyza is a trailblazer and is well suited to lead IWIRC out of the pandemic and into new opportunities to Inspire, Inform and Connect our members worldwide.” ABOUT IWIRC IWIRC is committed to the connection, promotion and success of women in insolvency and restructuring worldwide. For more than 25 years, across the board room, courtroom and the continents, our diverse relationships make IWIRC the premier organization for women in the restructuring and insolvency professions. IWIRC networks are located in Asia, Europe, North America and South America. We welcome the development of new networks in these or new regions. Be Inspired. Be Informed. Be Connected. For more information, please contact Administrative Director, Shari Bedker at, sbedker@iwirc.com or visit the website of IWIRC . Click here to read the original article on the IWIRC website. Open Back to all Entries Share this article Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Copy link Latest News & Insights Open Open Firm News Jun 23, 2026 3 minutes Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Carolina M. Rosso to Its Expanding International Litigation and Asset Recovery Team Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Carolina M. Rosso has joined the firm as an Attorney. 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...

Partner. Super Lawyers Rising Star (2024-2025). INSOL International certified. AIJA Litigation Commission Co-President. Published in Florida Bar Journal on Article 9 UCC Juan J. Mendoza Partner jmendoza@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 250 vCard Juan J. Mendoza Partner jmendoza@sequorlaw.com (+1) 305-372-8282, Ext. 250 vCard Practice Areas Bankruptcy & Insolvency Asset Recovery Creditors' Rights Financial Fraud Education Emory University School of Law, J.D. (2014) Executive Managing Editor of the Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal Intern to the Honorable Laurel M. Isicoff, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Florida. Published a student comment, Avoiding the Inequalities Created by In re Delco Oil, Inc.- The Need for an Innocent Vendor Exception in the 2014 issue of the Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal Arizona State University, B.A. (2011) Bachelor of Science, Economics Bachelor of Science, Finance Admissions The Florida Bar State Bar of Georgia State Bar of Texas United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida United States District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas Languages English Spanish Location Miami Favorite Quote “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. ” – Milton Berle Bio Publications & Presentations Representative Matters Media Juan J. Mendoza, a partner at Sequor Law, focuses his practice on international litigation, asset recovery, bankruptcy, cross-border insolvency, and creditors’ rights. He represents foreign fiduciaries, non-U.S. judgment creditors, domestic trustees, and other parties in complex commercial matters, including fraud disputes and cross-border recovery actions. He regularly handles Chapter 15 cases under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, enforcement of foreign judgments, and proceedings to obtain evidence for use abroad under 28 U.S.C. § 1782. Prior to joining Sequor Law, Juan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert L. Jones, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas, and worked in a bankruptcy boutique practicing bankruptcy, business reorganizations and commercial litigation. Juan’s experience includes the representation of debtors in possession, creditors and trustees in the healthcare and oil and gas industries. A native Spanish speaker born in Peru with significant litigation experience, Juan is uniquely equipped to assist foreign clients in multijurisdictional matters. Juan was named as “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers in 2024 and 2025. He is also active in the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA), where he serves as the Co-President of the Litigation Commission, and as a member of the Business Crime and Civil Fraud and Insolvency Commissions. Juan was also selected as a Business Law Fellow for the years 2020-2022 and served as the Chair of its Membership Committee during 2023-2024. Juan also formed part of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ 13th Next Generation Program in 2022. Juan was also awarded the Foundation Certificate in International Insolvency Law by INSOL International upon successful completion of its course work in foreign insolvency laws. Juan is admitted to practice in Florida, Georgia and Texas, the United States District Court for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, as well as the Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern District of Florida and the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas. Sequor Law Promotes Juan J. Mendoza, Christopher A. Noel, and Joseph B. Rome to Partner 11th Circuit Appeal News Sequor Law Promotes Attorney Juan J. Mendoza to Counsel Arnoldo “Arnie” Lacayo and Juan Mendoza Attend 60th Annual AIJA Congress in Singapore Service of Process Abroad: No International Agreement? Liquidators of BVI Funds Linked to 1MDB Win Recognition in Florida BVI funds linked to 1MDB fraud seek recognition in Miami Virtual September CLE Luncheon Attorney Spotlight: Juan Mendoza Sequor Law’s Latest Rankings and Recognitions Asset recovery column: Recognition of an individual debtor’s insolvency proceeding – beware the perils New ‘Substantial Doubt’ Standard for Foreign Judgment Enforcement in Fla. Articles and Publications Capitulo 15 y la Globalización de la Insolvencia, Facilitando la Insolvencia Extranjera en los Estados Unidos , Forjando el futuro: Derecho Concursal 4.0, 1st Ed., 2024, p. 43, Co-Autor. Florida Bar International Law Quarterly, “Navigating § 1782 Judicial Assistance for International Arbitration Post-ZF Automotive ”, Vol. XLI, no.1, Winter 2025 Edition, p. 20 Florida Bar International Law Quarterly, “In re Al Zawawi – Rethinking Eligibility Requirements in Chapter 15 Cases ”, Vol. XL, no. 3, Fall 2024 Edition, p. 15 Author, Florida Bar Journal, “Should Durham Affect the Interpretation of “Assignee” Under Florida’s Version of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code?”, Vol. 96, No. 6, November/December 2022 p. 48. FIRE Magazine , Issue 9, Co-author, “Service of Process Abroad: No International Agreement? No Problem. Rely on FRCP 4(f)(2) & (3)”, May 2022 Daily Business Review , Co-author, “New ‘Substantial Doubt’ Standard for Foreign Judgment Enforcement in FLA.”, August 7, 2018 Global Restructuring Review , Co-author, “Asset Recovery Column: Recognition of an individual debtor’s insolvency proceeding-beware the perils,” March 27, 2019 Presentations and Seminars From Transactions to Disputes: Mitigating Risks in the Americas , International Association of Young Lawyers’ Americas Meeting 2025 – Legal Innovation Lab: Navigating Business in the Americas, Montreal, January 31, 2025, Moderator. Applying Insights to Real World Scenarios , Challenges in Global Asset Recovery and Enforcement of Judgments, International Association of Young Lawyers’ Seminar, Curacao, April 13, 2024, Workshop Facilitator. The Hague Judgment Convention – a gamechanger? , International Association of Young Lawyers’ Half-Year Conference at The Hague, Netherlands, May 25, 2023, Panel Member. Emerging Issues in Chapter 15 and Comparative Enactments of the Model Law on Cross-border Insolvency , Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association, September 14, 2021, Panel Member. Deconstructing Fraud: Entering the Mind Through Financial Investigation , Sequor Law Summer Series Podcast, July 28, 2021, Speaker. Nuts and Bolts of the Legislative Process, Business Law Section of the Florida Bar, June 30, 2021, Moderator. This House Believes: COVID-19 is not the most significant development of 2020 , INSOL Cayman Virtual Seminar, November 17, 2020, Panel Member. Published Decisions Al Zawawi v. Diss (In re Talal Qais Abdulmunem Al Zawawi), 97 F.4th 1244 (11th Cir. 2024). Qais Abdulmunem Al Zawawi v. Colin Diss, Hannah Davie, and Michael Leeds (In re Talal Qais Abdulmunem Al Zawawi) , 2022 WL 596836 (M.D. Fla. Feb. 28, 2022). In re Talal Qais Abdulmunem Al Zawawi , 634 B.R. 11 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2021), aff’d on Feb. 28, 2022. Savings Deposit Insurance Fund of Turkey (Tasarruf Medvuati Sigorta Fonu) v. Aksoy , 66 Misc. 3d 180, 111 N.Y.S.3d 820 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2019), aff’d, 189 A.D.3d 722, 134 N.Y.S.3d 722 (2020). Legal Prowess. Global Impact.

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 Firm News Jun 23, 2026 3 minutes Sequor Law Welcomes Attorney Carolina M. Rosso to Its Expanding International Litigation and Asset Recovery Team Sequor Law is pleased to announce that Carolina M. Rosso has joined the firm as an Attorney. 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...