Our Staff

General Counsel

Carlos B. Castillo

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Mr. Castillo has served as Florida International University’s (FIU) General Counsel since May of 2016. As General Counsel, Mr. Castillo oversees the FIU’s in-house legal team and serves on FIU’s Executive Committee. Prior to joining FIU, Mr. Castillo had more than 25 years of litigation and dispute resolution experience, and his practice areas included general and complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts and in arbitration proceedings. Mr. Castillo also represented clients in responding to federal and state government investigations. He represented clients in a variety of different contexts, including contractual and partnership disputes, and industries, such as banking, real estate, employment, and telecommunications.

Mr. Castillo served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office in Miami, Florida (USAO), where he prosecuted and tried criminal cases. Prior to his tenure at the USAO, Mr. Castillo was with the international law firm of White & Case LLP, where he handled complex litigation matters.

Mr. Castillo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from FIU in 1988. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 1991, graduating magna cum laude.

Mr. Castillo was selected as Florida’s Legal Elite, by Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite, for the years 2012 and 2013. He also received an FIU Torch Award for Service in 2000, after working to promote the FIU College of Law. Prior to becoming General Counsel, Mr. Castillo volunteered as a Director on the FIU Foundation Board of Directors.

Attorneys

Val Aubourg

Deputy General Counsel for Health Affairs & Chief Legal Officer
Val.Aubourg@fiu.edu
305-348-4854

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Val Aubourg joined FIU’s Office of the General Counsel in 2016. Val’s areas of practice include advising FIU’s Academic Health Center Colleges, which include the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, and the College of Arts, Sciences and Education. Val also provides support, as needed, to the Division of Research, IT Security, and Compliance.

Prior to joining FIU, Val worked at Jackson Health Systems and the North Broward Hospital District where he provided compliance and legal services, respectively. Val also worked at the General Counsel’s Office with the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County, Florida where he supported the Complex Business Litigation Division, General Jurisdiction Division, and the Appellate Division of the Circuit Court serving in its appellate capacity to County Court cases and administrative or quasi-judicial hearings. Prior to his career in law, Val was an Associate Actuary with a local rating bureau where he worked on a collaborative basis with other project team members calculating Workers Compensation rate filings for the states of Florida, Iowa and Georgia. Val also provided actuarial services with several local insurance carriers on competitive pricing models for various commercial insurance products.

Val received his J.D. from the University of Miami and his B.S. in Statistics from Florida International University. Val is a member of the Florida Bar.

Diana Firvida-Oliva

Senior University Counsel
Research and Research Compliance, Intellectual Property
Diana.Oliva@fiu.edu

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Diana Firvida-Oliva joined FIU’s Division of Research in January, 2000. Diana’s areas of practice include research, research compliance and intellectual property matters. Diana provides legal support to the Division of Research and its various offices including the Office of the Vice President for Research, Pre-Award, Post-Award, the Office of Research Integrity and Technology Management and Commercialization, on all aspects of research and intellectual property commercialization, including contracting, conflicts of interest, research misconduct, human and animal subjects research, research recharge centers and the development of policies and procedures.

Prior to joining FIU, Diana was in private practice in various law firms in Miami, concentrating in the area of complex commercial litigation.

Diana received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, in 1988 from the University of Miami School of Law where she was inducted into the Order of the Coif and was a member of the University of Miami Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1984 from the University of Miami.

Diana is a member of the Florida Bar and of the National Association of College and University Attorneys.

Liz Marston

Senior University Counsel
Elizabeth.Marston@fiu.edu
305-348-7355

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Liz Marston joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2008. Liz’s areas of practice include all aspects of human resource for non-academic matters (e.g., counseling on employee matters including discrimination avoidance, compliance with various employment laws). She also represents the Office of Education Abroad and the Children’s Creative Learning Center. She serves on the Behavioral Intervention Team and the Study Abroad Travel Warning Committee.

Prior to joining FIU, Liz worked for ADP TotalSource, Inc., a local company that outsources human resources to small to medium sized companies. Drawing on her in-depth background in employment law, she served in various capacities during her twelve-year tenure at ADP TotalSource including leading the human resources and training functions and serving as the General Counsel before the company was acquired by ADP and then as the Division Counsel afterward. Prior to working for ADP TotalSource, Liz was a partner in the Labor Department of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson focusing on employment and immigration law. Liz also served as a judicial law clerk for the Third District Court of Appeal.

Liz received her J.D. from Nova University in 1985 (cum laude) and a B.A. in English Literature from Guam University in 1976. She received a Masters in Liberal Arts from the University of Miami in 2007. She also holds an Associate of Arts degree from the University of West Florida in Paralegal Studies.

Liz is a member of the Florida Bar.

Wendy Vargas

Senior University Counsel
wvargasm@fiu.edu
305-348-0586

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Wendy Vargas joined the Office of General Counsel in 2017. Wendy provides primary legal support for all real estate and construction matters for FIU, which includes assisting FIU in structuring, negotiating and closing high priority real estate and construction transactions, drafting and negotiating agreements and leases, and collaborating in the development of policies in areas of expertise. Wendy also advises FIU officials in policy-making functions, interprets policy for FIU officials up to and including the presidential level, and handles real estate and construction disputes and oversees outside counsel in related litigation when applicable.

Prior to joining FIU, Wendy practiced real estate law at the national law firm Akerman LLP where she handled a wide array of matters including complex financing transactions, disposition of distressed assets, acquisitions, structuring of mixed-use property transactions, drafting and negotiation of commercial leases and property management agreements, and sale/leaseback transactions and related financings for local, national and Latin American clients. Prior to working at Akerman, Wendy engaged in a broad-based corporate practice at the national firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed, and prior to her law career, Wendy served as Assistant Consumer Marketing Manager for People en Español magazine.

Wendy received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002 and a Bachelor of Science in Economics (Finance, Marketing and Multinational Management) from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1998 (cum laude). Wendy is a member of the Florida Bar, and is fully fluent in Spanish.

Ryan Kelley

Associate General Counsel
rkelley@fiu.edu
305-348-2103

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Vilma Mesa

Associate General Counsel
Vilma.Mesa@fiu.edu
305-348-4248

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Vilma Mesa joined FIU’s Office of the General Counsel in 2016, at first as a Law Fellow, and in August of 2017 – as an Assistant General Counsel. Vilma’s areas of responsibility include: procurement contracts, Business Services, Parking and Transportation, South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Vilma also provides legal support in the development of university regulations, policies, and procedures related to her practice areas, and oversees associated public records requests.

Vilma’s prior legal experience includes her work as a transactional lawyer at the civil notary office in Lithuania, where she worked on a wide range of legal matters, including: drafting residential and commercial property deeds and other contracts, preparing pledge or mortgage bonds, preparing and reviewing documents for incorporation of legal persons, and handling probate and estate planning matters.

Vilma received her J.D. from the Florida International University College of Law, her L.L.M in International and European Business Law from Leiden University, the Netherlands, and her Professional Qualification Master’s Degree in Law (one-stage legal university education) from Vilnius University, Lithuania. Vilma is a member of the Florida Bar.

Staff

Eli Deville

Departmental Administrator
Elianet.Deville@fiu.edu
305-348-4876

Lizvette Torres

Paralegal III
Lizvette.Torres@fiu.edu
305-348-0382

Charmaine Cavé

Paralegal III
Charmaine.Cave@fiu.edu
305-348-0384

Ronny Gadea

Office Manager
Ronny.Gadea1@fiu.edu
305-348-2515