Miami, Fla., June 5, 2013 – Alvarez Arrieta & Diaz-Silveira, LLP, a leading South Florida boutique corporate-transaction law firm, continues to expand with the addition of a Private Client practice, which includes estate and wealth preservation planning, led by Partner Blas Cueto. In addition, Erik Christensen has joined the firm as an associate and will provide corporate transaction legal services.

Prior to joining Alvarez Arrieta & Diaz-Silveira, Blas practiced with a prominent boutique estate planning firm located in Miami, where he assisted both domestic and international clients in implementing their estate planning and taxation strategies. Blas advises clients and their families on a host of issues, specializing in estate planning, business succession planning, wealth preservation, estate and trust administration, and the implementation of meaningful charitable giving plans; including the establishment of not-for-profit entities, foundations and charitable trusts.

“Thoughtful estate planning is so much more than the distribution of assets,” said Blas Cueto. “It is the opportunity to define a legacy and establish a path forward for businesses, employees, families and charitable organizations. I believe my area of expertise is a perfect complement to the great work being done at Alvarez Arrieta & Diaz-Silveira, and I look forward to better serving our clients through expanded legal services.”

Blas earned his LL.M. in Estate Planning from the University of Miami School of Law in 2004. In 2003, he received his J.D. from the University of Florida, and was admitted to the Florida Bar the same year. During law school, Blas served as executive managing editor of the Florida Journal of International Law, and was an active member of the Spanish-American Law Students Association and the Law School Ambassadors Program. He graduated from the University of Miami in 2000 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. In addition to the Florida Bar, Blas is a member of the Dade County Bar Association and the Cuban-American Bar Association. He serves as class delegate for the Belen Jesuit Alumni Association and is a part of the Belen Jesuit Alumni Association Lawyers Section. Blas is also the past president of Business Networking International and was honored for his leadership winning the Most Valuable Member Award for the chapter in 2012. He was also recently recognized as a Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star.

“As we grow our practice, we look for top-caliber attorneys who possess the same commitment to personalized and cost-effective counsel,” stated Alejandro Arrieta. “We are thrilled to have Blas and Erik join our team and offer expanded legal services to our clients.” Erik Christensen has a wide range of experience that includes legal work on international and domestic transactions, mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity offerings, securities and bank regulatory filings, private equity and joint venture investments as well as corporate finance and project finance matters.

Prior to joining Alvarez Arrieta & Diaz-Silveira, Erik was an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York, where he supported the Financial Institutions and Corporate Finance practices. Prior to law school, Erik negotiated broadcast media agreements for the National Basketball Association.

Erik is a member of the New York State Bar Association and New York City Bar Association, and has been actively involved in voter protection initiatives in South Florida’s Miami-Dade and Lee Counties. He is also a past director of Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto. Erik graduated from Dartmouth College in 2002, magna cum laude, with a B.A. in Russian Language. He received his J.D. in 2008 from Stanford Law School where he was the co-editor in chief of the Stanford Journal of International Law and a U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies fellow. Erik is fluent in English and Russian, and is admitted to the practice of law in the State of Florida and the State of New York.