Andrés Rivero is a commercial litigator and white-collar criminal defense lawyer who, for 37 years, has handled the full range of civil and criminal cases.  In Chambers USA he has been called “a brilliant lawyer with an inquisitive mind.”  A skilled trial lawyer, Rivero has during his career tried many cases to jury verdict in federal and state court.  He was one of the lead prosecutors in U.S. v. Brown, et al., one of the longest trials in the history of the Southern District of Florida. He has also argued many cases before the United States Courts of Appeals for the First Circuit, Second Circuit, Third Circuit, Eleventh Circuit, and Florida appellate courts. His background in government service as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of Florida and in private practice as a litigation partner at Greenberg Traurig and as a founding partner of his own medium-size litigation law firm give him a broad perspective on legal practice in South Florida.

Rivero has substantial experience in representing corporations and individuals in intellectual property disputes, antitrust and securities claims, partnership and shareholder controversies and significant white-collar criminal matters. Along with many other members of the firm, Rivero is fluent in Spanish, and has conducted numerous litigations and arbitrations, including an arbitration trial in Mexico, in Spanish.

Rivero has served as an adjunct professor in the LL.M. program at University of Miami Law School, where he taught U.S. litigation practice, and has taught at the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute. He also has served as chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission for the 11th Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County, Florida.

COMMUNITY

Associations & Activities

Aire Ventures, Board of Directors (2022-present) 


Cleveland Orchestra Miami, Board of Directors (2016)


Co-Chair, National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms White-Collar Practice Area Committee (2015-2019)


Commissioner, Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judicial Nominating Commission (2005-2010), Vice-Chairman (2008), Chairman (2009)


President, Assistant U.S. Attorney Association (2002-2003)


Coach, Coral Gables Elementary School County Champion Geography Club (2001-2003; 2005-2007)


Treasurer, Assistant U.S. Attorney Association (2001-2002)


City of Coral Gables Retirement System Board (1996-2000)


Election Crimes Coordinator, United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida (1993-94)


Volunteer Reader, WLRN Radio Reading Service, Miami, Florida (1993-1996)


Adjunct Professor/Advisor, Comparative Trial Practice Program, University of Miami Law School (1990-1996)


Faculty member, Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute (1993)


Advisory Committee, Carol City High School, Pre-Law Magnet Program (1990-1993)

ENGAGEMENTS

Representative Speaking Engagements

iLaw2024: ILS Global Forum on International Law (Miami Florida), Speaker, Hot Topics in International Litigation, February 2024


Legalink General Meeting (Tokyo Japan), Speaker, AI Future-Ready Law Firms, November 2023


Legalink General Meeting – Fintech Forum (Frankfurt Germany), Speaker, Litigation In Crypto Matters, May 2023


New York City Bar Association (Virtual), Moderator, Combating Corruption in Mexico: What’s Happening with Mexico’s National Anti-Corruption System?, April 2022


ABA 2021 Virtual Litigation Section Annual Conference, Speaker, Better NOT Call Saul: Ethical Strategies for Overcoming Bullying and Bias in Litigation, May 2021


The Litigation Room: Where it Happens Podcast, Speaker, Diversity and Inclusion: Why is D&I a game changer?, October 2020


The Litigation Room: Where it Happens Podcast, Speaker, Managing Risk, Liability, and Claims: Does your general liability insurance policy cover you against COVID related claims after you reopen your business?, September 2020


ABA International Law Section Annual Virtual Meeting Webinar, Speaker, Paradise Recouped? Impact of Helms-Burton Title III Activation on Expropriated Cuban Property, June 2020


HarrisMartin’s Valsartan & Losartan Recall Litigation Conference, Speaker, Third-Party Payor Cases, April 2019


National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms Driving Diversity & Leadership Conference (New Orleans), International Law PAC Panel, Speaker, CSI (New Orleans Style): The Corporate Scene Investigation of an International Scandal and the Pitfalls to Avoid Creating Another One, February 2019


National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms Driving Diversity & Leadership Conference (New Orleans), White Collar PAC Panel, Speaker, In-House Counsel at Risk: Enforcement Actions Against Gatekeepers, February 2019


International Litigation Panel (Guatemala City, Guatemala), Speaker, Managing Complex International Investigations, January 2019


National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms Annual Meeting (Chicago), Speaker, Avoiding Pitfalls and Untangling Knots in Corporate Internal Investigations, September 2018


National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms Annual Meeting (Houston), Moderator, On High Alert: Rising and Shifting Liability in the Face of Increased Data Breaches, September 2016


National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms Business Meeting (New Orleans), Moderator, Navigating a Cybersecurity Investigation Conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, February 2016


National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms Annual Meeting (Los Angeles), Moderator, Get Smart: The DOJ Rewrites Its FCPA Screenplay, September 2015


Florida Managing Partners Association Annual Dinner (Miami), Speaker, Diversity:  a Goal Worth Pursuing or a Failed Experiment?, April 2015


MORE

National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law firms Annual Meeting (Minneapolis), Moderator, The Expansion of Cybersquatting Beyond Domain Names: Should the Lanham Act Protect the Use of Trademarked Names in Post-Domain Paths?, September 2013


American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation Insurance Coverage Committee’s 25th Annual CLE Seminar (Tucson), Moderator, Practitioner’s Pulse: Enforcing D&O Insurance Coverage Subject to the Insured v. Insured Exclusion, March 2013


University of Miami School of Law Diversity Week, Speaker, Networking and Diversity Panel and Luncheon, January 2013


University of Miami, School of Business Administration, Business Law Department, International Business, Guest Lecturer, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, November 2011


American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation’s Annual Conference (Miami), Speaker, Updates in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, April 2011


RECOGNITIONS

Recognitions and Honors

Honored by the Daily Business Review’s Florida Legal Awards as a Distinguished Leader for 2023


Rivero Mestre ranked in the Legal 500 Latin America guide as a Top Tier Firm in the City Focus category for Miami for 2023


Rivero Mestre honored by The American Lawyer as a finalist for National Boutique / Specialty Litigation Department of the Year for 2022


Rivero Mestre recognized by the Daily Business Review’s Florida Legal Awards as a finalist in the Cross-Border Disputes category for 2024


Rivero Mestre honored by the Daily Business Review’s Florida Legal Awards as Litigation Department of the Year for 2022


Rivero Mestre recognized by Chambers USA in The Elite in Florida category in Band 1


Recognized in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America Guide for 2023 and 2024


Recognized in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Litigators Guide for 2021 and 2023


Rivero Mestre shortlisted by Benchmark Litigation as Florida Firm of the Year for 2022 and 2023


Rivero Mestre honored by Benchmark Litigation as Florida Firm of the Year for 2021


Rivero Mestre honored by Chambers and Partners as the winner of its 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Award for Outstanding Firm for Furthering Diversity and Inclusion (USA Private Practice Firm category)


Rivero Mestre recognized by the Daily Business Review in the 13th Annual Most Effective Lawyers special report in the category of Class Actions


Rivero Mestre honored by The American Lawyer as a winner of a Global Legal Award for its work on the Chevron v. Donziger case in the category of Global Dispute of the Year: U.S. Fraud Litigation


Ranked in the 2014 through 2023 edition of Chambers USA in General Commercial Litigation (Florida)


Rivero Mestre honored by Chambers and Partners as a finalist for the 2016 Diversity & Inclusive Award for Most Inclusive Firm for Minority Lawyers


Rivero Mestre ranked in Benchmark Litigation in Dispute Resolution as a “Highly Recommended Firm” in Florida, 2021-present


Ranked in Benchmark Litigation as a “Local Litigation Star” in General Commercial, 2021-present


AV Preeminent, Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence by Lexis-Nexis Martindale Hubbell


Rivero Mestre ranked as a Tier 1 law firm in U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers’ “Best Law Firm” rankings for: White-Collar Governmental Investigations and White-Collar Litigation, 2013; White-Collar Criminal Defense, since 2014; Commercial Litigation, since 2019; Litigation – Securities, since 2020; Litigation – Banking & Finance, since 2021


Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America in various categories including Criminal Defense-White Collar, 2009-present; Litigation-Securities, 2016-present; Commercial Litigation, 2018-present


Rivero Mestre recognized by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity as a Top Performer, 2014 through 2016


Recognized by Latino Leaders Magazine as a Top Latino Lawyer, 2020


Consistently recognized as among Florida Super Lawyers since 2010 (voted for by members of the Florida Bar)


Rivero Mestre ranked by South Florida Legal Guide as a Top Law Firm, 2021-present


Consistently ranked by South Florida Legal Guide as a Top Lawyer in Commercial Litigation and Complex Business Litigation


Recognized as among Florida Legal Elite many times since 2004 by Florida Trend Magazine (voted for by members of the Florida Bar)


Recognized by American Lawyer Media and Martindale Hubbell as a Top-Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property, 2013 and 2015


Selected by Who’s Who Legal as one of world’s leading practitioners in Business Crime Defense, 2013 and 2014


Recognized by American Lawyer Media as a South Florida Best Lawyer in Criminal Defense: White-Collar, 2012

PUBLICATIONS

Publications

Deposing Nonhumans: Corporate Representative Depositions in Florida, The Florida Bar Journal, Volume 79, No. 1, January 2005


A Comity of Errors: Understanding the International Abstention Doctrine, University of Florida Journal of International Law, Volume 17, Issue 2, June 2005

EXPERIENCE

Past Professional Experience

Partner, Rivero Mestre LLP (and predecessors), Miami, Florida (1998-present)


Litigation Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, Miami, Florida (1996-1998)


Litigation Attorney, Greenberg Traurig, Miami, Florida (1994-1996)


Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Miami, 1989-1994
1992-1994 Public Corruption Section
1989-1992 Economic Crimes Section
1989 Appeals and Major Crimes Section


Litigation Attorney, Greenberg Traurig, Miami, Florida (1986-1989)

TESTIMONIALS

Testimonials

“Andrés has great insight into how to achieve an excellent result, without getting lost in the weeds.”
– Chambers USA 2023


“Andrés has a wealth of experience and knowledge. He’s also a savvy negotiator.”
– Chambers USA 2023


“He is a wonderful trial attorney.” – Chambers USA 2023


“A talented attorney and strategist.” – Chambers USA 2022


“He’s a brilliant lawyer.” – Chambers USA 2022


“He draws on his expertise and has the respect of the judges.” – Chambers USA 2021


“He has a great, comforting demeanor, which camouflages his fierce trial skills.”
– Chambers USA 2021


Andrés Rivero maintains a broad commercial litigation practice, with notable cross-border expertise. He advises clients on breach of contract disputes, bankruptcy issues and gross negligence claims, among others. “He is a great trial lawyer,” comments a peer, explaining: “He’s incredibly smooth and persuasive in court.” – Chambers USA 2020


Andrés Rivero as highly respected for his commercial litigation practice with one source noting he is “one of the more outstanding litigators in South Florida.” – Chambers USA 2019


Andrés Rivero is an experienced commercial litigator who is noted for his handling of matters such as antitrust disputes, securities litigation and IP disputes. Sources say that he is a “five-star lawyer who is not only very knowledgeable and handles very complicated litigation, but is also very practical and business-oriented.” – Chambers USA 2018


“Andres is one of a kind: he’s one of the most charismatic, smart and pleasant attorneys I know – a really special person.” – Chambers USA 2017


“A brilliant lawyer  with an inquisitive mind and an excellent litigator… He’s very good at getting to the core of the argument and is an excellent trial lawyer.” – Chambers USA 2014


“He has exceptional trial skills.” – Chambers USA 2014


“I think he has got tremendous vision of where a case is headed and he recognizes that well in advance of us or any lawyer I worked with. Very confident, not over confident, but extremely well prepared.” – Chambers USA 2014


“You better have your best attorney in court if up against him; do not send the B team in or you’re going to get slaughtered.” – Chambers USA 2014

Education

Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, J.D., 1986 Finalist, McBaine Moot Court Competition, 1986.


Harvard College: A.B., magna cum laude, 1982 (concentration in Social Studies)


Miami Killian Senior High School, 1978

Admissions

Florida Bar, 1986


United States District Court, Southern District of Florida


United States District Court, Middle District of Florida


United States District Court, Northern District of Florida


United States District Court, District of Colorado


United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit


United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit


United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit


United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit


United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia

News & Engagements