Miguel Loza Jr.

Miguel Loza, Jr. is Of Counsel in Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles office, where he practices in the Firm’s Litigation Department. Miguel focuses on complex litigation matters, with a particular expertise in transnational issues and cases arising out of Latin America. He also has significant experience handling white collar investigations, as well as high-stakes matters involving Alien Tort Statute, Torture Victim Protection Act, RICO, environmental, chemical exposure and supply chain allegations.

Miguel has played a major role in several noteworthy business and commercial matters involving important transnational litigation issues. He has extensive experience managing issues that arise in foreign and U.S. courts as part of a comprehensive global litigation defense strategy for the client. These issues include, among other things, securing positive results in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously, and also guiding and managing transnational matters to avoid vexatious litigation, inconsistent rulings and waiver of defenses in subsequent jurisdictions. Additionally, Miguel has litigated several cases dealing with the recognition and enforcement of foreign country judgments, with a particular focus on developing legal strategies to prevent the recognition of suspect foreign judgments in U.S. courts.

He is fluent in Spanish and works extensively with foreign attorneys throughout Latin America and Europe, advising clients on the multifaceted issues that characterize cross-border litigation and investigations and formulating comprehensive strategy plans to manage and guide the cross-border matters to a successful resolution for the client. Miguel is adept at selecting and working with foreign legal experts from varied backgrounds to assist clients in addressing difficult transnational issues and to prepare and present expert testimony before U.S. courts and international tribunals. Additionally, he advises clients on media strategies that are key components of a well-developed transnational litigation plan.

Miguel has also gained substantial experience defending clients involved in white collar government investigations and assisting clients in responding to government agency subpoenas. He has represented clients in connection with alleged violations of sales and marketing regulations, health regulations, environmental regulations, Food and Drug Administration regulations and other administrative matters. Miguel has also worked on international and cross-border white collar investigations in Latin America arising out of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act issues, including compliance monitorship work in Argentina and Mexico that involved substantial Spanish-language witness interviews.

Representative matters include:

• Chevron Corp. – Ecuadorian Judgment. Fighting on a global scale to prevent the recognition and enforcement of an $18 billion Ecuadorian judgment against the company and assisting with development and execution of successful defense strategy in various Latin American jurisdictions.
• Hupan v. Alliance One. Representing client in six cross-border chemical exposure suits filed against more than a dozen multi-national defendants by Argentine citizens and involving choice of law and forum issues and securing forum non conveniens dismissal in the principal Delaware suit.
• Tellez v. Dole Food Co. Obtaining dismissal with prejudice of U.S.-filed toxic tort claims alleging that DBCP caused reproductive harm to Nicaraguan plaintiffs.
• Dole Food Co., Inc. v. S.C.L.A. Securing a writ of error coram vobisto reopen an appealed jury verdict in a toxic tort case based on evidence of extrinsic fraud and due process violations.
• Osorio v. Dole Food Co. Blocking recognition and enforcement in federal district court of a $97 million toxic tort judgment awarded by a Nicaraguan court without due process or evidence of causation and securing appellate affirmance of the trial court decision.
• You v. Japan. Defending vehicle manufacturers against alien tort and RICO claims brought on behalf of a purported class of Korean citizens and securing dismissal based on failure to state a claim.
• Wang Hui v. F+A Architects. Defending Qatar-based client in California personal injury action and securing dismissal based on lack of personal jurisdiction.
• Worldwide Directories S.A. de C.V. v. Yahoo! Inc. Defending client against a $2.75 billion civil RICO claim brought by two Mexican companies in federal New York court and securing dismissal based on deficient RICO allegations.
• Leading E-cigarette company. Defending the company in multiple investigations by state Attorneys General regarding sales and marketing practices and alleged violations of environmental and health regulations.
• Siemens AG. Helping Gibson Dunn team conduct the compliance monitorship for the company, pursuant to the then largest-ever FCPA resolution with the SEC and DOJ.
• Norwood v. Bourland. Representing pro bono client and vacating district court judgment that denied important First and Eighth Amendment civil rights claims.

Recent publications:

• United States – Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters 2023 (The Legal 500, September 2023) (contributing author).
• United States – Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters 2022 (The Legal 500, September 2022) (contributing author).
• Enforcement of Foreign Judgments 2020, United States (Getting the Deal Through, September 2019) (contributing author).

• Enforcement of Foreign Judgments 2019, United States (Getting the Deal Through, October 2018) (contributing author).

• Enforcement of Foreign Judgments 2018, United States (Getting the Deal Through, September 2017) (contributing author).
• Enforcement of Foreign Judgments 2017, United States (Getting the Deal Through, September 2016) (contributing author).

• Enforcement of Foreign Judgments 2016, United States (Getting the Deal Through, September 2015) (contributing author).
• Enforcement of Foreign Judgments 2015 in 29 Jurisdictions Worldwide, United States (Getting the Deal Through, September 2015) (contributing author).

Miguel is a proud first-generation college graduate and first-generation professional. He is deeply committed to the Firm’s diversity and mentoring efforts, pro bono work and community service. Miguel is actively involved in the firm’s local and national recruiting and diversity efforts, and serves on the Firm’s LA office Diversity Committee. He also devotes time to the Firm’s mentoring efforts and co-leads the LA office affinity groups for Hispanic/Latinx and First-Generation attorneys. Miguel is actively engaged in the Firm’s pro bono matters, focusing particularly on immigration and social justice matters.

Since 2012, Miguel has been a trustee of the Mexican American Bar Foundation, an organization committed to diversity in the legal profession that awards more than $250,000 in scholarships every year to Latinx students in LA-area law schools. Since 2021, Miguel has also been a member of the Board of Directors for Families Forward Learning Center, a learning facility in Pasadena committed to working with underserved and underprivileged pre-school-aged children and their parents to prepare the children for academic success.

In 2020, Miguel was selected for membership in the Pacific Council on International Policy, which seeks to give the West Coast a stronger and more effective voice in global affairs. Miguel participated in the Los Angeles County Bar Trial Advocacy Program in 2014 and worked at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office as a Pro Bono Deputy City Attorney where he was first chair in two jury trials. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Mexican American Bar Association and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.

Miguel earned his law degree in 2008 from Cornell Law School, where he served as a Managing Editor of the Cornell International Law Journal, and as a student contributor to the Supreme Court Bulletin of the Cornell Legal Information Institute. During law school, he was selected to serve as an Honors Teaching Fellow for the Cornell Lawyering Program and received the law school’s Kasowitz Prize for Excellence in Legal Writing and Oral Advocacy. Miguel served as the Academic Chair for the Latino Law Students Association at Cornell Law School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2005 from Stanford University, with a double major in History and Political Science.

Miguel is a member of the California bar and is admitted to appear before the United States District Courts for the Central and Northern Districts of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and all California state courts.