My Why

What powers my practice

Growing up, I saw many unfair things happen to people because they didn’t understand the rules. That experience shaped my view of the law—not as rigid procedures, but as a living language that can drive change and hold power accountable. That belief bridges my love of language with a commitment to fairness and is what continues to ground me in my practice today. I find fulfillment in the quiet work of transforming complexity into clarity—crafting documents that are both legally sound and strategically effective. I see my career as a platform to support and uplift others, and I volunteer with organizations that promote education and community development. Ultimately, I use the law to empower others by helping them navigate complex systems with confidence and to open doors to greater opportunity.

Overview

Jorge is a trusted advisor to boards, executives, and fiduciaries confronting complex, high-stakes legal and business challenges. He is frequently engaged when issues are novel, sensitive, or consequential—particularly where compensation, benefits, governance, regulatory risk, and enterprise strategy intersect.

At the forefront of emerging fiduciary issues, including ERISA cybersecurity and litigation risk mitigation, Jorge has been entrusted with the design, oversight, and defense of health and welfare programs, executive compensation arrangements, and retirement plans for public, private, and nonprofit organizations. As a boardroom insider, he enjoys the confidence of directors, compensation committees, and C-suite leaders and is valued for his judgment, clarity, and ability to translate complexity into actionable solutions.

Experience

Solutions in action

Jorge helps fiduciaries reduce litigation risk by advising on:

  • Committee formation, governance structures, and fiduciary standards of conduct
  • Best practices informed by multiple waves of ERISA litigation, including excess fee and higher education cases
  • Documentation, decision-making processes, and risk mitigation strategies designed to withstand regulatory and judicial scrutiny

Jorge counseled the largest municipal employer in Illinois on the design and fiduciary aspects of its 457(b) plan, with over $4 billion in assets.

When a then-unknown plaintiff law firm targeted numerous large employers and plans with class actions claiming excessive fees and mismanagement of 401(k) plans, Jorge provided subject matter advice to both a client and their litigation team on this seminal ERISA action, resulting in the parties reaching a mutually agreeable settlement. Ultimately, Jorge’s work contributed to the development of the groundbreaking fee disclosure rules under ERISA. Most recently, Jorge was part of the litigation defense teams on ERISA cybersecurity, smoking cessation, excess fee and TDF litigations that led to landmark shifts in fiduciary liability standards.

Jorge mounted a successful defense of a client’s safe harbor 401(k) plan with approximately $4 billion in assets and more than 30,000 participants during an IRS audit that resulted in no penalties being assessed. He also represented a client before the IRS on complicated leased employee and related nondiscrimination testing issues where there was no existing regulatory guidance, helping to influence the development of new leased employee policies as a result.

Jorge’s counsel in regard to a large health insurer’s spousal health continuation obligations led to a change in systems and procedures on a statewide basis, benefiting thousands of spouses who were entitled to health coverage after their partners terminated employment.

Credentials

  • University of Illinois College of Law, Juris Doctor (J.D.), 1998, magna cum laude
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Ecology, Ethology & Evolution, 1995

  • Illinois
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois

  • Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting and Law, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2024
  • 50 Powerful Hispanics in Corporate, Negocios Now, 2024
  • Notable Leader in Employment & Labor Law, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2023
  • Top 10 Influential Illinois Lawyers Shaping Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Business Today News, 2023
  • Notable Gen X Leaders in Accounting, Consulting and Law, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2021-2022
  • Notable Nonprofit Board Leader, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2022
  • Notable LGBTQ Executives, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2020, 2021
  • Chicago’s Most Notable Minority Lawyers, Crain’s Chicago Business, 2018, 2019, 2020
  • Nation’s Best List, Lawyers of Color, 2019
  • Included in Who’s Who in Hispanic Chicago, Negocios Now, 2018-2020
  • Leading Employee Benefits & Compensation Lawyer, Chambers USA, 2019-present
  • Recognized Practitioner, Employee Benefits & Compensation, Chambers USA, 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Selected to Employee Benefits Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers®, 2018-2022
  • Most Influential Minority Lawyers in Chicago, Crain’s Custom Media, 2017
  • Top Latino Lawyers, Latino Leaders magazine, 2016-2020
  • Law360 Rainmaker, 2016

  • Spanish

Engagement

  • Vice Chair of the Fiduciary Responsibility, Administration, and Litigation Committee, American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law, 2024-2025
  • Host Committee Member, National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair, 2022
  • Fellow, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, 2018
  • Fellow, The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, 2018-Present
  • Board Member, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois Charities, 2018-Present
  • Chair and Co-chair, Michael Best Access & Engagement Committee, 2014-Present
  • Member, Leadership Advisory Council of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, 2017-Present
  • Advisor on Employee Benefits, Program Committee of the Board of Directors, American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education, 2008-2016
  • Financial Director, Zeta Corporation, 1998-2011

Bar Associations

  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Asian American Bar Association
  • Member, Hispanic National Bar Association
  • Member, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois
  • Member, Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago

  • Member, Economic Club of Chicago, 2015-Present
  • Board of Directors, Gads Hill Center, 2015-Present
  • Board of Trustees, Field Museum, 2020-Present
  • Board of Trustees, Northeastern Illinois University, 2023-Present

Insights

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