• International Practice

  Martha has a proven track record of practice in the areas of international law and internal fraud, corruption and compliance investigations for the world largest international organizations: the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

• United Nations/International Prosecutor
  Martha worked under the UN Security Council mandate in the country of Timor-Leste in 2005, as an International Prosecutor and Trainer of the first group of Timorese Judges and Prosecutors following the creation of the independent country of East Timor. Her experience as a UN International Prosecutor included a variety of cases from investigatory phase to trials and appeals.
  
  Martha has a proven track record of practice in the areas of international law and internal fraud, corruption and compliance investigations for the world largest international organizations: the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

• United Nations
  Martha’s responsibilities as an Investigator with the UN (from 2007 to 2012) consisted of leading international internal investigations of serious fraud in contracts with vendors, corruption of national government officials, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation and abuse of children in UN peacekeeping missions. Martha investigated and pursued disciplinary actions against UN officials in several countries in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia. In addition, Martha assisted foreign peacekeeping contingent troops to conduct investigations of military misconduct in the pursue of court-martial proceedings by appropriate national authorities.

• World Bank Group

Martha worked for the World Bank Group (International Bank for Reconstruction and International Development Association) for two years. She worked for the Integrity Vice Presidency and for the Ethics and Business Office. She advised senior managers of the organization on compliance matters and conducted international investigations into fraud and corruption in developing countries, as to billion-dollar public contracts funded by funds the organization. She also worked on whistleblower cases, retaliation and other ethics and corporate compliance misconduct, on behalf of the World Bank Group, on cases in Latin America, Africa, South Asia and in the US.

• International Monetary Fund

Martha worked as a consultant for the International Monetary Fund (the IMF) where she conducted international and internal investigations into allegations of ethical compliance and disciplinary misconduct of staff members such as fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, harassment in the workplace, in various offices of the organization across the world.

• Martha speaks fluent Portuguese and English, with conversational knowledge of French and Spanish.
• She also learned basic Tetun while on mission in Timor-Leste.

• On behalf of a large international organization, successfully investigated fraud and corruption in connection with the reconstruction of the single hospital in a country at war, available to women and girls.
• Investigated money laundering and fraud perpetrated by a senior official of an international organization with ramifications throughout Latin America and the organization’s office in two European countries. The investigation led to the enhancement of corporate governance and compliance systems in the organization and corporate partners, in addition to the recovery of funds and assets of the organization.
• Successfully led a complex investigation in preparation for sanctions proceedings and debarment by an international financial organization, in a high-profile case of fraud and corruption in a billion-dollar project in Latin America (formacao de carteis e fraude em licitacoes). The fraud involved cartels of European and Asian suppliers of trains and Brazilian construction corporations. The cartel controlled government bidding contracts for the expansion of the Brazilian railroad system, for approximately 20 years and millions of dollars in kickbacks paid to Brazilian government officials. Martha assisted and advised the financial organization in connection with the fraud scheme and violations of loan agreements. She also worked collaboratively with Brazilian and European prosecutors in parallel criminal proceedings.
• In Brazil, as a prosecutor, Martha successfully tried a high-profile environmental case in connection with soil contamination by methane gas and other 50 poisonous types of gas. The case, known as “Caso do Condominio Barao de Maua,” involved a condominium complex in a densely populated urban area, with 11 high-rise residential towers, residence of hundreds of families. Martha coordinated technical and medical teams of experts to evaluate the land contamination and how it affected the health of residents. The technical evaluation proved that the construction of the entire condominium of residential towers should not have been authorized by local authorities because the entire property acreage had served as industrial waste landfill for the largest Brazilian car batteries manufacturer.

• The University of Miami School of Law
  • JD and LLM in Transnational Law, Class 2023
  • Recipient of the Francisco V. Garcia-Amador Scholarship for 2020-2021
• Southern Methodist University School of Law, Dallas, Texas
  • Master of Laws in Comparative and International Law, Class 2005
  • L.L.M., Master of Laws, with emphasis on International Criminal Law
• Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Faculdade de Direito, São Paulo, Brazil
  • Bachelor of Laws, 1992 (equivalent to the U.S. Juris Doctorate, J.D. degree)
  • Degree with emphasis on Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure

• United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Pierce (2021)
• Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, Narcotics Intelligence and Coordination Unit, Fort Worth, TX (2001)
• Criminal Court of Appeals (TACRIM), Sao Paulo, Brazil

• Sexual Harassment Investigations, Office of Internal Oversight Services, various offices in multiple countries, United Nations, 2008-2010
• Superior School Ministerio Publico, São Paulo, Brazil, 1996-2001, trained new coming prosecutors on litigation practice and environmental crime prosecution
• The UN Involvement in East Timor, 1999-2006, International Organizations Class, Southern Methodist University (SMU) Law School, Dallas, Texas, US, April 18, 2006
• Superior Prosecuting Attorneys’ College, Santos, Brazil, Guest Lecturer, 1998-1999. Presentations topic of environmental law enforcement and case preparation
• UN Prosecutors in East Timor, International Crimes Seminar, Southern Methodist University, SMU Law School, April 11, 2006
• Brazilian Environmental Crime Prosecution, Environmental Law Graduate Seminar, School of Public and Urban Affairs, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, US, 2000 & 2002
• Evidence Collection and Case Preparation in Environmental Crime Prosecutions, Presentation to the Forest Military Police, Guaruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1997
• Children’s Rights and Legal Measures to Prevent Child Abuse, Presentation to Local Legislators, Cajuru, SP, Brazil, 1994