Adriana Riviere-Badell | Kobre & Kim — Disputes and Investigations

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Adriana Riviere-Badell

Lawyer

Miami

201 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 1900
Miami, Florida 33131

+1 305 967 6117

adriana.riviere-badell@kobrekim.com
vCard Download

Miami

201 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 1900
Miami, Florida 33131

+1 305 967 6117

adriana.riviere-badell@kobrekim.com
vCard Download

Biography
Engagements
News
Credentials
Publications & Presentations
Professional & Community Involvement

Adriana Riviere-Badell is an experienced advocate who concentrates her practice on high-profile contentious trust and estate disputes, complex multi-jurisdictional civil litigation — including appellate proceedings — and international judgment enforcement and asset recovery, with a focus on Latin America.

Ms. Riviere-Badell has been involved in some of the highest-profile cases in South Florida, including the successful representation of Raoul Weil, the former head of global wealth management at UBS who was acquitted of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and the representation of the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball in its highly publicized suit against Biogenesis.

In addition, Ms. Riviere-Badell has handled civil and criminal appellate matters before several state and federal appellate courts, including the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Second, Fourth, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits. She achieved a significant victory in Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal on behalf of the co-trustees of a revocable trust in an intensely contested high-value trust and estate litigation. She also successfully argued a complex jurisdictional issue that established favorable precedent for a leading healthcare company in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Before joining Kobre & Kim, Ms. Riviere-Badell practiced at Hunton & Williams LLP, representing clients in complex commercial litigation, securities litigation and antitrust-related matters.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Riviere-Badell was a financial associate with a large accounting firm, where she specialized in fraud investigations, corporate bankruptcy, corporate recovery, and related litigation issues.

SERVICES

Claim Monetization & Dilution International Judgment Enforcement & Offshore Asset Recovery Government Enforcement Defense Trusts & Estates Litigation

Admissions

Florida
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) eService
United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation

Education

University of Miami School of Law, JD
University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School, BSE

Languages

Spanish

Accolades

Chambers USA, Florida White Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2022-2023)
STEP Private Client Awards 2023/24, International Legal Team of the Year (midsize firm), Shortlist

SERVICES

Claim Monetization & Dilution International Judgment Enforcement & Offshore Asset Recovery Government Enforcement Defense Trusts & Estates Litigation

Select Engagements

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Representation of a leading healthcare company in prescription opioid-related lawsuits and investigations pending in multiple jurisdictions across the country and the Opiate Multidistrict Litigation.
Representation of the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball in Florida litigation to address tortious interference with contract by persons and clinics distributing performance enhancing substances to Major League Baseball players.
Representation in connection with multiple litigations in the New York and Florida state and federal courts, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, arising from an alleged breach of a joint venture agreement regarding several real estate investments, involving US $50 million+ in controversy.
Representation of a public, global technology company’s board of directors in multiple shareholder class actions in Delaware and Florida alleging breach of fiduciary duty by the board of directors in connection with the approval of a US $2 billion tender offer by Verizon Holdings Inc.

International Judgment Enforcement & Offshore Asset Recovery

Representation of Chevron in the successful enforcement of an investment treaty arbitration award against the Republic of Ecuador for US $100 million+ (with interest). Kobre & Kim’s efforts in executing an enforcement strategy, including asset tracing, efforts to identify seizure targets, and the service of numerous discovery requests, culminated in Ecuador’s paying Chevron the entirety of the original award plus interest.
Representation of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in enforcing judgments of US $120 million+ against assets and defendants in multiple jurisdictions, including Florida, New York, Ireland, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and Singapore. Our work in this matter was profiled on the front page of The Wall Street Journal (September 10, 2011).

Government Enforcement Defense

Under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act of 2016 ("PROMESA"), service as independent investigator to the Special Investigation Committee of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico to perform a comprehensive review of the factors contributing to Puerto Rico's fiscal crisis.
Obtained landmark acquittal on behalf of Raoul Weil, former head of UBS global wealth management and the highest-ranking Swiss banker to stand trial in the U.S., on allegations he conspired with wealthy Americans to hide US $20 billion in secret offshore accounts. Kobre & Kim was brought in as special litigation counsel for the trial in Florida, where the firm’s aggressive cross-examinations of government witnesses and closing arguments played a key role in crippling the government’s case.
Representation of a former Credit Suisse banker in prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, relating to alleged assistance to U.S. taxpayers in evading tax obligations.
Representation of multiple executives of a large oil company through multidistrict civil discovery process and related government inquiries.
Representation of a chief operating officer of a healthcare facility related to violations of the anti-kickback statute and other healthcare-related violations in which the government has intervened in eight separate qui tam actions.
Representation of a senior manager at a large automobile company in response to a DOJ and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation relating to the automaker’s sales data reporting practices.

Trust & Estates Litigation

Representation of a wife and daughter in a contentious and multi-jurisdictional guardianship dispute, which evolved into a trust & estates dispute, in an estate valued at US $100 million.
Representation of the trustee of a revocable trust in a dispute pending in the Circuit Court for Miami Dade County's Probate Division contesting the validity and funding of the formation instrument.
Representation with respect to beneficiaries' entitlement to information with respect to the trust, as well as variation and rectification of the terms of the trust.
Advising wealthy Central American family on issues related to cross border implications of a politically motivated prosecution in their home country. The repercussions include an offshore asset freeze.

International Private Client

Representation of CEO and founder of alternative asset management firm in federal district courts against charges of alleged securities fraud by the U.S. DOJ and SEC as well as state regulatory agencies, in addition to multiple investor class action cases around the country.
Representation of the provisional joint liquidators for a Bermuda investment company in multiple sets of proceedings regarding preservation and ownership of assets worth US $3.2 billion, including DOJ tax enforcement/forfeiture issues arising from an alleged multi-billion tax fraud scheme.
Representation of a former executive in responding to criminal and civil charges by the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission.
Representation of a high-net-worth individual to recover tens of millions in assets hidden in offshore trusts and bank accounts amid a high conflict divorce.
Representation of a politically exposed person and his family in a civil forfeiture proceeding brought by the U.S. Department of Justice in light of allegations of corruption and international money laundering.

SERVICES

Claim Monetization & Dilution International Judgment Enforcement & Offshore Asset Recovery Government Enforcement Defense Trusts & Estates Litigation

Professional & Community Involvement

Cuban American Bar Association, Member
Hispanic National Bar Association, Member
The Florida Bar Association, International Law Section, Member
Steering Committee for the International Litigation & Arbitration Conference, Member (2012-2016)

SERVICES

Claim Monetization & Dilution International Judgment Enforcement & Offshore Asset Recovery Government Enforcement Defense Trusts & Estates Litigation

Publications & Presentations

Co-author, "Why The Future Of Telehealth Parity Remains Murky" (Law360, October 2021)
Co-author, "The Regulatory Growing Pains For Digital Health Companies" (Law360, September 2021)
Panelist, “Finding the Unknown: Creating Innovative Strategies to Protect and Recover Assets in Complex Family Disputes” (November 2020)
Co-author, “Snapshot: Asset Confiscation in USA” (Lexology, October 2020)
Co-author, “Snapshot: Civil Asset Recovery in USA” (Lexology, October 2020)
Panelist, “Anticipation is Essential: Deploying Unique and Timely Strategies to Protect Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals in Central America” (September 2020)
Panelist, “Global Discovery Tools Amidst COVID-19 Disruption” (Kobre & Kim’s Women Initiative, May 2020)
Panelist, “Asset Recovery Latin America: Tips From The Experts (Part Two)” (OffshoreAlert Conference Latin America Brazil 2019)
Panelist, “Criminal Enforcement in the Americas: Cooperation between Government Authorities” (ABA’s International Conference, November 2018)
Panelist, “Hidden Treasures – Enforcement and Collection of International Arbitration Awards and Court Judgments” (October 2018)
Panelist, “Anti-Corruption and U.S. Government Enforcement Actions in Latin America” (AmCham Argentina, July 2018)
Co-author, “Implicancias de la Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) en la República Argentina” (Compliance, anticorrupción y responsabilidad penal empresaria, 2018)
Speaker, "As a Moth is Drawn to the Light, So is a Litigant Drawn to the United States" (American Bar Association Section of International Law Fall Conference, Miami, October 2017)
Moderator, “You Can Run but You Can’t Hide: - CrossBorder Asset Tracing and Asset Recovery” (Hispanic National Bar Association, April 2017)
Panelist, “Enforcing or Defending Against High Value International Judgments and Arbitration Awards” (March 2017)
Moderator, "Trust Busting: A Thousand Little Pieces" (iLaw2017, Miami, February 2017)
Co-author, "Investigations in the Middle Kingdom: What Florida Lawyers Need to Know About Internal Investigations in the People’s Republic of China" (International Law Quarterly, January 2017)
Speaker, "Mock Hearing: Admissibility of Unlawfully Obtained Evidence" (C5 Forum on Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery, Miami, October 2016)
Co-author, "Guardianship: Strategies for Minimizing Risk" (Family Office Exchange, September 2016)
Co-author, “Minimizing Discovery Cost through Effective Trial Strategy” (Today's General Counsel, August 2016)
Speaker, "Women on Boards of Directors" (The Florida International Bankers Association, Miami, April 2016)
Moderator, "Cross-Border Recognition of Insolvency Proceedings" (International Litigation, Arbitration & Transactions Conference, Miami, February 2016)
Co-author, "Aspects of the Failed US Department of Justice Prosecution of Ex-UBS Senior Executive Raoul Weil" (Gore-Browne on Companies Special Release, 2015)
Co-author, "Pitfalls to Avoid in Making Proposals for Settlement" (Class Act, University of Miami School of Law, Spring 2011)
Author, "527s: The New Frontier for Election Law and Associational Rights" (University of Miami Law Review, 2006)

SERVICES

Claim Monetization & Dilution International Judgment Enforcement & Offshore Asset Recovery Government Enforcement Defense Trusts & Estates Litigation

Credentials

Admissions

Florida
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) eService
United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation

Education

University of Miami School of Law, JD
University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School, BSE

Languages

Spanish

Accolades

Chambers USA, Florida White Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2022-2023)
STEP Private Client Awards 2023/24, International Legal Team of the Year (midsize firm), Shortlist

Engagements

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Representation of a leading healthcare company in prescription opioid-related lawsuits and investigations pending in multiple jurisdictions across the country and the Opiate Multidistrict Litigation.
Representation of the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball in Florida litigation to address tortious interference with contract by persons and clinics distributing performance enhancing substances to Major League Baseball players.
Representation in connection with multiple litigations in the New York and Florida state and federal courts, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, arising from an alleged breach of a joint venture agreement regarding several real estate investments, involving US $50 million+ in controversy.
Representation of a public, global technology company’s board of directors in multiple shareholder class actions in Delaware and Florida alleging breach of fiduciary duty by the board of directors in connection with the approval of a US $2 billion tender offer by Verizon Holdings Inc.

International Judgment Enforcement & Offshore Asset Recovery

Representation of Chevron in the successful enforcement of an investment treaty arbitration award against the Republic of Ecuador for US $100 million+ (with interest). Kobre & Kim’s efforts in executing an enforcement strategy, including asset tracing, efforts to identify seizure targets, and the service of numerous discovery requests, culminated in Ecuador’s paying Chevron the entirety of the original award plus interest.
Representation of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in enforcing judgments of US $120 million+ against assets and defendants in multiple jurisdictions, including Florida, New York, Ireland, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and Singapore. Our work in this matter was profiled on the front page of The Wall Street Journal (September 10, 2011).

Government Enforcement Defense

Under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act of 2016 ("PROMESA"), service as independent investigator to the Special Investigation Committee of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico to perform a comprehensive review of the factors contributing to Puerto Rico's fiscal crisis.
Obtained landmark acquittal on behalf of Raoul Weil, former head of UBS global wealth management and the highest-ranking Swiss banker to stand trial in the U.S., on allegations he conspired with wealthy Americans to hide US $20 billion in secret offshore accounts. Kobre & Kim was brought in as special litigation counsel for the trial in Florida, where the firm’s aggressive cross-examinations of government witnesses and closing arguments played a key role in crippling the government’s case.
Representation of a former Credit Suisse banker in prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, relating to alleged assistance to U.S. taxpayers in evading tax obligations.
Representation of multiple executives of a large oil company through multidistrict civil discovery process and related government inquiries.
Representation of a chief operating officer of a healthcare facility related to violations of the anti-kickback statute and other healthcare-related violations in which the government has intervened in eight separate qui tam actions.
Representation of a senior manager at a large automobile company in response to a DOJ and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation relating to the automaker’s sales data reporting practices.

Trust & Estates Litigation

Representation of a wife and daughter in a contentious and multi-jurisdictional guardianship dispute, which evolved into a trust & estates dispute, in an estate valued at US $100 million.
Representation of the trustee of a revocable trust in a dispute pending in the Circuit Court for Miami Dade County's Probate Division contesting the validity and funding of the formation instrument.
Representation with respect to beneficiaries' entitlement to information with respect to the trust, as well as variation and rectification of the terms of the trust.
Advising wealthy Central American family on issues related to cross border implications of a politically motivated prosecution in their home country. The repercussions include an offshore asset freeze.

International Private Client

Representation of CEO and founder of alternative asset management firm in federal district courts against charges of alleged securities fraud by the U.S. DOJ and SEC as well as state regulatory agencies, in addition to multiple investor class action cases around the country.
Representation of the provisional joint liquidators for a Bermuda investment company in multiple sets of proceedings regarding preservation and ownership of assets worth US $3.2 billion, including DOJ tax enforcement/forfeiture issues arising from an alleged multi-billion tax fraud scheme.
Representation of a former executive in responding to criminal and civil charges by the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission.
Representation of a high-net-worth individual to recover tens of millions in assets hidden in offshore trusts and bank accounts amid a high conflict divorce.
Representation of a politically exposed person and his family in a civil forfeiture proceeding brought by the U.S. Department of Justice in light of allegations of corruption and international money laundering.

News

Professional & Community Involvement

Cuban American Bar Association, Member
Hispanic National Bar Association, Member
The Florida Bar Association, International Law Section, Member
Steering Committee for the International Litigation & Arbitration Conference, Member (2012-2016)

Publications & Presentations

Co-author, "Why The Future Of Telehealth Parity Remains Murky" (Law360, October 2021)
Co-author, "The Regulatory Growing Pains For Digital Health Companies" (Law360, September 2021)
Panelist, “Finding the Unknown: Creating Innovative Strategies to Protect and Recover Assets in Complex Family Disputes” (November 2020)
Co-author, “Snapshot: Asset Confiscation in USA” (Lexology, October 2020)
Co-author, “Snapshot: Civil Asset Recovery in USA” (Lexology, October 2020)
Panelist, “Anticipation is Essential: Deploying Unique and Timely Strategies to Protect Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals in Central America” (September 2020)
Panelist, “Global Discovery Tools Amidst COVID-19 Disruption” (Kobre & Kim’s Women Initiative, May 2020)
Panelist, “Asset Recovery Latin America: Tips From The Experts (Part Two)” (OffshoreAlert Conference Latin America Brazil 2019)
Panelist, “Criminal Enforcement in the Americas: Cooperation between Government Authorities” (ABA’s International Conference, November 2018)
Panelist, “Hidden Treasures – Enforcement and Collection of International Arbitration Awards and Court Judgments” (October 2018)
Panelist, “Anti-Corruption and U.S. Government Enforcement Actions in Latin America” (AmCham Argentina, July 2018)
Co-author, “Implicancias de la Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) en la República Argentina” (Compliance, anticorrupción y responsabilidad penal empresaria, 2018)
Speaker, "As a Moth is Drawn to the Light, So is a Litigant Drawn to the United States" (American Bar Association Section of International Law Fall Conference, Miami, October 2017)
Moderator, “You Can Run but You Can’t Hide: - CrossBorder Asset Tracing and Asset Recovery” (Hispanic National Bar Association, April 2017)
Panelist, “Enforcing or Defending Against High Value International Judgments and Arbitration Awards” (March 2017)
Moderator, "Trust Busting: A Thousand Little Pieces" (iLaw2017, Miami, February 2017)
Co-author, "Investigations in the Middle Kingdom: What Florida Lawyers Need to Know About Internal Investigations in the People’s Republic of China" (International Law Quarterly, January 2017)
Speaker, "Mock Hearing: Admissibility of Unlawfully Obtained Evidence" (C5 Forum on Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery, Miami, October 2016)
Co-author, "Guardianship: Strategies for Minimizing Risk" (Family Office Exchange, September 2016)
Co-author, “Minimizing Discovery Cost through Effective Trial Strategy” (Today's General Counsel, August 2016)
Speaker, "Women on Boards of Directors" (The Florida International Bankers Association, Miami, April 2016)
Moderator, "Cross-Border Recognition of Insolvency Proceedings" (International Litigation, Arbitration & Transactions Conference, Miami, February 2016)
Co-author, "Aspects of the Failed US Department of Justice Prosecution of Ex-UBS Senior Executive Raoul Weil" (Gore-Browne on Companies Special Release, 2015)
Co-author, "Pitfalls to Avoid in Making Proposals for Settlement" (Class Act, University of Miami School of Law, Spring 2011)
Author, "527s: The New Frontier for Election Law and Associational Rights" (University of Miami Law Review, 2006)

“Adriana is an exceptional attorney. Her command of the facts, rule of law, ability to respond calmly and clearly, and advocate zealously is impressive."

- Chambers & Partners