Julián Alejandro Ríos

Julián Alejandro Ríos is a litigation associate at Ford O’Brien Landy LLP, where his practice spans complex commercial litigation, white-collar defense, and cross-border regulatory matters.  Admitted to practice in both Texas and New York, Julián has built a sophisticated and wide-ranging practice that belies his years in the profession—handling matters that most attorneys would not encounter until far later in their careers.

At Ford O’Brien Landy, Julián has represented clients on some of the Firm’s most consequential matters.  He is currently engaged on a coordinated series of cross-border § 1782 discovery proceedings spanning the United States, Croatia, Malta, the Netherlands, and the EU, arising from an alleged corporate scheme to strip a foreign investor of a multibillion-dollar stake in a European conglomerate.  He represents a major financial institution in an Anti-Terrorism Act action arising from the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.  He also represents two foreign investment firms in a $20 million fraud action against the promoters of a fictitious satellite-imaging venture.  His practice further includes FARA-related government investigations, asset liability disputes, and high-profile defamation and complex tort litigation.  In particular, he represents several individuals as victims of a catastrophic ammonium nitrate explosion in the Port of Beirut, Lebanon against a Norwegian company that acquired the maritime tortfeasor that chartered the vessel carrying the explosives.

Julián also serves as a document review team lead for a wide variety of litigation matters in state and federal courts where he assists the firm’s clients and teams throughout the litigation process by using modern eDiscovery technologies to conduct advanced document analyses, prepare privilege logs, and deposition preparation material.

Before entering private practice, Julián served as Associate Counsel at the Texas Health & Human Services Commission’s Office of Inspector General, where he reviewed complex healthcare fraud matters and worked across agencies to safeguard Medicaid program integrity statewide.  Earlier, as a Legal Fellow at Ferrari & Associates, P.C. in Washington, D.C., he focused on U.S. economic sanctions compliance for Iranian and Russian programs and assisted with OFAC delisting processes—experience that informs his nuanced understanding of regulatory risk across international matters.

Julián holds a Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law and a Master of Arts in International Relations, which he completed concurrently in three years, graduating with honors.  He is a native Spanish speaker and recently served as Marketing Co-Chair of the Hispanic National Bar Association, Region XII.  He has been recognized as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star from 2024 through 2026, and by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in Commercial Litigation, White-Collar Criminal Defense, and Securities Litigation.