Overview
Ms. Spector-Naranjo is an experienced and effective advocate with a diverse litigation practice that includes commercial litigation, complex international disputes, and financial fraud in federal and state trial court and appellate proceedings.
Recently lauded by the former Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida for her “persuasive and eloquent” presentation on behalf of her clients,[1] Ms. Spector-Naranjo has over 15 years of experience advising and advocating for U.S. and foreign clients involved in a wide range of domestic and cross-border disputes. Ms. Spector-Naranjo has successfully litigated matters involving allegations of breach of contract, negligence, and fraud, and has helped clients to navigate and understand complex matters of U.S. criminal and civil law and procedure.
Ms. Spector-Naranjo also has extensive experience representing individuals and companies in connection with U.S. regulatory agency investigations, obtaining U.S. discovery in aid of foreign proceedings, obtaining licenses for transactions subject to sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Asset Control, and representing clients pursuing whistleblower complaints to the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding securities law violations by multi-national companies.
Ms. Spector-Naranjo also advises clients on compliance with U.S. laws, including U.S. export controls, financial sanctions programs, the USA PATRIOT Act, and laws regulating lenders.
During law school, Ms. Spector-Naranjo advocated for immigrant domestic violence victims as an intern at Ayuda Clínica Legal and for tenants sued in landlord-tenant court through the D.C. Law Students in Court program.
Ms. Spector-Naranjo earned her J.D. and B.A. degrees, both cum laude, from Georgetown University.
[1] November 9, 2022 Argument in In Re North Pointe Holdings Ltd., S.D. Fla. Bankr. No. 18-24659, at 75:5.
OTHER LANGUAGES
- Spanish (fluent)
Professional Affiliations
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- New York Bar Association
Representative Matters
- Representation of prominent Latin American family asserting fraud and related claims for losses sustained in a massive Ponzi scheme.
- Representation of international charitable organizations defending against claims in complex multidistrict litigation.
- Representation in federal bankruptcy court of clients seeking to defeat a bar order sought by foreign liquidators that would enjoin pending tort claims.
- Representation of foreign institutional investors against prominent banks arising out of losses in connection with collateralized debt obligations and other subprime mortgage products.
- Representation of Middle Eastern client in global litigation stemming from a complex financial services fraud.
- Representation of Latin American clients in applications for discovery in aid of foreign litigation pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782.
Publications & Events
In Ashley v. Deutsche Bank, the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a complaint brought under the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (“JASTA”) against three banks. The decision applies the JASTA aiding and abetting standard from the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Twitter v. Taamneh, 598 U.S. 471 (2023), and offers guidance in this evolving area of the law.
July 2025Corruption often causes significant harm to businesses and individuals by undermining fair competition and depriving them of rightful opportunities. The United States’ Mandatory Victim Restitution Act (MVRA) provides a powerful legal mechanism for victims to seek restitution for their losses.
March 2025- Asset Recovery International 2025Dublin, February 7, 2025
- Fraud Litigation, Contentious Insolvency & Enforcement
In this panel at the 2024 Asset Recovery Americas Conference, partner Chiara Spector-Naranjo and fellow panelists will discuss what avenues are available to victims or insolvency practitioners where a defendant has no assets, be it an offshore shell company that has been asset stripped, or a fraudster whose assets have already been seized or confiscated.
Washington, DC, June 27, 2024 - November 2015
- June 22, 2015
- Fall 2013
- April 23, 2013
- Fall 2012
- April 27, 2010
In the News
Global Investigations Review has named Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC to its 2025 "GIR 100" list, which ranks the top law firms handling complex, cross-border investigations globally. This is the second year in a row that LBKM has made the list.
November 2025The trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, accused of a failed coup attempt following his defeat in the 2022 election, is set to end Friday, September 12, 2025. With a conviction widely anticipated and calls from Bolsonaro allies for expanded U.S. action, Brazil is bracing for potential new sanctions targeting individuals and institutions connected to the case.
September 10, 2025Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss has been recognized for the second year in Chambers annual Latin America Guide for its Corporate Crime and Investigations practice area. Firm partners Adam Kaufmann and Cristián Francos also ranked for the first time as practitioners for the sector, demonstrating LBKM’s deepening strength and expertise in handling key issues impacting clients from the region.
September 2025Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC is pleased to announce that Chambers USA has once again recognized the firm’s insurance practice.
June 2025Chambers has again noted Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC (LBKM) for its expertise in Latin America.
The 2025 Chambers Global guide ranks the firm among the top international counsel for corporate crime and investigation matters arising out of Latin America. LBKM is the only boutique firm to be included in this elite list.
February 2025Global Investigations Review has ranked LBKM as one of the world’s leading firms for cross-border investigations.
November 15, 2024On Oct. 15, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Medical Marijuana Inc. v. Horn, a case addressing whether plaintiffs seeking to recover for economic harms resulting from personal injuries have standing to bring a civil claim under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO.
Law360, November 8, 2024Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss made its debut this year in Chambers’ annual Latin America Guide, ranking as a leading international firm in the Corporate Crime & Investigations practice area.
LBKM is the only boutique firm to be so ranked.
August 2024LBKM filed an amicus brief in support of the Republic of Argentina with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Petersen v. Argentina and a related appeal. LBKM represented OFEPHI, an organization of ten Argentine provinces, arguing that the district court misconstrued Argentina's expropriation law, and that complex questions of Argentine law should be left to Argentine courts.
February 29, 2024An amended complaint filed in Miami-Dade County alleges that Amicorp, an international trust services company, actively participated in a multi-million-dollar real estate fraud which victimized many Latin American families.
www.businesswire.com, July 3, 2019Woodsford 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, 2017
Practice Areas
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., cum laude, 2006)
- Georgetown University (B.A., cum laude, 2002)
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- New York
- Maryland
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York