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.
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)
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
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 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, 2024, and 2025
Recognized in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Litigators Guide for 2021, 2023, and 2024
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 2024 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 by Best Lawyers® as a Tier 1 law firm in “Best Law Firms” for White-Collar Governmental Investigations and White-Collar Litigation, 2013; Criminal Defense: White-Collar, since 2014; Commercial Litigation, since 2019; Litigation – Securities, since 2020; Litigation – Banking & Finance, 2021; International Arbitration – Commercial, since 2023; International Trade and Finance Law, since 2025
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
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
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
“He is an exceptional lawyer.” – Chambers USA 2024
“Andrés is unique because he is as comfortable with a client as he is in a courtroom. The way he handles very complex issues is simply masterful. He is unflappable.” – Chambers USA 2024
“Andrés is a sophisticated litigator who uses his experience in commercial matters to drive an effective court strategy.” – Chambers USA 2024
“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
“He is a great trial lawyer. He’s incredibly smooth and persuasive in court.”
– Chambers USA 2020
“One of the more outstanding litigators in South Florida.” – Chambers USA 2019
“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
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