100 S.E. Second Street, Suite 2600
Miami, Florida 33131
T 305-375-9220
F 305-375-8050
Practice Areas
- Appeals and Trial Support
- Asset Forfeiture
- Business Immigration, Family Immigration Lawyers
- Business, Financial Transactions
- Complex Civil Litigation
- Complex Commercial Disputes
- Contracts & Agreements
- Corporate Compliance, Customs, Banking, and Regulatory Investigations
- Corporate Formation and Maintenance
- Family Law
- Financial Services, OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets and Control) Bank Secrecy Laws and Money-Laundering Compliance and Litigation
- Government and Internal Corporate Investigations
- Intellectual Property, Trademark and Copyright | International and U.S. Law
- Internal Corporate Investigations, Statutory or Regulatory Compliance
- International and Domestic White-Collar Criminal Defense
- International Corporate Bankruptcy, Creditors' Rights, Asset Collections and Liquidation Proceedings
- International Fraud and Asset Recovery
- International Government Relations
- International Litigation and Arbitration
- International Mergers and Acquisitions
- International Real Estate: Commercial and Residential
- International Tax
Education
- - J. D., cum laude, University of Miami School of Law, 1986
- - B.B.A. in International Finance, University of Miami, School of Business, 1983
Admissions
- - Florida
- - 11th Circuit Court of Appeals
- - Southern District of Florida
- - Middle District of Florida
- - U.S. Supreme Court
- - 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals of New York
- - U.S. Court of International Trade
- - Dubai International Financial Center
Professional & Community Leadership
- Former President, Director, and Officer of the Cuban America Bar Association
- International Bar Association
- Primerus,
- the International Association of Lawyers and Professional Advisors, Member Association, White Collar Crime Committee,
- National and Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers,
- American Trial Lawyers Association,
- Florida International Bankers Association,
- Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists,
- Latin and Venezuelan-American Chambers of Commerce.
- Active member numerous civic and philanthropic organizations; regularly recognized for personal and charitable contributions to youth, health, civic, and social causes.
- Recognized by numerous publications, Florida Trend, South Florida Business Leader magazine, South Florida Business Journal, Latin Business Chronicle, Florida Superlawyers and The Daily Business Review as "Most Effective Lawyers" for his work on international matters.
Memberships
- American Bar Association
Michael Diaz, Jr.
Founding & Global Managing Partner
Founder and international business transactions lawyer and noted litigator focused on helping corporate and individual victims of international financial fraud recoup assets—Ponzi schemes (including Madoff and Stanford), pyramid schemes, white collar crimes and money laundering, and RICO litigation. (See BusinessWeek “The Asset Hunters,” July 6, 2009.)
Cuban-born bilingual attorney and former Assistant State Attorney for Janet Reno, successfully investigating and prosecuting highly publicized corruption, economic, drug and other cases. Over 20 years in private practice defending and investigating noted Latin American money-laundering and public corruption cases: Montesinos, Aleman/Jerez, Casablanca, Rosemont, and more.
Represents international clients on cross border transactions and, multinational corporations, multinational financial institutions, foreign governments, foreign officials and high-profile individuals in sensitive regulatory, civil and international criminal matters. Most recent published case-opinions on international matters:
Argentine Bondholders Class-Action (Asset Recovery)
Elsevier Publishing vs. PPT Subscriptions (Copyright Law)
Honduran National Soccer Federation (FENAFUTH) vs. Traffic Sports (International Arbitration)
Cedeño vs. Cedel International, et.al. (RICO)
Guevara vs. Republic of Peru (Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act)
Redfield Investments, A.V.V. vs. Village of PineCrest (International Service of Process)
Highly honored and frequent guest lecturer and commentator on international legal and banking issues.
- AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell, designated 2011 "Most Effective Lawyers," International Law Category by the South Florida Daily Business Review.
- Selected as a 2011 "100 Latinos Miami," a project that identifies and recognizes a group of individuals from a variety of professional backgrounds and age groups in the South Florida area, and who by virtue of their talent and success contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of the region.
- Latin Business Chronicle selection as a 2012 "Top 50 Latin America's Legal All Stars" selection based on a number of criteria, including involvement in recent prominent deals in Latin America.
Follow Michael on Twitter @michaeldiazjr, on Facebook (Diaz Reus International Law Firm), on LinkedIn or JDSupra. He blogs at International Asset Hunter.
Lectures & Speaking Engagements
Presenter, "Los tratados de libre comercio en LatinoAmerica y el Caribe, su contribucion a la armonizacion del derecho mercantil en la region", XI Encuentro Internacional: Escuela de Verano de la Habana Sobre Derecho Internacional Privado y Mercantil Internacional, seminar sponsored by the Union Nacional de Juristas de Cuba (National Union of Cuban Jurists), Havana, Cuba.
Panelist, “How to Integrate Fraud and AML to Protect the Bank”, 11th Annual FIBA Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Conference, Miami, Florida.
Panelist, “Conducting Internal Fraud Investigations & Related Issues” and “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act – A 21st Century Perspective”, ACCA’s 2010 South Florida In-House Counsel CLE Conference, Fort Lauderdale.
Panelist, “ Colombia Post-Uribe: Predicting the Impact on Business”, WorldCity Global Connections, Coral Gables, Florida.
Speaker, “Los cruces entre el lavado de dinero y los fraudes financieros, esquemas Pirámides, Ponzi y otros, las mejores practicas y controles para evitar siendo victimas.” Marcus Evans Conferencia de Prevención y Mitigación de Fraude en la Empresa, Ciudad de México.
Panel Speaker, “Unfair commercial practices: is there effective consumer protection?” 2009 Madrid Conference, International Bar Association, Madrid, Spain.
Speaker, V Conferencia Internacional, "Antilavado de Dinero y Contra el Financiamiento al Terrorismo", Caracas, Venezuela.
Speaker, "Forfeiture of a Bank's Assets and How Financial Institutions Can Protect Themselves", 9th Annual FIBA AML Compliance Conference, Miami, FL.
Speaker, Latin Finance Conference, The Latin-American Mid East Investors Forum, Dubai, UAE.
Speaker, Lexis Nexis Third Annual Conference on Dispute Avoidance and Resolution, Beijing, China.
Speaker, “Doing Business in the Middle-East”, Middle-East Conference, Business Information Asia, Singapore.
Speaker, “Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists" (ACAMS) Middle East – North Africa International Money Laundering Conference”, Dubai.
Keynote Speaker, CCPIT First “China-Latin America Business Summit”, Santiago, Chile.
Speaker, “When to Litigate, When to Mediate, and When to Arbitrate?”, 2nd Annual Conference on Dispute Avoidance and Resolution, “Smartly Using Alternative Resolutions to Boost the Bottom Line of your International Business”, LexisNexis, Shanghai, China.
Faculty Member, “Corruption and Terrorism: Risks and Challenges of the XXI Century,” 2nd International Conference, Florida International University, Latin American Caribbean Center, Miami, Florida.
Instructor, “Money Laundering Prevention,” Universidad de Salamanca, Bogotá, Colombia.
Speaker, Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), Florida International University, Miami, Florida.
Speaker, Fifth Annual Latin-American Money Laundering Conference, San José, Costa Rica.
Presenter, XXIII Latin-American Congress on Banking Law, Latin American Banking Federation (FELABAN) and the Banking Association of El Salvador (ABANSA), San Salvador, El Salvador.
Presenter, Ninth Annual Money Laundering Conference, Miami Beach, Florida.
Presenter, Annual Educational Conference, American Judges Association, Montreal, Canada.
News
- TOP US LAW FIRM OPENS OFFICES IN IRAQ
- U.S. Court of Appeals Affirms Dismissal of Lower Court Case Against Venezuelan Government Officials and Businessmen Accused of Violating U.S. RICO Statues
- DIAZ REUS & TARG GLOBAL MANAGING PARTNER MICHAEL DIAZ, JR. NAMED 100 LATINOS IN MIAMI
- DIAZ REUS SELECTED MOST EFFECTIVE LAWYERS, INTERNATIONAL LAW CATEGORY BY THE DAILY BUSINESS REVIEW
- Complying with Brazil’s Consumer Protection Code
- What Banks Should Be Doing To Protect Themselves From Fraudsters Stealing From Unsuspecting Inverstors
Articles & Publications
- What Banks Should Be Doing To Protect Themselves From Fraudsters Stealing From Unsuspecting Inverstors
- Understanding Anti-Corruption Issues In Latin America
- The China Business Review "China's Rising Interest in Latin America"
- Asian-Counsel Special Report - United Arab Emirates
- Anti-Suit Injunctions: Protecting U.S. Businesses in Overseas Markets
Events
- 12TH ANNUAL FIBA ANTI MONEY LAUNDERING COMPLIANCE CONFERENCE
- Diaz Reus Sponsors LatinFinance The Latin America India Investors Forum, Trident Hotel, Munbai, India, November 17-18, 2011
- Diaz Reus Diamond Sponsors at the Inaugural ACAMS Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorism Financing Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 2-4, 2011.
- Diaz, Reus & Targ, LLP, Diamond Sponsors, ACAMS 10th Annual International Anti-Money Laundering Conference, September 19-21, 2011, Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Michael Diaz, Jr. Outlines Trends in International Commercial Law at Recent Legal Seminar in Havana, Cuba
- Diaz, Reus & Targ, LLP Sponsors: "Transacting Business in Brazil and the US". Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Breakfast, Hyatt Regency Downtown Miami, Tuttle Room.