Overview
Mr. Varela’s practice focuses on international civil and criminal matters typically involving legal actions in multiple countries. He has significant expertise in U.S. and international dispute resolution mechanisms, specializing in issues relating to extra-territorial enforcement of U.S. law and legal assistance provided by U.S. authorities to foreign investigators. Mr. Varela regularly counsels clients on strategies for handling transnational investigations, particularly with regard to matters involving Latin America and Spain. He is often asked to coordinate and direct the litigation of civil and criminal matters in multiple countries with overlapping, and at times, conflicting interests in the same client or dispute. Mr. Varela develops strategies for responding to the complex challenges such situations present utilizing his experience in the legal, political, media and economic realities throughout Latin America and Europe.
He has represented clients from Europe, the Middle East and Latin America in matters involving fraud and financial disputes and regularly represents clients in international commercial disputes before international arbitral panels as well as before courts throughout the United States. Most recently, Mr. Varela has assisted a number of Spanish and Latin American companies and individuals in developing innovative strategies for the resolution of complex disputes through targeted actions before courts and arbitral panels in multiple jurisdictions.
Mr. Varela also has experience in reinsurance and complex insurance coverage disputes. He has obtained favorable results through settlement and litigation of a wide variety of insurance and reinsurance issues. Mr. Varela's experience includes working within a claims department on behalf of several Lloyd's syndicates and he has particular expertise in the workings of Lloyd's and the London Insurance Market.
Other Languages
- Spanish
- Galician
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association
Experience
- Associate, Spriggs & Hollingsworth LLP
- Associate, Carr Goodson Lee & Warner, P.C.
Representative Matters
- Represent numerous Latin American political figures with regard to investigations by U.S. authorities
- Counsel major Spanish conglomerate in corruption related dispute
- Advise Latin American business executive in FCPA investigation
- Represent Latin American-based businesses in disputes with North American banks
- Serve as lead trial counsel for an Argentine industrial manufacturing company in an intellectual property dispute
- Advise Ecuadorean business conglomerate in defamation dispute
- Represent the Algosaibi family of Saudi Arabia in worldwide litigation involving the largest fraud in Saudi history
- Represent an Argentine conglomerate in an ICC arbitration involving the purchase of retail shops
- Counsel a Brazilian family with regard to theft of interests in a Rio de Janeiro-based business
- Represent Brazilian bank with regard to a dispute involving investment in telecommunications
- Counsel Latin American political figures on techniques for conducting fraud investigations
- Successfully obtained summary judgment in a lawsuit involving an allegation that denial of weight loss surgery constituted unlawful discrimination
- Represent Lloyd’s syndicates in arbitration regarding reinsurance of health insurance plans
Publications & Events
Many people outside of Argentina, as well as those within, have watched in wonder as the explosive investigation of the Cuadernos case evolves and touches upon more and more individuals and companies. Recent experience has taught us that investigations of this magnitude are never contained within a country’s borders and individuals and companies that have done, or are doing, business in Argentina must consider the civil and criminal ramifications of the growing corruption scandal regardless of their own culpability.
August 31, 2018- Presentation, “El Océano en un Salto: La Exportación del Sistema Juridico Norteamericano a Espana"University of Vigo, Spain, October 26, 2017
- Panelist, Seminario Internacional Sobre Prevención del Lavado de Activos, Etica, Cumplimiento y Transparencia FiscalMontevideo, Uruguay, May 5, 2016
- June 22, 2015
- February 25, 2015
- Panelist: “Latest Strategies in U.S.-Latin American Litigation,” Inter-American Bar Association, Washington, DC - January 2015
- September 22, 2014
- March 2014
- May 21, 2013
- April 24, 2013
- April 9, 2013
- February 28, 2013
- "Eli Lilly Settlement Reinforces the Need for Active Anti-Corruption Controls"January 2, 2013
- November 29, 2012
- November 22, 2012
- August 24, 2012
- July 5, 2012
- "Supreme Court Action Reinforces the Difficulty in Piercing Sovereign Immunities"June 26, 2012
- "Regulators Turn Their Attention to FCPA Violations by Investment Advisers"May 23, 2012
- "U.S. Appeals Court Bolsters U.S. Discovery In Aid Of Foreign Proceedings"March 19, 2012
- "Petrobras Wins Immunity in U.S. Bond Case"March 14, 2012
- March 12, 2012
- "Judge Griesa's Ruling in NML Capital: A U.S. Judge Wades Deep Into the Argentine Political System"April 2010
- "The El Paso Ruling and its Effect on the Use of §1782 in Private International Arbitration Proceedings"September 2009
- June 16, 2009
- June 13, 2009
- February 2009
- "Is Argentina the Next Hub of Money Laundering and What are the Consequences for International Business?"December 2008
- "What Can Madoff Investors do to Maximize the Recovery of Their Assets?"December 2008
- "Potential Implications of the Lehman Brothers Insolvency for Latin American Financial Institutions"
Authored by Eric L. Lewis, Manuel S. Varela and Cristían Francos.
October 2008 - "The Availability of U.S. Discovery in Foreign Litigation: How Foreign Parties in Foreign Litigation can Obtain the Assistance of U.S. Courts"
Authored by Eric L. Lewis, Manuel S. Varela and Cristián Francos.
October 2007 - "The Expanding Reach of United States Law: Extraterritorial Enforcement and Compliance Obligations of International Business"
Presented by Eric L. Lewis, Manuel S. Varela & Cristián Francos.
August 2007 - "The Biomaterials Access Assurance Act: Protecting Suppliers in the Medical Device Market"
Written by Manuel S. Varela & Paul J. Maloney, DRI - - RX for the Defense
1999
In the News
Partners Manuel Varela and Cristián Francos* authored a paper on the Argentine Notebooks investigation which was quoted in Argentina’s La Nación.
*Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
La Nación, November 4, 2018Manuel Varela, especializado en derecho penal en Washington, cree que las consecuencias de este caso para el grupo español pueden ser "gravísimas"
February 14, 2018Woodsford Litigation Funding, one of the leading global third party funders, has announced a funding facility agreement with Lewis Baach which ensures the firm can offer clients an expedited, one-stop arrangement for the financing of high value litigation and arbitration.
August 16, 2017Manuel Varela, natural de Domaio, es abogado en un bufete en Washington que lleva la denuncia de la familia propietaria del banco, intervenido tras un informe del FinCEN americano
Faro de Vigo, May 26, 2017- La familia propietaria considera que la negativa a dar información constituyó una violación de la leyEl País, May 21, 2017
Manuel Varela and Cristián Francos* were interviewed by AUNO legal magazine on Litigation Funding
Manuel Varela y Cristián Francos* fueron entrevistados por la revista legal AUNO respecto del financiamiento de litigios
*Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
AUNO, February 2017- El Govern sempre ens ha rebutjat o ingnorat per negociarel Periòdic d’Andorra, March 10, 2016
- De a poco se abre espacio para la actividad jurídica en relación a la isla. Lewis Baach abre el juego con el recupero de fondos congelados.
Mr. Francos is quoted in the article and is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
Auno Abogados, March 2015 AUNO Abogados magazine interview with Manuel Varela and Cristián Francos* on Lewis Baach’s practice for clients in Argentina and the rest of Latin America.
*Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
AUNO, June 2014Ariel Neuman, Natalia Alonso and Alfredo Veronesi, reporters from AUNO Legal Magazine, interviewed Manuel Varela and Cristián Francos* regarding the Lewis Baach PLLC Latin American practice and it's Buenos Aires office as well as the careers of Messrs. Varela and Francos.
*Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
April 29, 2014- Juristas norteamericanos y chilenos analizaron avances en materia de regulación del lavado de dinero
Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
March 25, 2013 Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
AUNO, September 2012- Insurance Day, April 26, 2012
Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
ABC Digital, March 16, 2012Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
ABC Digital, March 16, 2012Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
El Cronista, December 1, 2008Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
El Cronista, December 1, 2008Mr. Francos is admitted to practice only in Buenos Aires; not engaged in the practice of law in the District of Columbia.
El Cronista, June 2, 2008
Practice Areas
Education
- Georgetown Law Center (J.D. 1997), Notes Editor, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics
- Harvard College (A.B., cum laude, 1994)
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Maryland