Venezuela has brought in Greenberg Traurig to spearhead its defense in a long-running U.S. court battle involving Canadian miner Crystallex and a group of creditors seeking compensation for past expropriations, according to court filings.
The change in legal representation was disclosed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit after Munger, Tolles & Olson, which had previously represented Venezuela, moved to withdraw from the case. Attorneys Daniel Pulecio and Dominic Draye have now assumed leadership of Venezuela’s legal team, Attorney General Arianny Seijo indicated in correspondence related to the proceedings. ([Reuters][1])
The reshuffle follows a significant diplomatic development earlier this year when Washington formally recognized the administration of Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez as the country’s legitimate authority for purposes of U.S. legal proceedings. That recognition has carried weight in ongoing litigation, as American courts generally defer to the executive branch’s determination of who represents a foreign state. ([Reuters][1])
In its filing, Munger, Tolles & Olson argued that the U.S. government’s recognition decision is binding on the judiciary, reinforcing the authority of the Rodríguez administration to direct Venezuela’s legal affairs in American courts. ([Reuters][1])
The Crystallex dispute sits at the center of a broader web of claims by creditors pursuing Venezuelan assets and compensation awards tied to nationalizations and unpaid judgments. The case is one of several major U.S. legal battles linked to Venezuela’s efforts to manage longstanding debt obligations and navigate competing claims from investors and companies. ([Reuters][1])
Recent months have seen Caracas overhaul legal representation across a number of overseas proceedings, particularly in the United States, as it works to coordinate its strategy in cases involving debt recovery, compensation demands, and state-owned assets. ([Reuters][1])
[1]: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/venezuela-retains-greenberg-traurig-us-court-case-against-crystallex-2026-06-11/?utm_source=chatgpt.com “Venezuela retains Greenberg Traurig for US court case against Crystallex”
