Profile
Daniel Pulecio-Boek is the Chair of the Washington, D.C., office Cross-Border Disputes Group. He focuses his practice on cross-border litigation, investigations and arbitration, including white collar representations, internal investigations, complex commercial disputes, international law matters and international arbitrations. His representations have included matters involving more than two dozen jurisdictions, spanning Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Recognized as one of the leading cross-border litigation attorneys in the United States, Daniel is the only lawyer in the Cross-Border Litigation category in the 2024-2025 Lawdragon “500 Leading Litigators in America.” He has also been recognized for his victories in landmark cross-border cases by the American Lawyer and Law360.
Daniel received his legal training in the United States, Europe, and Latin America, and is licensed to practice law in multiple U.S. jurisdictions and in Colombia. He is a native Spanish speaker, fluent in English, and proficient in Portuguese. Daniel’s international, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual training and experience allow him to navigate varying legal systems and positions him to serve foreign and domestic clients in cross-border matters involving multiple jurisdictions.
Daniel has represented Fortune 500 companies, large multinational companies and investment funds, foreign governments, high-net-worth individuals and families, government officials, and senior executives.
In white collar matters, he focuses on representing clients before the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in connection with cross-border criminal investigations, often involving parallel government investigations in multiple jurisdictions. He has represented clients in cases related to bribery (involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-bribery regimes), money laundering, fraud, tax and securities violations, insider trading, OFAC sanctions, and international extraditions. He frequently advises corporate clients in internal investigations and audits involving bribery, fraud and other corporate misconduct, and in developing and implementing compliance programs.
In addition, Daniel represents governments, companies and individuals before international organizations such as the United Nations, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Organization of American States, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
In international litigation matters, he focuses on commercial disputes, trademark litigations, bankruptcies and international fraud cases, usually involving foreign parties and evidence located in multiple jurisdictions. He has experience litigating in over a dozen U.S. federal and state courts, including in New York, Florida, Texas, the District of Columbia, California, Louisiana, Nevada, Massachusetts, Colorado, Illinois, Arizona and New Jersey. Daniel’s international litigation practice includes representing clients in proceedings to enforce (or defend against enforcement of) foreign judgments and arbitration awards.
Daniel also represents clients in U.S. proceedings to obtain discovery for use in foreign litigations and in international asset tracing investigations and related litigations, assisting companies, governments and individuals to identify, seize and enforce against assets located in the United States and abroad.
In the international arbitration space, Daniel focuses on representing sovereigns, companies and individuals in investment treaty arbitrations as well as in commercial arbitrations, including under ICDR, ICC and UNCITRAL rules.
Daniel is also a professor on cross-border litigations at Georgetown University, where he teaches Cross-Border Litigation. Daniel was previously a Criminal Procedure professor in Colombia, and has served as a lecturer and speaker at several international symposiums. He is also a published author with three books on litigation and white collar crime and several articles in domestic and international law journals.
Chambers Latin America named Daniel the only “Up and Coming” lawyer for Corporate Crime & Investigations in Latin America in its editions from 2016-2022. In the 2018 edition, a client stated, “Over the duration of our relationship he has always been someone who gets things done. His coordination and understanding of the case were superb.”
Capabilities
Experience
- Representation of the Bolivian government in connection with U.S. criminal investigations against former officials, companies and executives who participated in a large-scale bribery scheme to defraud Bolivia and in parallel U.S. civil litigation against the targets. Defendants were ultimately sentenced in the United States, and we obtained civil judgments against several adverse parties.
- Representation of the Vice President of Paraguay in proceedings before the State Department and OFAC relating to sanctions.
- Representation of an international entrepreneur owning sports businesses across the world in a high-profile international investigation, involving parallel proceedings in multiple jurisdictions and defensive as well as offensive strategies to demonstrate that the allegations against the client are baseless and to recover millions of stolen funds.
- Representation of a Venezuelan state-owned entity in connection with U.S. sanctions securing a long-term OFAC license that essentially ensured the survival of the company.
- Representation of several current and senior government officials and businesspersons in connection with the U.S. Department of State’s Section 353 Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors Report (also known as the Engel List) issued in July 2019.
- International and U.S. counsel to one of the primary targets of the Haitian government in the investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, including in INTERPOL proceedings, in Turkish extradition proceedings, in parallel Haitian and U.S. government investigations and in proceedings before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Working Group on Arbitration Detention of the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. Successfully secured a cancellation of the client’s international INTERPOL arrest warrant (Red Notice) and extricated the client from the U.S. government investigation.
- Representation of one of the largest petrochemical companies in Colombia in connection with OFAC licensing which was successfully secured for the company.
- Representation of the interests of the Colombian coffee federation as a victim in New York criminal proceedings against a former employee who embezzled company funds. Employee was criminally sentenced.
- Representation of a U.S. federal government contractor in an internal investigation relating to its Mexican operations. Resolved matter favorably and U.S. government took no action against the contractor.
- Representation of one of the largest Central American conglomerates in connection with Nicaraguan sanctions.
- Representation of European executive in a cross-border FCPA investigation involving countries in Africa and Asia.
- Representation of a former cabinet minister of a Latin American country in connection with extradition proceedings in the United States, proceedings before INTERPOL regarding red notices and asylum proceedings in the United States arising from a high-profile, cross-border corruption investigation involving four jurisdictions.
- Representation of a Guatemalan executive in connection with a high-profile, cross-border criminal investigation involving allegations of corruption against another company executive.
- Representation of one of the largest multi-level marketing companies in the world in connection with government investigations in close to a dozen jurisdiction in connection with the company’s business model and practices and in connection with implementing a global compliance program.
- Representation of the family that owns, among other businesses, the largest waste management company in El Salvador, in a complex, cross-border matter involving a U.S. government investigation seeking sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act; an international arrest warrant (red notice) by INTERPOL as a result of a Salvadorian criminal investigation for supposed corruption; numerous criminal and civil proceedings in El Salvador; a money laundering investigation in Switzerland; and potential investment arbitration claims against El Salvador.
- Representation of a former senior Mexican government official as international counsel in connection with U.S. extradition proceedings, INTERPOL proceedings and human rights proceedings resulting from the issuance of two Mexican arrest warrants.
- Representation of one of the wealthiest families in Latin American in connection with cross-border tax investigations including in the United States, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the Caribbean and works with teams in each of those jurisdictions regarding local tax information requests and other enforcement proceedings.
- Representation of former senior government official in U.S. extradition proceedings arising from numerous arrest warrants against the client, and before INTERPOL in connection with international arrest warrants (red notices) against him.
- Representation of a prominent Mexican businessman in connection with insider trading criminal charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
- Representation of one of the largest natural gas companies in the Philippines in connection with internal protocols and controls, and other compliance advice.
- Representation of the employees of one of the largest cement companies in the world in joint DOJ and SEC investigations for supposed violations of the FCPA in Latin America.
- Representation of a senior former government official in U.S. forfeiture proceedings brought by the foreign government seeking forfeiture of tens of millions of dollars of properties.
- Representation of a group of victims located in Central America in one of the largest Ponzi schemes of the decade, which is currently subject to DOJ and SEC investigations and other U.S. civil litigation.
- Representation of a large Latin American asset management firm and a group of its senior executives in U.S. extradition proceedings arising from an international commercial dispute and an investment arbitration, and before INTERPOL in proceedings to cancel the international arrest warrants (red notices) against them. We prevailed in cancelling the international arrest warrants.
- Representation of the former general manager of one of the largest engineering, procurement and construction companies in Ecuador in connection with a cross-border bribery investigation. Specifically, representation of the client in U.S. extradition and asylum proceedings, and before INTERPOL. This case is part of the largest corruption investigation in Ecuadorian history. We obtained as a preliminary injunction from INTERPOL the suspension of the international arrest warrant (red notice) against our client. This is a rare and unprecedented result.
- Representation of U.S. and Colombian clients in connection with compliance and regulatory advice involving a cross-border cryptocurrency business.
- Representation of the former general manager of the largest energy plant in Central America in a cross-border corruption investigation, including alleged violations of the FCPA, and potential U.S. extradition proceedings. We obtained the cancellation of the client’s INTERPOL international arrest warrant (red notice).
- Part of the team that represented the Board of Directors of a large U.S. publicly-traded Latin American company in overseeing the company’s cooperation with an investigation by the DOJ and the SEC into supposed bribe payments made by company in two countries in Latin America.°
- Representation of one of the wealthiest families in Honduras in connection with a high-profile criminal prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York against several family members and an OFAC investigation targeting family-owned companies alleging that family members and companies laundered funds for some of the largest narcotics traffickers in Latin America. Daniel led a wide-ranging investigation involving dozens of companies and individuals into the allegations raised by the U.S. and Honduran governments and a corporate reorganization to lift the OFAC sanctions against the family’s companies.°
- Part of the team that represented Joseph Sigelman, the co-founder and former co-CEO of a Colombian oil services company, in one of the most closely watched FCPA prosecutions in several years. After less than six trial days, the U.S. government offered Mr. Sigelman a plea agreement for one half of one count (out of six in the indictment) resulting in three years of probation with no jail time and a fine just a fraction of the millions the U.S. government originally sought. Bloomberg called this a “striking victory” for Mr. Sigelman.°
- Representation of a prominent Mexican banker in relation to allegations that he committed a USD 500 million fraud involving the collapse of a large Mexican oil services company. The client was extricated from parallel DOJ and SEC investigations.°
- Representation of one of the most successful investment bankers in Peru in connection with U.S. criminal and civil insider trading investigations, in what remains the largest insider trading case in Peruvian history.°
- Part of the team that represented a senior executive of one of the largest companies in the world in connection with DOJ and SEC FCPA investigations encompassing inquiries into the company’s global operations, including in Mexico.°
- Representation of two high-net-worth individuals in a complex and sensitive trusts and estate dispute involving real estate, artwork and other assets worth tens of millions of dollars.
- Representation of one of the largest insurance companies in the world in a complex, cross-border matter in Texas against a group of U.S. and Mexican individuals who committed a multimillion-dollar fraud against the client and then engaged in a scheme to fraudulently dispose of their properties and render themselves judgment proof. Obtained substantial recovery for the client.
- Representation of one of the largest movie theater companies in Latin America in connection with U.S. restructuring proceedings and U.S. litigations arising from the restructuring of the company’s U.S. subsidiaries. Our representation resulted in significant victories and dismissals, largely reducing the value of the outstanding claims against the company.
- Representation of a large Venezuelan company and its U.S. affiliates in connection with a nine-figure cross-border dispute with a U.S. company involving parallel proceedings in Switzerland, the United States and Curacao. Obtained dismissal of U.S. claims, a result that was profiled by the American Lawyer’s weekly coverage of the most notable victories in the country.
- Representation of Eurofinsa in award enforcement proceedings against the Gabonese Republic. Obtained multimillion-dollar judgment against Gabon.
- Representation of party in a high-profile cross-border divorce involving investigations and proceedings in Latin America, Europe and the United States, and parallel criminal and civil proceedings in multiple jurisdictions. Obtained favorable rulings in the United States and abroad.
- Representation of a consultant for the largest hotel project in the Caribbean in connection with U.S. discovery proceedings related to litigation in several jurisdictions arising from the project. Obtained a rare denial of a § 1782 discovery application in a precedent-setting D.C. District Court ruling.
- Representation of Iberte, a large international company, in cross-border proceedings seeking recovery of a multimillion-dollar debt against Argentinian debtors and their alter egos, including enforcement proceedings in the United States.
- Representation of a prominent international real estate developer in litigation and arbitration involving properties in Fisher Island. Case settled favorably to the client.
- Representation of Colombian and Canadian investors in cannabis-related company in litigation against them in Nevada involving stock purchase agreements. Obtained full dismissal of the claims.
- Representation of the largest Hispanic and privately owned company in the United States in a complex and cross-border federal trade secrets case in Texas involving the Mexican operations and market.
- Representation of the Government of Guatemala against efforts by a Guatemalan contractor to enforce Guatemalan arbitration awards worth approximately $50 million in the United States against the government.
- Representation of one of the most celebrated Mexican soccer players of all time in multiple U.S. proceedings brought by a purported judgment creditor seeking to enforce a judgment against our client under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act.
- Representation of one of the largest banking groups in South Africa in litigation in New York arising from the funding of a large-scale energy project in Latin America.
- Representation of one of the largest banks in Central America and their owners in a U.S. labor and employment action against them under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Obtained judgment in favor of clients and full dismissal of all claims.
- Representation of one of the largest companies in Ecuador in connection with litigation in Florida in a multimillion-dollar breach of contract claim. Settled the case favorably for the client for a small fraction of the amount originally sought by plaintiff.
- Representation of one of the largest sugar companies in Brazil in connection with a claim brought by the company’s international bondholders in New York in connection with almost USD 1 billion in outstanding bonds. The company is successfully emerging from bankruptcy in Brazil in one of the largest restructurings in Brazilian history involving the sugar industry.
- Representation of one of the largest Mexican wholesale companies in an existential “bet the company” case against one of the largest food companies in the world trying to prevent our client from importing and selling products in the United States. This is one of the largest parallel imports or “grey market goods” case in recent history. Defeated summary judgment, making this one of the few “grey market goods” cases to make it to trial. Case settled one week before trial, leading to a dismissal with prejudice of all claims.
- Representation of one of the largest financial services companies in Chile in U.S. asset tracing and financial discovery proceedings.
- Representation of a large European commodities trader in U.S. litigation against Argentinian vendor and related U.S. discovery proceedings.
- Representation of a large Latin American manufacturer of construction materials and its owners in a cross-border commercial dispute in Florida against a small minority shareholder who has for years alleged ownership of a large stake of the company. The matter involves parallel investigations and litigations in the United States, Colombia, Panama, and the Caribbean.
- Representation of a large Brazilian company and its owner in connection with judgment enforcement actions in the United States by Brazilian creditors.
- Representation of one of the most famous and award-winning wine makers in Spain in connection with claims by his family seeking to deprive him of his rights over the trademarks associated with his wines. The case involves parallel proceedings in Spain and the United States. The trademarks at issue and their associated rights are worth tens of millions of dollars. We obtained a full dismissal of all the claims against our client.
- Representation of a client in connection with one of the largest art disputes ever involving Latin America. Our client and his family were involved in a dispute regarding the ownership of a large body of artwork worth tens of millions of dollars. Our client successfully settled the matter, keeping a large portion of the artwork.
- Representation of one of the most successful Latin American placement agents in a dispute against a large Asian private equity fund in connection with the Asian fund’s failure to honor its contractual obligations and to pay the placement agent’s fees.
- Representation of a large Latin American medical device distributor against one of the largest medical device manufacturing companies in the world in connection with the unlawful termination of our client’s exclusive distribution agreement. Case settled favorably for the client, obtaining a significant monetary recovery.
- Representation of one of the largest education-focused private equity investment funds in Latin America in connection with U.S. proceedings to obtain discovery from a U.S. party for use in Mexican arbitrations, litigations and government investigations. The Mexican proceedings arise from a multimillion-dollar dispute over the sale of a higher-education institution in Mexico.
- Representation of a prominent Mexican businessman in litigation and U.S. discovery proceedings against his former partners and a U.S.-based entity in connection with a dispute involving the ownership and control of one of the largest food-processing companies in Mexico.
- Representation of a large, publicly traded Mexican company in international arbitrations involving parties in Bolivia and other Latin American countries and in U.S. enforcement proceedings to enforce a foreign arbitration award.
- Part of the team that represented one of the largest Mexican asset management firms in connection with U.S. criminal and civil actions against its Singaporean and U.S. partners involving a large, cross-border shareholder dispute.°
- Part of the team that represented a Mexican offshore drilling company, and its shareholders, in a multibillion-dollar dispute against the company’s bondholders and a foreign government resulting from the government’s cancellations of the company’s drilling contracts and related reorganization proceedings in Mexico, Norway, Singapore, and the United States for the company to restructure its debt.°
- Representation of one of the largest sugar production companies in Colombia in a U.S. action for fraud against a large U.S. financial institution for its sale to the client of toxic and harmful currency derivatives that caused tens of millions of dollars in damages.°
- Part of the team that represented the prior owners of a leading pharmaceutical company in Latin America, who sold the company to one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies for billions of dollars. The purchaser sued in New York seeking billions of dollars in damages, alleging that the prior owners had defrauded it by failing to disclose products that supposedly violated health care standards. As part of his work, Daniel led an investigation in all of the jurisdictions involved in the transaction, including the United States, Mexico, Israel, and Luxembourg.°
- Representation of the Republic of Panama in connection with a claim by an alleged investor seeking over $100 million in damages for supposed breaches of the Italy-Panama investment treaty. Defeated all claims, which the Arbitral Tribunal dismissed with prejudice, awarding payment of fees and costs. This result was profiled by Law360’s weekly coverage of the most notable victories in the country.
- Representation of Inversiones Continental Panama S.A. against Honduras in connection with claims of approximately $1 billion related to the expropriation of numerous assets and investments in Honduras.
- Representation of the Republic of Guatemala in connection with a claim by an alleged Panamanian investor seeking hundreds of millions in damages for supposed breaches of the Panama-Central America investment treaty.
- Representation of the developer of the largest hotel project in the Caribbean in connection with an investigation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
- Advised a large group of international investors in an expropriation claim worth hundreds of millions of dollars in an international investment arbitration against a large Latin American sovereign.°
- Advised one of the largest insurance companies in the world in connection with potential arbitration claims against another large insurance company arising from the sale of its insurance operations in Latin America.°
- Representation of a large Mexican financial institution in commercial arbitration (ICC) and related litigation in New York against one of the largest global banks arising from the bank’s failed sale of its Mexican businesses. The case also involved parallel civil litigation in Mexico.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Pulecio-Boek prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- Professor, Georgetown University Law Center
- Professor of Law, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia, 2010-2012
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, Lawdragon, “500 Leading Litigators in America,” 2023-2025
- Only lawyer ranked in the Cross-Border Litigation category, 2023
- Listed, Chambers Latin America Guide, Corporate Crime & Investigations, 2023 and 2025
- Up and Coming, 2017-2022
- Listed, Chambers Global, “Up and Coming,” Latin America – International Counsel: Corporate Crimes & Investigations, 2022-2024
- Listed, The Legal 500 Latin America, 2021-2025
- Latin America: International – Compliance and Investigations, 2021-2025
- Next Generation Partner, 2023-2025
- Latin America: International – International Arbitration, 2025
- Latin America: International – Compliance and Investigations, 2021-2025
- Listed, Benchmark Litigation, “40 Under 40 List,” 2021-2024
- Team Member, National Law Journal, “Washington, D.C. Litigation Department of the Year - White Collar Defense & Special Investigations,” 2022
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States
- Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense: Advice to Corporates, 2021
- Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense: Advice to Individuals, 2021
- Listed, Latinvex, “Latin America’s Rising Stars,” 2017-2019
Credentials
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Law Degree, with honors, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia)
- Javeriana Academic Merit Order
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Law Degree, Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
- First in the class
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LL.M., with honors, Harvard Law School
- COLFUTURO Scholarship
- New York
- District of Columbia
- Colombia
- Spanish
- Portuguese, Proficient