
Dual qualified as a U.S. and Argentine lawyer, Melisa Ortes González has extensive experience representing major cryptocurrency exchanges, leading proprietary cryptocurrency trading firms and company founders and executives in high-stakes investigations and enforcement actions brought by different regulatory federal agencies. Ms. Ortes Gonzalez’s vast knowledge of the industry also serves to design and deploy cross-border cryptocurrency recovery strategies for victims of theft, fraud, and cyberattacks.
In addition, Ms. Ortes González represents high-net-worth individuals, and institutional clients and their executives in high-stakes cross-border investigations and government enforcement actions on matters ranging from alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act to money laundering and fraud, often with a nexus to Latin America.
Ms. Ortes González also counsels clients in global asset tracing investigations and recovery efforts. She has broad experience in a wide range of cross-border matters involving the energy, technology, financial services, and logistics industries. Melisa Ortes González has also seconded as in-house counsel.
Before joining Kobre & Kim, she practiced at Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Admissions
- New York
- City of Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Foreign Legal Consultant, Brazil
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Education
- Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, LLM, honors
- Pontifical Argentine Catholic University, School of Law (JD equivalent)
Languages
- Spanish
- Andrew Stafford QC, Timothy de Swardt, Melisa Ortes González, Calvin Koo on Crypto Jurisprudence in Common Law Jurisdictions
- Melisa Ortes González Discusses Digital Asset Recovery and Regulation at DeFi Roundtable
- Could NFTs Trigger AML Regulation? Benjamin Sauter, Melisa Ortes Gonzalez and Lara Levinson Examine in Forkast News
- Kobre & Kim Lawyers Part of Inaugural Class of Brazil-U.S. 40 and Under White-Collar Lawyers Initiative
- Corruption Probes in LatAm Aren’t Just Local Issues
- Cross-Border Latin America-Focused Team Offer Insight on Navigating FCPA Enforcement in Argentina
Professional & Community Involvement
- Bar Association of the City of Buenos Aires, Member
- Young Lawyers Committee Executive Board, Private Bar Association of the City of Buenos Aires, Member
- High Tech Law Society, Member
- Young Professionals of the Americas (YPA), Member
- Women's White Collar Crime Defense Association, Member
- International Bar Association Criminal Law Committee, Communications Officer
Publications & Presentations
- Panelist, "Rise Roundtable: DeFi" (Rise New York, New York City, November 2021)
- Co-author, "How NFTs could trigger lawsuits and anti-money laundering regulation" (Forkast News, May 2021)
- Contributing author, “Corporate Governance – International Series — 2nd Edition” (Thomson Reuters Argentina chapter, 2015)
Credentials
Admissions
- New York
- City of Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Foreign Legal Consultant, Brazil
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Education
- Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, LLM, honors
- Pontifical Argentine Catholic University, School of Law (JD equivalent)
Languages
- Spanish
News
- Andrew Stafford QC, Timothy de Swardt, Melisa Ortes González, Calvin Koo on Crypto Jurisprudence in Common Law Jurisdictions
- Melisa Ortes González Discusses Digital Asset Recovery and Regulation at DeFi Roundtable
- Could NFTs Trigger AML Regulation? Benjamin Sauter, Melisa Ortes Gonzalez and Lara Levinson Examine in Forkast News
- Kobre & Kim Lawyers Part of Inaugural Class of Brazil-U.S. 40 and Under White-Collar Lawyers Initiative
- Corruption Probes in LatAm Aren’t Just Local Issues
- Cross-Border Latin America-Focused Team Offer Insight on Navigating FCPA Enforcement in Argentina
Professional & Community Involvement
- Bar Association of the City of Buenos Aires, Member
- Young Lawyers Committee Executive Board, Private Bar Association of the City of Buenos Aires, Member
- High Tech Law Society, Member
- Young Professionals of the Americas (YPA), Member
- Women's White Collar Crime Defense Association, Member
- International Bar Association Criminal Law Committee, Communications Officer
Publications & Presentations
- Panelist, "Rise Roundtable: DeFi" (Rise New York, New York City, November 2021)
- Co-author, "How NFTs could trigger lawsuits and anti-money laundering regulation" (Forkast News, May 2021)
- Contributing author, “Corporate Governance – International Series — 2nd Edition” (Thomson Reuters Argentina chapter, 2015)