In November 2018, jailed former Veracruz governor Javier Duarte de Ochoa obtained one of the top US law firms, Akerman LLP, for his defense in Miami with the Co-Chair of its Latin America and the Caribbean Practice as one of his attorneys. That attorney, Luis A. Perez, represents companies in commercial disputes in Mexico, the United States, and elsewhere in Latin America, according to the firm.
Ordinary billing rates for the firm’s top lawyers can range up to $725 per hour according to Akerman in an unrelated 2018 court proceeding.
Duarte is a defendant in a Miami civil lawsuit the Veracruz state government filed against him and other defendants to recover “no less than $25,000,000” that Javier Duarte and the other defendants allegedly stole from state coffers and converted to Florida real estate.
Luis Perez and another Akerman lawyer attempted to have Duarte dismissed from the lawsuit beginning November, 2018, resulting in a hearing in front of a Miami judge at the end of January, 2019. In response, the court permitted Veracruz to amend its lawsuit, and as of March 27, 2019 Javier Duarte remains one of the defendants in the lawsuit.
Documents:
- Motion to Dismiss Complaint
- Notice of Appearance
- Notice of Hearing
- Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint
ChedrauiLeaks.org has noticed that the media in Mexico contains very little information about the business dealings and personal assets in the United States of what could be termed Mexican elites, wealthy business people and politicians. ChedrauiLeaks is not stating that members of the Chedraui family or its businesses had any involvement with the alleged Duarte prestanombre network or with any of the events described in the lawsuit. ChedrauiLeaks is not stating that members of the Chedraui family or its business had any involvement with any of the individuals named above.