Esperanza Segarra

t. 212.752.8442 e. esperanza@vsllplaw.com

Esperanza Segarra is a founding partner at Vasquez Segarra LLP. She focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, bankruptcy & creditors’ rights, civil litigation, civil rights litigation, trade secrets litigation, directors & officers liability, and cannabis law. Esperanza is also an adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School teaching Trade Secrets, an independent filmmaker, and veteran of the United States Air Force.

Experience

Prior to forming VSLLP, Esperanza was Senior Counsel with the national civil rights organization, Advancement Project, focusing on multi-state impact litigation and advocacy to protect voting rights. Prior to AP, she was Of Counsel with Darrow Everett LLP and part of DE’s bankruptcy, receiverships and complex commercial litigation groups. She was lead counsel on several complex litigation matters, including a class action under the ADA and several actions involving misappropriation of trade secrets, deceptive practices and defamation claims, and an appellate matter before the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Prior to DE, Esperanza was Senior Counsel with the foremost Latino civil rights organization in the country, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, where she was part of the litigation team in several class actions in federal courts in New York and Florida focusing on voting rights, immigrants’ rights, and criminal justice reform. She also co-authored several amicus briefs, including an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States challenging the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Prior to her civil rights work with LJP, Esperanza was a Partner with Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP, and focused her practice in complex commercial and civil litigation in the areas of banking litigation, labor and employment, mortgage brokerage litigation, securities litigation, director and officer liability, bankruptcy, receiverships and liquidations of insurance companies, residential and commercial landlord-tenant litigation, real property litigation, contract disputes, commercial matters and corporate transactions, and has an appellate practice.

Previous to Hinshaw, she was for four years a Partner at Lydecker, Lee, Berga & de Zayas, LLC, in Miami, Florida. where she was one of the leading attorneys involved the largest insolvency of Florida’s history and one of the largest insolvencies in U.S. history—the multifaceted receiverships of three insurance companies involving complex legal issues in state court, district court tax proceedings, federal bankruptcy court, Chapter 11 reorganizations and adversaries, and in the district court of several bankruptcy appeals.

Esperanza began her legal career in 2001 as an Associate Attorney at Weissman, Dervishi, Borgo & Nordlund, P.A., in Miami. In 2003 she moved to Murray, Marin & Herman, P.A., in Coral Gables, and then to Zorrilla & Associates, P.L., until 2016.

Service Areas

Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights

Cannabis Law

Complex Commercial Litigation

Civil Litigation

Civil Rights Litigation

Directors & Officers Liability Insurance Receiverships

Labor & Employment

Trade Secrets Litigation

Education

J.D., University of Illinois, College of Law, 2001 Lincoln Scholar

B.A., with high distinction, George Mason University, Government and Politics, 1997

Admissions

District of Columbia

Florida

New York

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Southern District of Florida

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida

U.S. Court of Federal Claims

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Languages

Spanish