Dorian started her legal career as a Law Clerk for the Superior Court of the Connecticut Judicial Branch, where she drafted decisions involving different areas of the law, such as, contract, tort, and constitutional law. She then worked as In-House Counsel for American Transit Insurance Company handling No-Fault Insurance and Fraud Claims in New York Civil Court and before the American Arbitration Association. 

Dorian has legal experience in both the private and public sector, but her career is marked by her commitment to public service. Early in her career, and during the height of the foreclosure crisis, Dorian was a paralegal at the Foreclosure Prevention Unit at the Legal Aid Society. While in law school, she received the 2013 C.H. Revson LSPIN Fellowship and the 2014 Latino Lawyers Association of Queens County Scholarship. During this time, she was the Associate Managing Editor of the N.Y. Real Property Law Journal, the Student Coordinator for the Resolution Assistance Program, and the Street Law Know Your Right Workshop Coordinator for the Latin American Law Student Association.

Dorian is the President of the Dominican Bar Association and Co-Chair of the New York City Bar’s Immigration and Nationality Committee. She has served on the Housing Court Advisory Council and as Development Chair of the National Dominican Day Parade Board.

Among her accolades is the Posse Foundation Leadership Scholarship and the Inavale Award for Outstanding Leadership in Public Service. Dorian is a native New Yorker of Dominican descent.  She graduated St. John’s University School of Law in 2015 and is licensed to practice law in New York, Washington D.C., and Nebraska.

Angeramis Tejeda is a dedicated legal professional with a comprehensive background in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and legal administration. She currently serves as a Manager on the Trade Floor Supervision Team at Scotiabank’s New York office, where she focuses on regulatory risk management. Before her current role at Scotiabank, Angeramis served as a Senior Associate in the Corporate Governance Division at Macquarie Group, where she honed her skills in corporate entity management, corporate transactions, and other general corporate law maters across multiple jurisdictions including Mexico, Brazil, and the Cayman Islands.

Angeramis earned a Juris Doctor from New York Law School and two B.A. degrees in Legal Studies and Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

In her spare time Angeramis enjoys giving back via youth mentorship programs, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

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Patricia García Pantaleón is an attorney licensed to practice law in New York State and in the Dominican Republic. She has worked extensively in all matters related to immigration law in the United States and has successfully represented clients at trial in criminal cases and family courts in New York City. Prior to leading her own legal defense firm, García Pantaleón & Associates, PC, Patricia served as a successful trial lawyer at a leading law firm in Queens, NY, where she represented clients in immigration proceedings and in criminal cases.

A graduate of the University of Buffalo Law School, Ms. García Pantaleón holds a Master of Laws degree, or LLM, in Criminal Law graduating with Honors. Her professional experience includes interning at the New Orleans Public Defenders Office in the state of Louisiana where she focused on studying the impact of domestic violence convictions on immigration status.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Ms. García graduated summa cum laude from the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) where she received a Doctor in Laws or LL.B degree in 2006. While practicing law in her home country, she held various positions at one of the most prominent law firms in the D.R. where she handled complex, high-profile criminal and civil cases, including serving as Special Investigations Managing Attorney in the corporate fraud case at EDEESTE, an electric utilities company. She also worked for the National Victims Rights Services of the Attorney General’s Ministry of the Dominican Republic, where she supervised a team of lawyers, implemented policy, and was legal counsel for victims of domestic violence and other human rights abuses. From 2008 to 2009, Ms. García also worked as a Legislative Counsel for the Dominican Republic’s Senate and for the House of Representatives.

In her professional career in the United States, Ms. García has successfully handled a wide variety of cases representing clients in immigration proceedings before Immigration Court in the states of New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Texas. She is well-experienced with removal defense cases with application for bond, cancellation of removal, asylum, withholding of removal, 237(H)(1)(A), 212(c) and (h) waivers; family-based immigration petitions, cases of misrepresentation, fraud, unlawful entry, special visas and relief for juveniles, as well as with DACA, U-Visa, T-Visa and VAWA petitions.

Veronica Guerrero represents clients in white collar criminal defense and complex litigation before federal and state courts and the U.S. government. She routinely helps clients navigate internal investigations, antitrust matters, and contractual disputes, as well as matters concerning Latin America. A staunch advocate of pro bono work, Veronica leverages her prior experience as an Immigration Attorney at the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia (PDS) to represent clients in criminal and immigration matters.

As an Immigration Attorney at PDS, Veronica advised noncitizen clients and their criminal trial attorneys on the immigration consequences of pending criminal cases, engaged in plea negotiations with the United States Attorney’s Office, litigated post-conviction cases on behalf of noncitizen clients, and engaged in other litigation and advocacy on issues relevant to noncitizen clients. She also frequently appeared in D.C. Superior Court on behalf of her clients in hearings ranging from preliminary hearings to sentencing.

Veronica received her J.D. from Yale Law School where she served as a law student intern in the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic for two years. During her time in the clinic, she argued a motion to reconsider in immigration court, deposed a federal government officer, and lobbied for Clean Slate legislation before the Connecticut State Legislature which was ultimately passed. Veronica also served as the President of the Latinx Law Students Association and the Community Development Chair of the Black Law Students Association. She is fluent in Spanish and conversational in Mandarin Chinese.

Haydee Ortiz, Esq. is a dual-licensed attorney admitted to practice in New York and the Dominican Republic. Holding an LL.M. in U.S. Law from Fordham University and a Master's degree in Administrative Law from the University of Salamanca in Spain. Haydee possesses a strong foundation in both domestic and international legal frameworks.

Before entering private practice, Haydee gained invaluable practical experience in the Dominican Republic. She served as a law intern at the Tribunal Superior Administrativo, where she developed a keen understanding of administrative law principles and the court system. Furthermore, her internship at the Dominican Congress gave her insights into the legislative process and honed her analytical and research skills.

Haydee began her legal career in the Dominican Republic, specializing in employment and labor law. She represented clients in various matters, including cases involving wrongful termination, constructive discharge, and complex contract disputes.

Subsequently, she joined the Superintendencia de Pensiones, a leading government agency in the Dominican Republic, as a Junior Analyst. In this role, Haydee demonstrated her legal drafting and analysis expertise by contributing to developing and reviewing critical regulations and policies.

Following her immigration to the United States, Haydee focused her practice on employment-based immigration law. With a deep understanding of U.S. immigration regulations, she successfully guided numerous clients through complex immigration processes, including H-2B visa applications, PERM labor certifications, and green card applications.

Julissa Collado is an attorney with over 14 years of experience working for the New York State Unified Court System.  She is currently working as an Associate Court Attorney for the Law Department within the Supreme Court – Civil Division in Queens County.  Julissa focuses mainly in researching and analyzing complex legal issues and drafting decisions for Judges in Supreme Court, Surrogate’s Court and Court of Claims.  Prior to her current position, Julissa was an Associate Court Attorney in the Civil Court – Housing Division for 13 years, where she conducted settlement conferences and assisted Judges in trials related to all Residential Landlord-Tenant matters.  Julissa obtained her Juris Doctor in Law from New York Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  In addition to being a member of the Dominican Bar Association, Julissa is also a member of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association, Latino Lawyers of Queens County and the Long Island Hispanic Bar Association.

Genesis Tejeda is Legal Counsel at Couchbase, Inc. Her work at Couchbase focuses on commercial agreements, revenue-generating transactions, privacy, and product matters. Prior to Couchbase, Genesis was an associate at Sidley Austin LLP. Before law school, Genesis worked for three years as a forensic consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Genesis earned her B.S. degree from University at Albany, SUNY in accounting and business administration and her J.D. degree from Berkeley Law School. While in law school, Genesis was heavily involved in Berkeley Law’s Latinx affinity group, including serving as 1L representative, co-president, and alumni relations chair.

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Genesis is of Ecuadorian and Dominican descent and is fluent in Spanish.

Perla Jiménez is a Dominican attorney currently pursuing her law degree at Fordham University School of Law in New York. With legal experience in both the Dominican Republic and the United States, she has developed a strong background in real estate, civil, and immigration law.

She earned her Bachelor of Laws, cum laude, from Universidad del Caribe, followed by a Master of Laws in Real Estate, cum laude, from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic. At Fordham, she holds multiple leadership roles, serving as a Student Representative in the Student Bar Association and a 1L Representative for both the Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) and the Real Estate Law Society.

Her legal experience in New York includes an externship at the Appellate Division, First Department, under the mentorship of the Honorable Manuel Méndez, where she engages in appellate review and legal research. She previously completed a summer internship at the Surrogate’s Court in Manhattan under the mentorship of the Honorable Rita Mella, gaining practical experience in estate law and judicial decision-making. Additionally, she has worked as a Legal Intern at Garcia & Pantaleon, P.C., handling immigration matters.

Before transitioning to the U.S. legal system, she built a distinguished legal career in the Dominican Republic, focusing on real estate, business transactions, and civil law. She served as a Law Clerk at the First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, contributing to high-profile civil and commercial cases. In addition, she managed a private legal practice, advising clients on real estate transactions and corporate matters.

She serves as Co-Chair in our Foreign Attorneys Committee, where she leads initiatives that support mentorship, networking, and career development for foreign-trained attorneys. She is also the Affiliate Secretary of the Immigration & Nationality Law Committee at the New York City Bar Association, where she contributes to legal discussions and policy initiatives.

Beyond her legal career, Perla is committed to social impact and community engagement. She is the Founder of Ministerio UNAPROJIMO, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting underprivileged communities in the Dominican Republic.

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janelle romero

After graduating from the 2-year Honors Program at New York Law School in 2019, Janelle Romero began her career defending employees who were illegally underpaid by their employers. While she thoroughly enjoyed her work and the clients she served (mostly undocumented immigrants), she sought to expand her knowledge within employment law and began working for a firm that specialized in workplace discrimination and sexual harassment claims. Hundreds of represented employees later, Janelle joined a hiring and payroll startup as the Leader of Labor Affairs and oversaw legal matters relating to labor and employment law, business contracts, and Human Resources oversight for over six hundred contractors and employees. In 2022, Janelle founded Gen Esq Law to provide quality affordable legal options to small businesses and employees. Through her TikTok educational videos, Janelle continues to dedicate her time and talents to helping make the workplace a more fair, appropriate, and prosperous environment for all.

Jennifer Henriquez is Counsel at Shenkman Capital Management, Inc., an SEC-registered investment adviser, where she focuses her practice on investment management and general U.S. and international corporate, governance and regulatory matters. She also has experience in formation and structuring of private investment funds. Jennifer received a B.A. from University at Albany, State of New York and a J.D. from New York Law School. During law school, Jennifer interned with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement and served as President of the Latin American Law Students Association. She is admitted to practice in the state of New York, and the United States District Court, Southern District of New York.

As a first-generation college graduate and the first attorney in her family, Jennifer is passionate about mentoring law students and making a meaningful impact in her community. In addition to serving on the Board, she currently serves as Chair of the Dominican Bar Association’s Young Lawyers’ Committee. Jennifer also serves on the Alumni Advisory Board of the National Latina/o Law Student Association, a non-profit organization focused on advancing the personal, professional, and academic success of Latina/o law students. During her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending time with family, cooking, watching documentaries, and volunteer work.

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Nathaniel R. Torres (“Nate”) is a VP, Legal Counsel to Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group ("MUFG"), one of the world's largest financial institutions.  At MUFG, Nate serves as counsel to the Board of Directors and assists with corporate governance and operations of the company.  Prior to working at MUFG, Nate also served as an Assistant General Counsel at Carver Bancorp, Inc., bank holding company for Carver Federal Savings Bank ("Carver"); the largest African- and Caribbean-American managed bank in the United States.  At Carver, Nate worked closely with the Bank's Board of Directors on corporate governance, finance, compliance, and all other general corporate legal matters.  Nate also previously worked for the Department of Justice and was part of a team appointed by the Obama administration to litigate financial fraud cases against major U.S. Financial Institutions that caused the financial crash of 2008. 

Nate earned his Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law in 2014 and Bachelors in finance from Old Dominion University in 2011. 

In his spare time, Nate dedicates himself to the community, serving as a board member and volunteer to several community based organizations.  Nate enjoys music, traveling, and sight-seeing.

Born and raised in the South Bronx, Atenedoro Gonzalez fought for his community as a housing attorney with the Tenants Rights Coalition at Bronx Legal Services. Well versed in all aspects of landlord/tenant litigation in New York, Atenedoro has defended cases on behalf of low-income Bronx residents in Housing Court and affirmatively litigated on their behalf in New York Supreme Court. Atenedoro has also participated in administrative hearings against city and state agencies, including the Human Resources Administration, Department of Buildings, New York City Housing Authority, and the Division of Housing and Community Renewals. Atenedoro has extensive experience as a community organizer, helping build entire tenant associations in preparation for affirmative litigation against bad-actor landlords in the Bronx, with cases including rent overcharges, tenant harassment, and seeking building-wide and individual apartment repairs.

Most recently Atenedoro served as the General Counsel and Policy Director for the New York City Council 15th District, where he continued to serve the Bronx community by supervising a housing rights clinic and working with community leaders to promote policy most beneficial for the disenfranchised of the Bronx. Among several bills passed, Atenedoro was lead on bills promoting fire safety for tenants, increasing standards for self-closing doors, as well as increasing fines and penalties for bad-actor landlords who willfully file false certifications of corrected repairs with the city. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Atenedoro helped his team secure over $500,000 in rental relief through Emergency Rental Assistance Program applications on behalf of District 15's constituents.

Atenedoro now serves as General Counsel to the Children's Arts & Science Workshops Inc. a youth and education based nonprofit that provides services to youth in predominantly underprivileged communities of color. As an organization, CASW provides services through its after-school, summer, and community center programs in Washington Heights and the Bronx. His practice includes general non-profit administration, labor and employment disputes, contracts based advocacy, and political lobbying.

Atenedoro has given several Know Your Rights presentations surrounding housing law at various organizations throughout the Bronx and Washington Heights, volunteering his time at Centro Civico, with the New York State Bar Association, and with Latino Justice PRLDEF. He has also volunteered his time to host housing rights clinics for local elected officials.

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