Venezuela retains Greenberg Traurig for US court case against Crystallex

Venezuela’s government has retained law firm Greenberg Traurig to represent the country in a long-standing legal battle against miner Crystallex that involves over a dozen creditors trying to get compensation for expropriations, the firm previously defending it told a US court of appeals on Thursday.

Lawyers Daniel Pulecio and Dominic Draye are now leading Venezuela’s team in the case, the country’s Attorney General, Arianny Seijo, said this week in a letter to firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, which requested to be withdrawn as counsel by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit .

The change comes after the interim government of Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez was formally recognized by Washington as head of state in March.

“A decision by the (US) President to recognize a party as the sole head of state of a foreign government is conclusive and binding on the courts,” Munger, Tolles & Olson told the court.

Venezuela has been changing its legal representation in courts overseas in recent months, especially for prominent cases in the US involving pending payments or compensations as it tries to structure a debt repayment effort.

(By Marianna Parraga; Editing by Nathan Crooks)