Victoria Ortega

Biography

Victoria Ortega has nearly 10 years of experience advising, counseling, and defending business clients in high-stakes disputes in and out of the courtroom across the country. Her complex corporate litigation practice focuses on issues presented for clients with consumer-facing businesses, such as retail, media, hospitality, and the restaurant business, pharmaceutical sales, medical equipment, and specifically involves those of employment, trade secrets, non-competition agreements, breaches of M&A-related reps and warranties, consumer fraud, advertising, labeling, pricing, and other related issues.

Victoria practices sanctions law as well, and she has successfully represented and advised international clients in navigating complex primary and secondary sanctions issues, to include the preparation and submission of delisting petitions to the U.S. government.

Victoria also has notable white-collar experience, conducting investigations as well as pre- and post-integration due diligence on behalf of multinational companies, oftentimes advising clients on potential exposure under bid-rigging, anti-money laundering, bribery, export controls, and other anti-corruption laws.

Victoria has a reputable track record for successfully defeating threatened and actual claims at every stage of litigation. She has succeeded in bringing early dispositive issues before the courts and saving costs associated with discovery, and is skilled in early and efficient dispute resolution, including mediation.

Victoria is experienced in traditional healthcare regulatory compliance, including fraud and abuse analysis, licensure, and reimbursement advice. She works alongside Blank Rome’s government relations professionals and other attorneys to assist clients in developing strategies to address both regulatory compliance requirements as well as public policy issues.

Victoria serves as a trusted adviser, outside counsel, and business partner to many clients who operate consumer-facing businesses. With regard to both mitigation of risk and litigation of claims, Victoria’s clients appreciate her genuine interest in the nuances of their businesses and common-sense approach to the most complex business issues.

Victoria devotes her pro bono practice to asylum applicants and has won asylum for five clients from Central America.

Victoria serves on Ayuda’s Board of Directors.

Outside the Firm

Victoria has been a voracious reader of fiction since childhood, and her love for stories made her into an attorney who listens with great interest and little judgment. She loves to travel with her husband, Robert—in the last year, they have visited the Republic of Georgia, Indonesia, and Oman—and is an ardent appreciator of all things epicurean. She is a strong power napper and home cook, particularly of dishes learned from her Middle-Eastern mom.

News & Views

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Recognitions

2017–2022, listed in Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll

Affiliations

Professional Activities

Victoria has experience with asylum and refugee pro bono matters. She also serves as a tutor in Blank Rome’s Thurgood Marshall Tutoring Program. In 2018, Victoria received the Human Rights First “Pro Bono Star Award” for demonstrating extraordinary commitment to the cases for asylum or related forms of immigration protection that she took on a pro bono basis through Human Rights First’s program.

Her other affiliations include:

  • Board Member of Ayuda in Washington, D.C.
  • Former Director of the HBA-DC Board
  • Former Board Member of Latin-American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter School
  • LCLD Pathfinder 2018

Credentials

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland
  • U.S. District Court - Maryland
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • United States Court of International Trade
  • Virginia

Education

  • University of Illinois, BA
  • University of Maryland School of Law, JD, cum laude
  • University of Maryland, MA
Languages
  • Spanish