Miguel is a seasoned business lawyer with 20 plus years of experience counseling and representing Fortune 500 companies in the luxury, consumer/retail goods, health care, biopharmaceutical, and automobile industries, to name a few. Miguel helps clients navigate a range of business issues with an emphasis on contractual disputes, all aspects of the employer/employee relationship, internal investigations, and brand protection matters.
An experienced trial lawyer, Miguel has litigated cases across the country involving breach of contract, unfair competition, tortious interference, and theft of trade secrets, among others, through arbitration and trial. Additionally, as a former in-house counsel, Miguel uses his prior experience as head of U.S. litigation and deputy general counsel for Mercedes-Benz USA to provide clients with practical advice that allows them to effectively run their businesses while managing risk, and when possible, avoid litigation.
Miguel also regularly advises clients on workforce issues, having represented management in labor and employment litigation in both state and federal courts and before administrative agencies. He has handled dozens of internal investigations and is adept at defending cases involving wrongful termination, discrimination, executive compensation matters including severance and related agreements, and reductions in force.
Miguel also understands the importance of a company’s brand to their success and competitive edge. Over the years, he has worked to enhance and protect some of the world’s most iconic brands. His strategic approach has helped clients expand within existing markets or extend their operations into new markets. When necessary, Miguel uses litigation to help his clients protect their critical intellectual property rights from infringement from competitors, counterfeiters, and other bad actors.
His clients have included LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, TAG Heuer, Thomas Pink, Mercedes-Benz USA, and Target Corporation. Miguel is a recognized leader in the profession, having held a number of high-profile leadership roles including as the national president of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), as the president of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey (HBA-NJ), and as the northern vice chair for the Judicial and Prosecutorial Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA). He is also a frequent speaker on a variety of topics including ethical pitfalls for in-house counsel, how to conduct effective internal investigations, and preserving the attorney-client privilege.
His work has garnered numerous awards and accolades including “Professional Lawyer of the Year,” two “Top Lawyer Under Forty” awards, a “Lifetime Achievement” award, and “Top Latino Lawyer” in the U.S. Miguel earned his undergraduate degree from Hofstra University and his law degree from Rutgers School of Law - Newark, where he was the managing editor of the Rutgers Race and the Law Review. He is admitted to practice in D.C., Georgia, Minnesota, and New Jersey.