Gabriela Ruiz

Practice Areas

Complex Commercial Litigation

Cross-Border Disputes

International Judgment Enforcement and Asset Recovery

White Collar Criminal Defense

Regulatory Enforcement Defense

Career

Gabriela Ruiz is the Managing Partner of the firm’s Miami office and leads the firm’s Latin America practice.

Gaby is a highly-regarded litigator and seasoned trial lawyer who represents individual and corporate clients in domestic and cross-border disputes. Her practice includes complex commercial litigation, international judgment enforcement, asset recovery, and defending against government investigations and enforcement actions.

Gaby is ranked in Chambers Latin America 2024: Corporate Crime & Investigations (International Counsel), Chambers Global 2023: Corporate Crime & Investigations (International Firms), and Chambers Brazil 2022: Corporate Crimes & Investigations (International Firms), with Chambers noting that Gaby is “really smart, very motivated” and “is held in high esteem by clients and peers alike for her notable work representing clients, both corporate and individual, in sophisticated disputes and investigations. Latin-American business publication Latinvex recognized Gaby among its “Latin America: Top 100 Female Lawyers” in 2022 and 2023, and in 2023, Latinvex recognized Gaby among its “Latin America: Top 100 Lawyers.” The Legal 500 has also recognized Gaby as being “known for cross-border investigations, including cases involving dual proceedings in the U.S. and Latin America.”

Gaby is trilingual, with fluency in Portuguese and Spanish.

Select Engagements:

• Served as an independent investigator into Puerto Rico's financial crisis, on behalf of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico.

• Lead counsel in cross-border campaign to recover tens of millions of dollars on behalf of a charitable foundation based in Latin America that had been the victim of an embezzlement scheme.

• Lead counsel in a cross-border campaign to enforce a US$50 million judgment against assets secreted in Latin America, Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States.

• Represented arbitration award creditor in cross-border campaign to enforce a US $100 million award against a sovereign.

• Trial counsel in successful patent enforcement case on behalf of Spanish research & development technology company.

• Defended high-level executive at a public university facing federal investigation into fraudulent representations relating to medical program.

• Defended high-level executive facing SEC investigation for backdating stock options.

• Conducted internal investigation relating to improper kickbacks.

• Lead counsel in reported federal case securing preliminary injunction to protect putative class of 4,500 individuals.

• Co-lead counsel and trial co-chair in certified class action on behalf of 8,000 individuals.

Professional Memberships

Women’s White Collar Defense Association

Southern Legal Counsel, Board Member

Publications

“Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Brazil” Co-Author, Lexology, 2022

“Suprema Corte dos EUA altera produção de provas internacionais, inclusive no Brasil” Co-Author [U.S. Supreme Court alters international discovery, including in Brazil], Consultor Juridico, 2022

Deploying U.S. Discovery In Brazil Following High Court Ruling” Co-Author, Law360, 2022

Work Highlights

• Served as an independent investigator into Puerto Rico's financial crisis, on behalf of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico.

• Lead counsel in cross-border campaign to recover tens of millions of dollars on behalf of a charitable foundation based in Latin America that had been the victim of an embezzlement scheme.

• Lead counsel in a cross-border campaign to enforce a US$50 million judgment against assets secreted in Latin America, Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States.

• Represented arbitration award creditor in cross-border campaign to enforce a US $100 million award against a sovereign.

• Trial counsel in successful patent enforcement case on behalf of Spanish research & development technology company.

• Defended high-level executive at a public university facing federal investigation into fraudulent representations relating to medical program.

• Defended high-level executive facing SEC investigation for backdating stock options.

• Conducted internal investigation relating to improper kickbacks.

• Lead counsel in reported federal case securing preliminary injunction to protect putative class of 4,500 individuals.

• Co-lead counsel and trial co-chair in certified class action on behalf of 8,000 individuals.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Bar Admissions:

Florida, 2007

California, 2003

U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit

U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida

U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida

U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida

U.S. District Court Northern District of California

U.S. District Court Central District of California

U.S. District Court District of Colorado

U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas

Languages Spoken

English

Spanish

Portuguese

Education

Awards