Alejandro Diaz-Ferguson, Esq. Email & Phone Number

United States

Washington Dc-Baltimore Area

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Lead the litigation strategy on behalf of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) in cases involving appeals from decisions of the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA), in a wide array of areas involving veterans, including but not limited to: disability compensation, nonservice connected pension, death pension, dependency and indemnity compensation, Government insurance, vocational rehabilitation and education benefits, loan guaranty benefits reimbursement for medical expenses, domestic-relations issues, burial benefits and waiver or collection of benefit overpayments • Lead litigation strategy and writing, occasionally, in cases involving petitions for relief under the All Writs Act; such appeals and petitions can extend to all subject matter areas over which the BVA has jurisdiction• Prepare legal memoranda which contain a detailed, sound analysis of the facts, issues, and law applicable to the case for review by Deputy Chief Counsels and the Chief Counsel of the Veterans Claims division of the Office of General Counsel • Draft legal briefs, motions for remand, settlement agreements and other substantive pleadings on behalf of the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs as lead counsel before the CAVC • Participate in pre-briefing conferences with court staff and opposing counsel to discuss issues of fact and law in a case and present the Secretary’s position to defend a Board decision or negotiate the terms of a settlement with an appellant • Manage and maintain a docket averaging 60 active appeals at any given point and with little administrative support• Coordinate with various stakeholders and provide legal interpretation and guidance for the Department• Assist colleagues in preparation for oral arguments including participating in moot court panels ahead of oral arguments before the CAVC

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Reviewed veterans’ case files including legal, medical, military and lay records, averaging 300 documents per file• Adjudicated appealed claims including disability benefits, medical reimbursements, effective dates, and character of discharge from military service under Title 38 of the U.S. Code • Researched applicable case law and statutes on appealed issues such as service connection, increased ratings, effective dates, character of discharge from the military, special monthly compensation based on housebound status of a veteran, and total disability ratings based on individual unemployability of a veteran • Drafted an average of 125 adjudicatory legal decisions and remands annually for multiple Veterans Law Judges requiring adaptability in writing style and sound legal reasoning for any findings of fact or law

Analyze approximately 2,500 legal documents annually for regulatory compliance. Process child support arrears levies for federal employees. Chair an employee-run committee on business development, stakeholder analysis, and internal analysis of the contract. Draft memoranda on specific powers of attorney issues for the Office of General Counsel.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Initiated major research project on undocumented unaccompanied minors with a special emphasis on Guatemalan children • Researched complex issues in health and immigration law for kidney transplants to undocumented persons • Drafted and translated official diplomatic documents regarding extradition of Guatemalan criminals • Managed various cases of prisoner transfers to Guatemala • Assisted Counsel for the embassy in advising Guatemalan citizens on immigration, adoption and family law issues in various jurisdictions• Researched and analyzed issues regarding environmental and labor disputes under the CAFTA-DR agreement• Analyzed U.S. legislation on trade such as tariff levels, shoe importation and regulation of chocolate

2220 Rst Nw

Initiated major research project on undocumented unaccompanied minors with a special emphasis on Guatemalan children. Researched complex issues in health and immigration law for kidney transplants to undocumented persons. Drafted and translated official diplomatic documents regarding extradition of Guatemalan criminals. Managed various cases of prisoner transfers to Guatemala. Assisted Counsel for the embassy in advising Guatemalan citizens on immigration, adoption and family law issues.

Researched international and regional conventions on the rights of the child. Edited English and Spanish versions of the Academy’s website. Drafted documents in Spanish and English such as correspondence, competition rules for an annual moot court competition, and marketing materials. Translated cooperation agreement and its annexes from Spanish to English. Manage logistics for bailiffs for annual human rights moot court competition. Evaluated and grade briefs submitted for annual human rights moot court competition.

Researched Cambodia’s existing copyright laws and developed initiatives to enhance enforcement measures. Prepared an amicus curiae brief on patent law issues for a pending case in the Federal Circuit. Organized an international conference in Mexico City for intellectual property leaders and government officials in Latin America on the protection of indigenous cultural expressions.

Performed extensive research on current and potential donors for the director of university developmentManaged office budget of $5,000 for monthly transactions and requisitionsCreated and maintained approximately 1000 files on individuals and corporations for the office of prospect management Managed and tracked several hundred gift-agreements for development officers and general university use

J.D., Business Law, Intellectual Property, International Arbitration

Activities and Societies: Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, American University Law Revue, Society for Dispute Resolution Competition Team.

Bba, International Business

Activities and Societies: Honors College, Student Ambassadors