Bold & Brief is an elite New York boutique law firm specializing in white-collar criminal defense, U.S. economic sanctions, whistleblower law, and Latin America practice.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
White‑Collar & Criminal Defense
U.S. Economic & Trade Sanctions
Whistleblower Law
Latin America Practice
About Us
We deliver strategic, innovative, and personalized representation for individuals and businesses pursuing justice across U.S. and Latin American jurisdictions. Our approach combines sophistication with efficiency—no bureaucracy, just results.
B&B is led by attorneys licensed in both the U.S. and Mexico, bringing deep bicultural and bilingual expertise. Strategically headquartered in New York with an extensive network, we serve clients throughout the United States and Latin America.
WHAT DRIVES US
Playing Fair
We play ethically and fairly—rules matter, always.
Clients First
We win cases for our clients, not for us. Outcomes drive decisions.
INNOVATION
Brave and creative legal thinking to unlock bold solutions.
Problem Solvers
We simplify complexity and remove obstacles.
Straight to Results
Lean execution with respect for time and resources.
Our team
Estefania Medina-Ruvalcaba
Estefania is an attorney admitted to practice law in New York and Mexico, with extensive experience in anti-corruption, complex litigation, and cross-border investigations. As a former attorney at a Washington, D.C. whistleblower firm, she handled complex cross-border whistleblower cases involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Bank Secrecy Act, Commodity Exchange Act, fraud, and anti-money laundering allegations. As a Mexican anti-corruption litigator and co-founder of NGO TOJIL, she secured the first judgment recognizing an NGO as a victim of corruption in criminal prosecution.
Gabriela Medina-Ruvalcaba
Gabriela is a highly respected Mexican lawyer with over 20 years of experience spanning the Supreme Court, executive branch, and private practice. She specializes in constitutional law, anti-money laundering, administrative law, and business litigation. Her constitutional law expertise covers a broad range of disputes including anti-corruption cases against public officials, foreign trade dumping, tax matters, energy issues (including sustainable energy and oil platform irregularities), trade secrets, contracts, licensing, tenders, and complex claims arising from air accidents and medical supervision matters.
Bold Insights
2026 FIFA World Cup: Money Laundering Risks and Sanctions
The 2026 World Cup—co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada—is projected to generate an economic impact for Mexico of approximately $3 billion [1]. This unprecedented event, spanning various stadiums across these three North American nations, will have a significant impact on national economies and, naturally, on transnational trade.
2025 Reforms to Mexico’s Anti-Money Laundering Law: New Challenges for Vulnerable Sectors
In July 2025, Mexico enacted substantial reforms to the Federal Law for the Prevention and Identification of Operations with Resources from Illicit Sources (LFPIORPI)—AML Law, radically transforming the compliance landscape for businesses conducting vulnerable activities. These reforms expanded existing obligations for all regulated sectors and introduced high-impact specific changes
2025 U.S. Enforcement Trends and Their Impact on Latin America
In late 2025, U.S. enforcement has dramatically shifted, creating a new risk landscape for companies in Latin America, especially Mexico. U.S. authorities are converging counterterrorism, anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering regulations.
Estefania Medina-Ruvalcaba
Partner
Estefania is an attorney admitted to practice law in New York and Mexico, with extensive experience in anti-corruption, complex litigation, and cross-border investigations. As a former attorney at a Washington, D.C. whistleblower firm, she handled complex cross-border whistleblower cases involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Bank Secrecy Act, Commodity Exchange Act, fraud, and anti-money laundering allegations.
As a Mexican anti-corruption litigator and co-founder of NGO TOJIL, she secured the first judgment recognizing an NGO as a victim of corruption in criminal prosecution—enabling the organization to actively participate as a party in criminal proceedings. This groundbreaking case reached the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and opened the door to innovative anti-corruption criminal litigation across Latin America
She also served in several senior positions at Mexico's Attorney General's Office, including Federal Prosecutor and Head of the Immediate Attention Unit of Internal Affairs. She has also served as advisor to the Office of the Executive Secretary of Mexico's National Security System and as a consultant for both the U.S. Embassy and the U.K. Embassy in Mexico.
She currently serves as Vice President of the Anti-corruption Commission at the International Chamber of Commerce Mexico chapter. She was a member of the Reforma Newspaper council and served as a weekly speaker on Bloomberg Financial TV. In 2024, she was honored as a Woman of Excellence by the Women Economic Forum in New York.
Credentials
Education
- Master’s in law, George Washington University, U.S.
- Master’s in Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Oxford, U.K.
- Specialization in Criminal Procedure, Escuela Libre de Derecho (Mexico)
- Law Degree, Iberoamericana University, (Mexico).
Admissions
- New York
- Mexico
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Gabriela Medina-Ruvalcaba
Counsel
Gabriela is a highly respected Mexican lawyer with over 20 years of experience spanning the Supreme Court, executive branch, and private practice. She specializes in constitutional law, anti-money laundering, administrative law, and business litigation.
In private practice, she has secured trial victories in anti-money laundering disputes and deployed constitutional tools for effective resolutions, while also providing compliance consulting. Her constitutional law expertise covers a broad range of disputes including anti-corruption cases against public officials, foreign trade dumping, tax matters, energy issues (including sustainable energy and oil platform irregularities), trade secrets, contracts, licensing, tenders, and complex claims arising from air accidents and medical supervision matters.
Her extensive judicial experience includes clerking at the Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico, the Administrative Collegiate Appellate Federal Court in the First Circuit, and the Administrative District Court in Mexico City. In the public sector, she worked with the Tax Administration Service (SAT), focusing on tax strategy and anti-money laundering compliance.
Gabriela holds an Anti-Corruption Diploma from the International Chamber of Commerce Mexico and Universidad Panamericana. She has completed specialized programs in constitutional law (amparo proceedings), administrative law, tax law, intellectual property, and human rights at leading institutions including Università Degli Studi di Perugia in Italy and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
She regularly serves as a panelist and speaker, has been an adjunct professor at Escuela Libre de Derecho, and has taught courses, seminars, and workshops at the Supreme Court of Justice, Legal Culture Centers, and the former Federal Judiciary Institute.
Credentials
Education
- Master's degree in Constitutional Procedural Law, Universidad Panamericana, (Mexico)
- Specialization in Tax Law, Escuela Libre de Derecho (Mexico)
- Law Degree, Iberoamericana University, (Mexico)
Admissions
- Mexico
Languages
- English
- Spanish