Board of Directors

The Hispanic National Bar Foundation is unique because it has a working Board of Directors made up of lawyers from different fields, with different areas of expertise, based all around the country. The board members hold multi-year terms and commit time and effort to helping the organization increase its programs and grow its national recognition. In addition, the HNBF has six committees to advise the Executive Director and staff in their respective areas.

Mayda Prego - HNBF President 

Ms. Prego is a Senior Counsel in Chevron's Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company in Houston, TX. Her responsibilities include litigation, environmental, corporate, and compliance matters. Before joining Chevron, Ms. Prego was an attorney with Hughes Hubbard and Reed LLP.

Ms. Prego earned her J.D. in 1992 at the University of Michigan Law School where she was an editor of the Michigan Journal of Law Reform. She is a 1988 graduate of Yale University where she earned a B.A. in History.

Ms. Prego is experienced in complex civil and criminal litigation as well as international litigation and arbitration. She is an experienced trial lawyer having handled numerous trials in federal and state courts. Ms. Prego is admitted to practice law in New York, Florida, Massachusetts, and Texas. She is fluent in Spanish, and has intermediate skills in French, Italian, and Portuguese.

Mayda Prego is the President of the Hispanic National Bar Foundation. From 2006-2008, she served as the HNBF's Treasurer. Ms. Prego has also served in leadership positions with the Hispanic National Bar Association including as the 2007-2008 National Vice-President of Committees.

Ms. Prego is a 2006 Fellow of the National Hispana Leadership Institute based in Washington, DC. She has completed executive leadership training at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, and the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC.

Ms. Prego is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Miami sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. She is the Vice-President of the Board of Foster Care Review, a non-profit based in Miami, FL dedicated to securing prompt, positive, and permanent outcomes for children in foster care through case review and advocacy. She is also a member of the Dean's Advisory Council of the Florida International University College of Law.

Paul Zavala - HNBF Vice President

Paul Zavala is a member of the General Motors Legal Staff headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.  He practices environmental and energy law.  Paul represents General Motors before state and federal environmental agencies and in major toxic tort class action lawsuits.  Prior to his current assignment, Paul was Group Counsel to GM's Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac Divisions.  As Group Counsel, he was responsible for all environmental legal matters impacting those divisions.  Paul was also the first environmental counsel to GM’s Saturn Corporation and assisted in securing all environmental permitting for the new Saturn Complex in Springhill, Tennessee.  In 1992, Paul moved to El Paso, Texas to become the executive-in-charge of GM's El Paso Office.  During that time, he worked primarily on matters related to the North American Free Trade Agreement.  His work resulted in General Motors and the Government of Mexico executing the first national environmental audit program in Mexico.  After his assignment in El Paso, Paul became a member of the Commercial Litigation Practice Group and was litigation counsel to General Motors Worldwide Purchasing representing General Motors in supplier and construction disputes.  

Paul is very active in a number of civic and business associations and serves on various corporate advisory boards.  He is a volunteer teacher in the Detroit Public School System's Street Law Program and is a founding member of the Juan Luis Tienda Scholarship at the University of Michigan Law School.  He serves on the advisory board of New Futuro whose mission is to increase the number of Hispanic college graduates.  In 2008, Paul was awarded the prestigious “Lucero Award” from Latino Justice/PRLDEF.  This award is granted to a “guiding star” in the legal community who exemplifies PRLDEF’s mission to help Latinos achieve their dreams.  He is a magna cum laude graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.

He currently serves as Vice President of the Hispanic National Bar Foundation.    

 

 

Armando Castro - HNBF Treasurer

Partner, DLA Piper

Armando Castro is a partner in DLA Piper's Technology Group. With a diverse practice; Mr. Castro's clients range from formation stage to mature public companies. He also represents the boards of directors, investors and investment banks that invest and work with these companies. His industry background includes renewable energy technologies, industrial chemicals, synthetic biology, energy conservation technologies, enterprise and telecom networking technologies, wireless technologies, electronics, software, cyber security, clean tech and semiconductors.

He has represented clients in a variety of both domestic and international matters including: public and private offerings, pre-public convertible security financings, Rule 144A offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing, technology transactions and corporate governance matters. Mr. Castro is a Certified Public Accountant.

 

 

 

 

Brigida Benitez - HNBF Secretary 

Chief, Office of Institutional Integrity

Inter-American Development Bank

 Brigida Benitez serves as Chief of the Office of Institutional Integrity at the Inter-American Development Bank, an independent office that investigates fraud and corruption in all Bank-financed activities and implements prevention and compliance activities to improve the Bank’s integrity policies. Ms. Benitez is a nationally recognized litigator and former partner of the WilmerHale law firm in Washington, DC. She has extensive experience in complex civil litigation, internal investigations and compliance, and international arbitration. She has led internal investigations involving a wide range of issues, including fraud, embezzlement, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters. As a key member of a WilmerHale legal team representing the University of Michigan, Ms. Benitez won a landmark victory for diversity in higher education before the United States Supreme Court.

Ms. Benitez is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and Washington College of Law at American University, where she teaches courses on international litigation. She has been honored as Woman of the Year by Hispanic Business Magazine and Latina Lawyer of the Year by the Hispanic National Bar Association. She also has been selected for inclusion in 2010 DC Super Lawyers for Civil Litigation Defense and as one of the 2006 “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40” by Washingtonian Magazine.

Ms. Benitez is a past president of the Hispanic Bar Association of DC and a member of the Board of Governors of the District of Columbia Bar Association. She also serves as a Director of the Hispanic National Bar Foundation and LatinoJustice PRLDEF. She also was selected as an Ambassador for the American Bar Association Business Law Section and currently serves as Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Subcommittee of the Business and Corporate Litigation Committee. Ms. Benitez is a graduate of the University of Florida and Boston College Law School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Boston College Law Review.

 

 

Tami Lyn Azorsky 

Partner, Mckenna Long & Aldridge

Tami Azorsky is Chairperson of the Litigation Department and a recognized expert in product liability, occupational and environmental exposure, and environmental litigation. Tami represents regulated businesses and government contractors in trials and appeals of class actions, mass torts, and environmental matters. Among her recent significant matters, Tami led the team that successfully defeated class certification in a case filed by current and former workers alleging silica exposure during the drilling of tunnels at Yucca Mountain, the nation’s then-proposed repository for spent nuclear fuel. She was lead trial counsel for a former Department of Energy contractor in one of the first and most complex cases filed by a state seeking damages for harm to natural resources under state and federal law. New Mexico v. General Electric Co., et al., 467 F.3d 1223 (10th Cir. 2006). She has brought successful contribution claims against the government for recovery of environmental remediation costs for several major corporations. Tami’s environmental practice includes existing and emerging issues. She frequently defends companies facing personal injury, property damage and natural resource damage claims arising out of distribution of products or contamination of air or ground and surface water by a wide variety of industry chemicals, including PCBs, TCE, mercury, arsenic, chromium, perchlorate, and radioactive materials. In addition to litigating, Tami counsels government contractors attempting to comply with environmental regulations. More than 25 years of experience has provided Tami with the skills to advise corporate executives on navigating often contradictory government contract and environmental requirements. Tami also counsels clients on best practices to satisfy government customers or regulators in a way that avoids the situations that may lead to litigation.

Tami also represents her regulated clients in cases involving constitutional, statutory and regulatory issues in federal courts and before administrative agencies. She is a skilled general civil litigator as well, representing clients in disputes over stock and asset purchase agreements, real estate contracts, misappropriation of trade secrets, and employee relations.

In addition to leading the Litigation Department, Tami serves on the firm’s Board of Directors and is Chairperson of the firm’s Diversity Committee. She is a mentor for attorneys at the firm and for law students through the Georgetown University Women of Color Collective. 

Jessica Bacalzo Fredrickson 

Jessica Fredrickson is Associate General Counsel, Legal Administration & External Relations for Walmart. Jessica joined Walmart in 2007 as Assistant General Counsel in the newly formed Corporate Affairs & Government Relations Division. Jessica has worked for Walmart's Global Sustainability & Public Affairs Divisions, including web and digital communications. For the past five years, she has been integral in developing Walmart's online communities including mywalmart.com, recipient of the 2010 Communicator and Stevie awards as one of the best corporate internal websites in the country. Jessica recently joined the Legal Administration team where she is responsible for managing external relations.

Prior to joining Walmart, Jessica was Senior Counsel at Miller Brewing Company where she worked on Distributor litigation, international transactions, and government affairs. Jessica also wored at Rockwell International in Customs Compliance and Special Trade Programs (NAFTA, CBI, and CAFTA). Prior to law school, Jessica was a press secretary to Senator Russell Feingold on Capitol Hill.

Jessica is a member in good standing with the Wisconsin State Bar having received her JD from Marquette University. She also serves on the board of the Hispanic National Bar Foundation.

 

 

 

 

Richard Lorenzo

Richard C. Lorenzo's practice focuses on international, cross-border, and commercial litigation and arbitration. Richard has broad experience in international litigation and arbitration disputes representing foreign and domestic clients in the United States, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Central America, and the Caribbean. Richard has also handled numerous, complex commercial international arbitration matters in both English and Spanish before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the American Arbitration Association, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), and the Society of Maritime Arbitrators of New York. Richard's clients include domestic and foreign multinational corporations that conduct business in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Richard has lectured and published extensively in his practice area. He is an adjunct professor of International Arbitration and Litigation at St. Thomas University School of Law and Stetson University College of Law. He also comments on international legal matters in the national and international media and has made numerous televised appearances on CNN En Espanol.

Richard has resided in Brazil, Chile, and the Dominican Republic.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Representation of Venezuelan petrochemical joint venture corporation in ICC arbitration proceedings in Miami under Venezuelan law over disputes concerning the construction of a $750 million plant in Venezuela.

Representation of major U.S. power company in ICC arbitration proceedings in New York over disputes with joint venture partner concerning Dominican Republic joint venture corporation.

Representation of Dominican power corporation in Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission (IACAC) arbitration proceedings in Miami over disputes concerning construction of major dock facilities in the Dominican Republic.

Representation of El Salvadoran telecommunications corporation in Spanish language ICDR arbitration proceedings in San Salvador under El Salvadoran law over disputes concerning inter-connect agreements.

Representation of major U.S. engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor in Spanish language ICC arbitration proceedings in Buenos Aires over disputes concerning construction of a power generation facility in Argentina.

PUBLISHED WORKS

"Does 'May' Mean 'Shall' in Arbitration?" International Law Quarterly, Vol. XXIII, No. 2, The Florida Bar (01.01.2008)

Marlon Paz 

Principal Integrity Officer

Inter-American Development Bank

Marlon Paz serves as Principal Integrity Officer in the Inter-American Development Bank’s Office of Institutional Integrity, which is helps promote the highest standards of integrity and transparency in the Bank’s operations. Marlon is responsible for heading up investigations of alleged prohibited practices in Bank-financed projects and managing a team of lawyers, auditors and other professionals.

Marlon most recently served as Senior Counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he was a key player in developing the SEC’s positions on many important regulatory and enforcement matters. He is an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center with significant experience in corporate fraud investigations and litigations, as well as in providing legal and policy advice on a wide range of financial matters.

Marlon has been recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential U.S. Hispanics” by Hispanic Business Magazine. He is the Immediate Past President of the Hispanic Bar Association of DC and a former National Vice President of the Hispanic National Bar Association. He has also been honored with the Leadership Award from the Hispanic National Bar Foundation and appointed an Ambassador by the American Bar Association Business Law Section.

Marlon, who grew up in Honduras, is a Certified Fraud Examiner, and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Laws from Georgetown University Law Center, a Master of Arts from Wesleyan University and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Trinity College.

Jorge Mestre 

Deputy President of the Florida Region for HNBF

Jorge A. Mestre—AV rated by Martindale Hubbell—engages exclusively in a commercial litigation practice, including international arbitration and litigation. Reflecting the excellent reputation he enjoys in the community, Florida state court judges have appointed Mr. Mestre as a Receiver and as an Assignee for the Beneficiary of Creditors. He has also been recognized by his colleagues as one of Florida’s Legal Elite.

A seasoned practitioner, Mr. Mestre has litigated cases through trial in both federal district court and Florida state court and has handled appeals before the Third District Court of Appeal and the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. His background as a legal intern for both a United States District Court Judge and a Florida Supreme Court Justice has given him an inside view into the decision-making processes of the federal and state courts.

What’s more, Mr. Mestre has litigated domestic and international arbitration matters in both English and Spanish, including an arbitration victory in Spanish. He has served as a party-appointed arbitrator in a case administered by the International Chamber of Commerce and in an ad hoc international arbitration—experiences that give him a valuable understanding of how arbitration tribunals work. That understanding helps not only in his work as an arbitrator but also as an advocate.

Knowing that the rules of civil procedure are fundamental to his litigation practice, Mr. Mestre serves both on the Florida Bar’s Civil Procedure Rules Committee and on its Federal Rules Standing Committee. As part of his committee work, Mr. Mestre authored the Jurisdiction Chapter in The Florida Bar’s Civil Practice Before Trial Manual. Mr. Mestre has also served as Vice-President of the Cuban American Bar Association and as a member of the board of directors of the Dade County Bar Association, two of the largest voluntary bar associations in Florida.