FranciscoEstupiñán Barrantes
CEO of Fexlaw Latam. Criminal lawyer and compliance specialist in Ecuador. Six consecutive years in Band 1 of Leaders League for Criminal Law and Compliance.
Criminal law and compliance with government experience.
Francisco Estupiñán Barrantes is CEO of Fexlaw Latam, Managing Partner of the Firm and one of the leading criminal lawyers. His practice focuses on corporate criminal law, compliance, money laundering, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy.
Before founding Fexlaw he worked at Ecuador's Attorney General's Office (Fiscalía General), was legal advisor to the Presidency of the Constitutional Court and, for 10 years, legal advisor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at the U.S. Embassy in Quito, in coordination with the FBI, the DEA and the Department of Justice.
From the Attorney General's Office to the U.S. Embassy.
- 01Until 2007
Fiscalía General del Estado
Head of the International Affairs Unit
- He created the International Affairs Unit and was its first Head.
- He was the Office's permanent representative for two years before the OAS and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
- He worked in the Money Laundering and Anti-Corruption Units.
- 022007 – 2009
Constitutional Court of Ecuador
Legal advisor to the Presidency
- He advised the Presidency of the Court on major constitutional and criminal cases.
- He handled more than 1,200 cases of the Second Chamber and cleared its backlog.
- He drafted proposed rulings for the Full Court and the Presidency.
- 032009 – 2019
U.S. Embassy in Quito
Legal advisor · Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
- He led 378 U.S. federal investigations in the Andean region, most of them ending in convictions.
- For more than 10 years he worked with the U.S. Department of Justice, the DEA, the FBI and the Secret Service against transnational organized crime.
- Every year he trained more than 300 prosecutors, police officers, judges and officials in money laundering, intellectual property and child exploitation.
- 042019 – Present
Fexlaw Abogados
CEO Fexlaw Latam · Founding Partner
- He founded Fexlaw and leads the Corporate Criminal Law and Compliance practice.
- He leads a team of more than 70 people across more than 20 areas of law in 3 countries.
Trained with U.S. federal agencies.
Advanced Certification, Special Financial and Money Laundering Investigations Program.
Advanced Certification, Complex Transnational Investigations Program against organized crime.
Advanced Certification in complex transnational investigations (U.S. Homeland Security Investigations).
Specialization in fraud, brand protection and smuggling investigations.
Advanced Certification in cybercrime and deep web investigations.
Education in the Americas and Europe.
- Bachelor of Legal Sciences and Law DegreePontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador
- Specialization in Leadership and Management of Public InstitutionsUniversidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina
- Diploma studies in International RelationsFLACSO
- Special International Course on Federal InvestigationsU.S. Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
- Master's candidate in International Economic Criminal LawUniversidad de Granada, Spain · Instituto de Altos Estudios Universitarios
- Fellow, Course for Senior Officials of the Administration of JusticeEuropean Community, Belgium
He teaches, publishes and contributes to the law.
- Guest professor of criminal law at PUCE, USFQ and UDLA.
- Author of two handbooks on international criminal assistance published by UNODC and Transparency International (2006).
- Coordinator of the Anti-Money Laundering Committee and member of the International Legal Committee of the World Compliance Association.
- Member of the Legal Committee of AMCHAM Quito, the American Bar Association, the International Bar Association and the International Association of Prosecutors.
- Standing guest of the National Assembly on criminal law reforms.
A leader in Corporate Criminal Law and Compliance.
He is the only lawyer recognized by Chambers and Partners in Anti-Piracy who is also listed in Band 1 of Leaders League for Criminal Law and as a leader in Compliance, and who is also recognized for Anti-Piracy by WTR 1000 and IP STARS.
Francisco has been recognized by the world's most demanding legal rankings.
in Band 1
The most awarded Ecuadorian in the history of the U.S. diplomatic mission.
During his 10 years at the Embassy he received more than 20 awards. These are some of them:
- 2010
Meritorious Honor Award
U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador, Heather Hodges
For leading, together with the U.S. Department of Justice, the most complex international money laundering investigation.
- 2010
Regional Employee of the Year
Regional Attaché of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Gabriel García
For his exceptional contribution to advancing the agency's mission.
- 2011
FBI Special Recognition
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III
For his extraordinary work against the financing of international terrorism.
- 2011
Best Local Employee
U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador, Heather Hodges
For his performance as the mission's lawyer and the conduct of highly sensitive and complex criminal investigations.
- 2011
Investigation of the Year
Director of Homeland Security Investigations, John T. Morton
The Department of Homeland Security's best investigation of the year, against one of the largest transnational criminal organizations operating between Ecuador, Mexico and the U.S.
- 2011
Distinguished Service
U.S. Department of Justice, Lanny A. Breuer
For the most complex and exceptional investigation of the U.S. Department of Justice.
- 2012
Meritorious Service
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ronald C. Machen Jr.
For his service and his adherence to the highest law enforcement standards in the pursuit of justice.
- 2013
Honor Award
U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador, Adam Namm
For the most complex organized crime and money laundering case between Ecuador and the U.S., together with the DEA and HSI.
- 2016
Employee of the Quarter
U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador, Todd C. Chapman
For his dedication and technical expertise in the region's most complex smuggling and intellectual property case, between HSI and the Department of Justice.
5 Ironman and more than 80 ultra-endurance races.
An avid reader and triathlete. He has completed 5 Ironman races around the world and more than 80 ultra-endurance events in running, swimming and cycling, and has climbed several mountains, including Cotopaxi. He founded the Fexlaw Triathlon Team.
Anything is possible.
Languages: Spanish · English
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