Languages

• Spanish

Lawyer Overview

Brigida Benitez is a partner in the firm’s Litigation/Controversy Department.

Practice

Ms. Benitez is a litigation partner responsible for trial and motion practice in complex commercial disputes and business controversies, including breach of contract claims, class actions, fraud issues, and constitutional matters. She directs, manages and evaluates teams of litigation attorneys in large-scale corporate conflicts. She represents clients before federal and state trial courts and courts of appeal, including the United States Supreme Court, as well as in domestic and international arbitration proceedings. Ms. Benitez has conducted internal investigations involving a wide range of issues, including allegations of fraud and embezzlement, accounting irregularities, employee misconduct, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. She has led matters for multinational corporations involved in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Ms. Benitez has been featured in media sources such as CNN International, Legal Times, and Washington Lawyer, and was honored by Hispanic Business magazine as “Woman of the Year” and by Washingtonian magazine as one of the “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40” in Washington, DC.

Highlights

• Second-chaired landmark victory for diversity in higher education before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the University of Michigan; represented University in all facets of litigation during six years of pendency of case.
• Lead trial counsel in multi-million dollar international arbitration tried to a successful verdict before a tribunal of the American Arbitration Association. Handled all aspects of trial, including opening statement, direct and cross examinations of witnesses and closing arguments.
• Lead trial counsel for $120 million private equity fund in lawsuit involving claims of fraud, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duties. Successfully argued before North Carolina Supreme Court.
• Trial counsel in highly complex and technical arbitration tried to a successful verdict before a tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva, Switzerland. Handled pre-trial and trial tasks, including direct and cross examinations of witnesses; managed team of attorneys in all aspects of pre-trial and trial preparation.
• Conducted internal investigations of a multinational corporation’s operating companies in South America; led and managed multiple teams of attorneys in three separate countries.
• Conducted significant internal investigation with potential Foreign Corrupt Practices Act implications for a leading multinational institution’s subsidiary in Mexico.

Professional Activities

Ms. Benitez is a past President of the Hispanic Bar Association of DC and currently serves as Co-Chair of its Leadership Council and as a member of its Board of Directors. She was recently selected as an Ambassador for the American Bar Association Business Law Section. She also serves as a member of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit’s Advisory Committee on Procedures, the Women’s Bar Association of DC Board of Directors, and the Boston College Law School Alumni Board, for which she chairs the Committee on Admissions. Ms. Benitez has previously served as Vice-President for External Affairs of the Hispanic National Bar Association and Co-Chair of the Women’s Bar Association Litigation Forum, and as a member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Election Law Advisory Commission and the DC Bar’s Pro Bono Committee. As a nationally recognized litigator, Ms. Benitez is regularly invited to speak before business, legal and educational organizations.

Honors and Awards

• Named one of Washington, DC's "Top 40 Lawyers Under 40" by Washingtonian Magazine
• 75th Anniversary Alumni Award, Boston College Law School
• Latina Lawyer of the Year, Hispanic National Bar Association
• Woman of the Year, Hispanic Business Magazine
• Excellence in the Legal Profession Award, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
• Best Bar Project, Language Access Initiative, DC Bar
• Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering Outstanding Pro Bono Award

Areas of Practice

• Litigation/Controversy
• Business Trial Group
• Education
• Financial Services
• Media and Entertainment
• Telecommunications
• Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation
• International Arbitration
• Investigations and Criminal Litigation

Representative Cases

• Unisys de Colombia

West Practice Categories

Art, Banking & Finance Law, Communications & Media Law, Education Law, Entertainment, Entertainment, Sports & Leisure Law, International Telecommunications, Print Media, Radio, Telecommunications, Television & Film, Wireless Communications

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia

Education

• Boston College Law School, 1993
  JD
  Honors: cum laude
• University of Florida, 1990
  BS
  Honors: with High Honors

Published Works

• Are There Material Benefits to Social Diversity?, 2008

Address

1875 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006

Phones

+1 202 663 6678 (Business Phone)

Faxes

+1 202 663 6363 (Business Fax)

Emails

Contact Us (Business Email)

Websites

www.wilmerhale.com