Fred Aarons

About Fred Aarons

Experienced In-House Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and international business consultant with 30+ years advising corporations, financial institutions, and cross-border ventures across the United States and Latin America. I am a Florida Bar Authorized House Counsel, a Florida Supreme Court–Certified Circuit Civil and County Mediator, and a certified mediator with FINRA, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court (S.D. Florida), and the Twentieth Judicial Circuit of Florida.I specialize in complex civil and commercial disputes, financial regulation, corporate governance, and international business transactions. As a trilingual professional (English–Spanish–French), I bring multicultural insight to negotiations, mediations, and conflict resolution involving diverse stakeholders and jurisdictions.My career includes senior leadership roles in financial services, money service businesses (MSBs), regulatory compliance, and corporate strategy. I served as Country Legal Head and Chief Compliance Officer at Citibank N.A, overseeing regulatory relationships, AML/BSA/OFAC compliance, investigations, and governance matters. I also worked at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as Attorney and Investment Officer, gaining extensive experience in international financial operations, investment structuring, project finance, and institutional governance.I currently serve as President of Capital Business Advisors (CBA) and Director of the Center for Banking and Financial Studies (CEBAFI) at Monteávila University. Prior to founding CBA, I was Senior Vice President of Legal & Corporate Affairs at StateTrust Group, and Deputy General Counsel at CAF–Development Bank of Latin America, where I coordinated cross-border lending, securities, derivatives, and complex financial transactions.Recognized by Chambers & Partners and IFLR as a leading lawyer in Latin America, I am also the author of four books and numerous publications on financial regulation, data protection, business development, and commercial arbitration.I remain committed to delivering practical, ethical, and effective solutions—whether through mediation, strategic business guidance, compliance leadership, or conflict-prevention frameworks.

Experience

1. International Consultant & President

   Capital Business Advisors Llc

   Jun 2017 — Present · US

   Capital Business Advisors (CBA), originally established in 2010, is an international consulting firm that provides transactional support and advice to private businesses on regulatory and institutional strengthening of the economies of developing countries, with the aim of promoting their private sector development and promoting business opportunities.

Education

• American University

  Master in Development Banking, concentration in Finance, Economics

  1991 — 1992

• UCAB - Universidad Católica Andrés Bello

  Lawyer, Law

  1983 — 1988

• American University Washington College of Law

  Master of Law in International Legal Studies, Law

  1990 — 1991

• Universidad Central de Venezuela

  Doctorate in Sciences, Law

  2008 — 2016

Skills

• Legal Advice
• Licensing
• Financial Services
• Legal Assistance
• International Law
• Dispute Resolution
• Strategy
• Portfolio Management
• Contract Negotiation
• Intellectual Property
• Private Equity
• Arbitration
• Litigation
• Venture Capital
• Securities
• Strategic Planning
• Cross-Border Transactions
• Contract Negotiations
• Corporate Governance
• Finance
• Restructuring
• Commercial Litigation
• Due Diligence
• Investment Banking
• International Tax
• Emerging Markets
• Sports Law
• Tax Law
• Structured Finance
• Joint Ventures
• Corporate Law
• Project Finance
• Mergers & Acquisitions