Dr. Obarrio is a highly respected, well known and successful litigator and mediator licensed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She serves as only one of eight Argentine “Foreign Legal Consultants” with the State Bar of Florida. She is also the representative of the Florida Bar International Law Section to the Standing Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. As a member of the Miami International Arbitration Society, Dr. Obarrio is immediately available to participate in international arbitration and mediation hearings in the United States or abroad. She provides business advisory services to law firms and multi-national companies operating around the world, especially in Latin America. She has extensive knowledge and expertise with Latin American government regulatory and legal systems. Specifically, Dr. Obarrio has expertise in criminal and commercial litigation and complex foreign investigations especially involving ethics and fraud allegations; international law and international arbitration, mediation and other ADR procedures; risk mitigation and project management. Dr. Obarrio has represented multinational clients in multiple nations in Latin America, Europe and the US. Dr. Obarrio is also certified as a Professional Life Coach and as a Florida Real Estate agent with special certification in REO. She is fluent in Spanish and is conversant in English, French and Italian.
English -Spanish – (conversant-writing – reading) French -Italian
Professional History
Senior Advisor – ADR & Latin American Law, Veritas Assurance Partners 2014 – Present
● Provides sophisticated and sensitive, political and legal analysis for law firms and
companies seeking consulting advice on disputes, investigations, and conflicts in
Latin America.
Criminal Mediator, Judiciary of the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina 2007 – 2014
● Proposed, advocated, secured legislation and played central role in the
implementation of the first criminal mediation program for the city of
Buenos Aires in 2007, a unique criminal ADR mechanism available for
criminal cases where the maximum prison sentence does not exceed 3
years confinement. This mediation program has proven highly effective in
resolving the underlying causes of conflicts, as compared to traditional
punitive criminal justice processes and is highly efficient in terms of
resources and processing times.
● As a criminal mediator, the equivalent rank of a trial court judge, she
averaged 200 criminal hearings per month.
Commercial mediator, Registered with the Ministry of Justice, Argentine Republic (2000– present)
●Successfully presided over dozens of commercial mediations helping parties with disputes settle without the need for trial.
Litigator in criminal, commercial and civil matters with her own firm “Estudio Obarrio” (1995 – 2007)
● Represented hundreds of clients in a wide ranging litigation practice with concentration on financial crimes defense.
● Personally advised the Argentine national senate on legal reforms based on her experience as a highly successful litigator, drafting specific legislation that was adopted by the nation.
● Advised senior government officials including the president of the nation on legislation reform and other important legal and political matters.
Teaching Experience
● Faculty, AFIP-DGI (Argentine IRS equivalent) training agents in criminal tax law procedure and rules of evidence (1995 – 2013)
● Professor at Universidad Nacional del Litoral Graduate of Santa Fe Criminal Mediation course. (2008 – present)
● Professor, Chair – Economic Law II – Economic Sciences. (2008 – present)
● Professor, Chair of Postgraduate – The University of Social Museum “methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution” (2005 – 2008)
● Tenured faculty member, The “Prefectura” (Naval Forces) Argentina College. Chair, Economic Crimes (1999 – 2001)
● Assistant Professor, Economic Law; University of El Salvador. (1997 To 1998)
Membership in Institutions and Professional Associations
● Member, Miami International Arbitration Society (2014 – present)
● Florida Real Estate Association
● Liaison from the Inter-American Bar Association to the Organization of American States, (2014 – present)
● Selected by the US State Department in 1999 as a representative from Argentina for the International Visitor’s Leadership Program (IVLP), “the premier professional exchange program” whereby “current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience America first hand and cultivate lasting relationships with counterparts.” http://eca.state.gov/ivlp
● Twice elected to consecutive terms (2010/2012 and 2012/2014) to the Board of Directors of the Buenos Aires City Bar: “Colegio Publico de Abogados de la Capital Federal ARGENTINA” (www.cpacf.org.ar) the 170,000 member legal bar, the largest in Argentina.
● Candidate for Council Member of the Judicial Magistracy of Buenos Aires City, Argentina. 2006/2008, the highest directive body for the judges of the Capital City.
● Council Member representing Argentina to the Inter-American Bar Association, 1211 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20036 and Vice President of Intellectual Property Committee and the Women’s Rights Committee (www.iaba.org) (2010 – present)
● Member and Advisor to the Body of Technical and Financial Cooperation CPACF/MJDHN ( Argentine Ministry of Justice and Human Rights ) 2004/2006
● Member of the Directive Commission for the Argentine Center in Criminal Tax Law from 1997-1999-review of accounts – and from 1999 to date, served as the academic secretary.
● Secretary, Inter-American Bar Foundation (2011 – present) 1211 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20036
● Member, Argentine Association of Fiscal Studies; Spokesperson for the Scientific Committee on Criminal Tax Law.
● Member, Executive Committee, The College of Lawyers of the City of Buenos Aires .
● Member, Latin American Association of Public Administration, Argentine Section.
● Honorary member of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS International), Argentina, Chapter 215.
● Member, Commission of Defense of the Public Defense Lawyers for the Federal Capital of Buenos Aires.
● Member, Institute for Mediation of the Buenos Aires Bar Association, CPACF.
● Member, Institute of Criminal Law, of the Buenos Aires Bar Association CPACF.
● Member, International Law Association, Buenos Aires.
● Member, International Association of Penal Law -AIDP- (www.penal.org) UNIVERSITÉ Kedesh (France).
● Member, Department of Criminal Tax Law, The Argentine Association of Fiscal Studies. (October, 2005).
● Member, Argentine Council for International Relations.
Publications
● «The principle of opportunity and criminal tax regime» collective labor law criminal tax, Volume I, Chapter I, ed. Marcial Pons, Madrid, Barcelona, Buenos Aires. Volume I and II. Pages 1421.
● «Penal mediation» an alternative resolution. Editorial quorum. Year 2004. Pages 209.-
● Publications in law journals:
- “The Argentine Center in Criminal Tax”;
- “Journal of criminal law doctrine fiscal and economic Errepar”;
- “La Ley” Magazine; and
- Several on-line journals