Lecturer Bios
Lorena L. Garcia, Esq.
Lorena Garcia is an associate in the Litigation Department and a member of the firm’s Latin America practice. Lorena concentrates her practice on internal corporate investigations and has represented clients in investigations by US law enforcement and regulatory agencies. She has advised accounting firms and auditors, and other financial institutions and corporations in the US and Latin America.
Lorena began her career in Mexico focusing on general corporate matters, including, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, sales and joint ventures, as well as on the development and financing of energy and infrastructure projects.
In 2021, Lorena was named a Rising Legal Star by Latinvex.
She is a native Spanish speaker and is fluent in English.
Daniel Aun, Esq.
Daniel Aun is a dual-qualified, dual-trained, NY-based Brazilian counsel at Alphabet's
Regulatory Response, Investigations & Strategy (ARRIS) team. Prior to that, he spent
several years at Debevoise & Plimpton in NY, where he was a senior associate
focused on cross-border white collar matters and disputes involving Latin America,
Spain, and Portugal. He also founded and chaired the Brazil-U.S. 40 and Under White
Collar Lawyers Initiative, a unique forum for approximately 175 lawyers in over 80
leading law firms in Brazil and the United States to exchange insights on white collar
matters involving the two countries, organize sessions featuring guest speakers, and
publish on matters of interest.
At Alphabet, Daniel's team addresses issues that are both high-risk and involve
regulatory scrutiny, enforcement actions, and other proceedings like shareholder
litigation, internal investigations and data incidents, as well as proactive strategic
projects to mitigate other emerging risks.
Before going in-house, Daniel was actively involved in matters relating to Brazil’s
operations Lava Jato (Carwash), Zelotes (Zealots), and Carne Fraca (Weak Flesh), the
U.S.-led FIFA investigation, and a high-profile investigation undertaken by Portuguese
authorities, among others. He also acted as counsel in ICC, ICSID, PCA, ICDR, and
CCBC arbitration proceedings.
Earlier in his career, Daniel pursued internships at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at
The Hague, the Organization of American States, the Brazilian Embassy in Washington,
D.C., a Federal Court of Appeals based in São Paulo, and the State of São Paulo
Prosecutor’s Office.
Daniel received his LL.M. from New York University School of Law (NYU), where he
was vice-president of the International Arbitration Association and currently is a member
of the NYU Law Alumni Board of Directors. He obtained his law degree at the Pontifical
Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), with additional studies at The Hague
Academy of International Law and the University of Barcelona. He assisted Professor
Donald Donovan with his International Arbitration and International Investment Law &
Arbitration courses at NYU and Professor Fabricio Felamingo with his International Law
course at PUC-SP.
Daniel is admitted to practice law in State of New York and Brazil. He is a native
Portuguese speaker, in addition to being fluent in Spanish and conversational in
French. Who’s Who Legal recognized him as an Investigations and Arbitration Future
Leader in the United States, and described him as a “simply outstanding lawyer” with a
“strong understanding of complex FCPA-like regulations” and a “deep knowledge of the
Brazilian market” as well as a “leading individual” who “has been very active in cross border investigations” and “many substantial cases.”
Maria Vizdoaga, Esq.
Maria Vizdoaga is the founding partner of the Vizdoaga Law Office PLLC. Ms. Vizdoaga holds a Masters of Law (LL.M.) from Columbia Law School in New York, where she was awarded the Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar Award. She also holds a Master of Arts in European Union Studies and Law from Leiden University, the Netherlands and a Bachelor in Corporate Law from the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova.
Ms. Vizdoaga has extensive experience working in legal departments of international organizations, such as the United Nations and the European Union and is able to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. She is fluent in English, Romanian, Russian and is proficient in French.
Ms. Vizdoaga has a good understanding of both common law and civil law systems and has worked for public interest organizations in New York that help NGOs to connect with lawyers who offer legal services pro bono. Ms. Vizdoaga is licensed to practice law in the State of New York and is a member of the New York City Bar Association and is a volunteer for the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, where she takes pro bono cases related to consumer debt, trusts and estates and uncontested divorce matters.
Julianne Alberto, Esq.
Julianne Alberto is a Senior Counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation’s Legal Team. She
reviews business arrangements to ensure that US and international contracts entered
into by the Foundation contain terms which protect the company and at the same time,
meet the business needs of the internal clients. In her capacity as a transactional
lawyer, she gets to collaborate with the many teams supporting the Wikimedia
Projects, as well as with suppliers and vendors looking to establish productive
business relations with her organization. At the heart of her role is a commitment to
help the Foundation achieve its mission to bring free knowledge to all by enabling its
staff, contractors, and stakeholders to go about their roles effectively through the
business arrangements put in place by the Legal Team.
After obtaining her Juris Doctor degree at Ateneo de Manila Law School and hurdling
the Philippine Bar Exams, Julianne started her law career in 2014 as an Associate for
the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department of ACCRA Law, one of the biggest
law firms in her country. At ACCRA, she specialized in representing private parties in
the enforcement of government procurement contracts. She was later appointed as
State Counsel to the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) where she served the
Office of the Justice Secretary. At the DOJ, she formulated legal opinions in response
to queries sent by other government agencies looking for guidance on compliance.
She then returned to private practice handling special interest litigation as a Senior
Associate and then as Junior Partner at Manalo Law, a general service law firm based
in Manila.
In 2018, she moved to the US to pursue her Master of Laws degree at the University
of Michigan-Ann Arbor. During her LL.M. program, she focused on learning about
internet law and intellectual property. She saw the LL.M. year as an opportunity for a
fresh start after having a considerably territory-specific Philippine practice. To boost
her competitive advantage, she registered for the Optional Practical Training (OPT)
and devoted her time to pursuing opportunities which will give her legal experience in
the US. Her risk-taking paid off and she landed a fellowship at the Wikimedia
Foundation and thereafter, an internship with the US-ASEAN Business Council.
After the OPT, Julianne sat for the California Bar Exam during its first remote
administration. While waiting for the results, she spent her time doing an internship for
the Immigration Firm of Crispin Lozano. Before going back to Wikimedia, she worked
as an associate at the Law Offices of Andrew Watters, a civil law firm practicing
plaintiff-side litigation and arbitration.
Julianne also served as a member of the faculty at the Far Eastern University in
Manila. While she misses having teaching units, she knows that focusing on growing
a legal career in the US takes priority. Perhaps as a spillover from her teaching days,
she finds that she enjoys speaking with international law students and lawyers who
are curious about pursuing a career abroad. She spends her free time listening to
musicals, boxing, or skipping rope. She also discovered baking during the quarantine
period and she has made many attempts to create Filipino cheese rolls.