ABOUT US

The Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association (MHBA) was founded in 1991 to organize Hispanic attorneys, judges, law students and other concerned members of the Hispanic community into a force for professional and community benefit. The MHBA mission is to unify and organize all members of the Hispanic legal community, to promote legal professionals, and to serve as an advocate for the Hispanic community in Minnesota. The MHBA strives to promote professional growth and opportunity for Latino law students and attorneys, to provide community service and to ensure access to justice for all.

In 1993, the MHBA began a scholarship fund with contributions from members and a matching gift from Mr. Cliff Whitehall, former President of the General Mills Foundation. In 1998, the MHBA established an endowment fund in partnership with El Fondo de Nuestra Comunidad and under the administration of The St. Paul Foundation. The MHBA Endowment Fund serves as a source of funding for law student interns working at non-profit organizations serving the Latino/a community. Each year MHBA hosts a fundraising gala event to continue to grow the fund to benefit the Latino/a community.

In 2004, the MHBA began its Law Student Mentorship Program to mentor the next generation of attorneys in Minnesota. Every year the program kicks off with a reception, where law students are matched with attorneys to provide guidance and an introduction into the legal community in Minnesota.

 

 

 

Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association Diversity and Inclusion Statement

The Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association is committed to building a more just and equitable legal environment in Minnesota. We recognize the history of oppression that has resulted in ongoing disparities for some communities, as well as the limitations of a nonprofit framework to address them. Yet, we have a powerful network of organizations and change agents with an opportunity to create positive systemic change. We believe that nonprofits that engage diverse perspectives and evolve to be inclusive and behave equitably, can and do have profound impacts on society. We are therefore committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture where all individuals feel valued and respected regardless of their race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, education, marital status, veteran status,  disability, or other protected characteristic. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for involvement and advancement in all of our committees, programs, and initiatives. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard.

Strategic Plan

In addition, the MHBA has awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards to Manuel Guerrero and Judge Salvador Rosas for their lifetime of commitment to the Minnesota Hispanic legal community.

Today, the MHBA has approximately 400 members representing all sectors of the legal community. MHBA’s members are leaders in the state judiciary, local and state government, private law firms, multinational corporations, public interest organizations and more. In addition, some of MHBA’s members are active on the Board of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) based in Washington, DC, which serves as the national voice of the Hispanic legal community, representing the interests of more than 100,000 Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistants, and law students in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories. The MHBA is also affiliated with the HNBA, and has voting representation on the HNBA Board of Directors.

Some of MHBA’s most recent accomplishments include co-hosting the Latino Legal Experience Event that brought Justice Sonia Sotomayor to Minnesota and recently landing the bid to host the 2020 Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Convention in Minneapolis.

2022-2023 Board of Directors

Board meetings are typically held on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30pm, with some exceptions. Board meetings are open to all members, please confirm the date and location with the Secretary if you plan to attend. Any items members would like to the board to consider for discussion or vote must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of the board meeting.

Roxy Gonzalez

Roxy Gonzalez – President

Roxy Gonzalez is an associate in Dorsey’s Trial group where she represents clients involved in complex business litigation and bankruptcy matters.

Before joining Dorsey, Roxy was a law clerk to the Honorable Justice David L. Lillehaug on the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Roxy has dedicated a portion of her practice to pro bono work.

 
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Braynell Estrada Britton – President - Elect

Braynell is an Associate General Counsel for Best Buy since August 2021, before joining Best Buy he was part of the Corporate Procurement Group at U.S. Bank as a Contract Consultant. Braynell provides legal advice in different matters that impact Best Buy’s internal business, draft and negotiate contracts with vendors from various industries for the support of Best Buy´s internal business. He is a licensed attorney in Nicaragua, his home country, and in Minnesota. Braynell likes to play soccer, reading books, cooking and volunteer.

Best Buy

Braynell.estradabritton@bestbuy.com

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Kelvin Collado - Vice President

Kelvin Collado is a litigation associate at Robins Kaplan in the Business Litigation Group. 
 

Kelvin Collado handles a wide range of legal matters, including appeals, for corporations, small businesses, and individuals. Kelvin is passionate about the law and committed to providing the best possible representation.

Kelvin began his career as a prosecutor at the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. As a prosecutor, Kelvin handled hundreds of cases, performed over a dozen evidentiary hearings, and a number of trials. He then moved to Minnesota and clerked for the Honorable Peter M. Reyes, Jr. of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, where he was exposed to a wide range of civil and criminal state appeals.

 
Robins Kaplan LLP
800 LaSalle Avenue Suite 2800
Minneapolis, MN 55402
 
 
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Gabriel Ramirez-Hernandez - Treasurer

Gabriel Ramirez-Hernandez is an associate in Maslon's Litigation Group focused on representing clients in intellectual property disputes, products liability, and general business litigation.

Before joining Maslon, Gabriel clerked at the Minnesota Court of Appeals for the Honorable Peter M. Reyes Jr.

In addition to serving on the board, Gabriel serves on the MHBA Judicial Selection Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Development Committee.

Maslon LLP

Direct Phone: (612) 672-8289

Gabriel.Ramirez-Hernandez@maslon.com

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Andrea Mejia - Secretary

Andrea is a commercial litigation attorney at Sapientia Law Group, who also advises her clients on corporate, commercial, and transactional matters. She is licensed in Colombia and Minnesota.

T: 612.756.7148

E: AndreaM@sapientialaw.com

120 South 6th Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis MN 55402

Richard

Richard Greiffenstein – Past President

Richard works as Director, ER Counsel for Target Corporation.  As in-house employment counsel, Richard provides day-to-day counsel to Target stores and HR partners, as well as manages Target’s store-related employment litigation.  Prior to working at Target, Richard worked 12 years in private practice as an employment lawyer and litigator in Minnesota and Florida.

 

Richard.Greiffenstein@target.com 

 
 

Board Members

Camila Pacheco

Camila Pacheco-Fores

Eder photo

Eder Castillo

Eder Castillo prosecutes white-collar crimes at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, where he also co-chairs the Latinx Affinity Group. When he’s not working, Eder enjoys watching live theater with his wife, Nayely.

 
 
Yastril Nañez

Yastril Nañez

Yastril was born and raised in Dallas, TX and moved to MN in 2013 to pursue her B.A. in Women's Studies at the University of St. Thomas. She has worked as a legal advocate for Casa de Esperanza and as a bilingual Case Management Assistant for the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. Yastril is a rising second-year law student at the University of St. Thomas School of Law where she is the Co-President of the Latinx Law Student Association and the student representative for the MHBA.
 
University of St. Thomas School of Law 
 
 
Delmar Flynn

Delmar Flynn

Delmar is an Mexican-Argentine immigrant naturalized as a child. She attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and received her law degree from DePaul University in Chicago.

As an attorney, her passion for legal advocacy began with children in the role of their attorney and guardian ad litem. In her thirteen years of practice across Illinois and Minnesota, she has collaborated with social workers, foster parents, service providers and teachers, as well as opposing counsel, and advocates for her clients’ interests in court.

In addition to her current position in family law at Fiddler Osband, LLC, Delmar also donates her time to local legal aid organizations for pro bono work. She is also an active member of Minnesota Women Lawyers.

Fiddler Osband, LLC. delmar.flynn@gmail.com

Phone: 612-822-4095

Karla Santiago

Karla Santiago-Rodriguez

Karla was born in Puerto Rico, where she lived until August of 2017, when she moved to MN. Karla received her JD from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Karla began as a Family and Torts law solo practitioner in February of 2010. In December of that same year, Ms. Santiago was hired by the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, where she acted as a defense attorney and counselor for the Government of Puerto Rico, providing legal representation and counseling before the State and Federal District Court in cases regarding Medical Malpractice, Torts, Civil Rights, seizures, property seizure and forfeiture, Prison Rights and others. In August of 2017, Karla relocated to MN with her family. Ms. Santiago is admitted to the practice of law in Puerto Rico and Minnesota State and Federal District Courts and a member of the MHBA, NHBA, and AILA. In August of 2020, Ms. Santiago founded Santiago Legal LLC and currently practices Family and Immigration Law.

Santiago Legal LLC santiagolegalmn@gmail.com

612.810.7403

 
 

Student Representatives

Mirtha

Mirtha Montoya

Mirtha is a third-year law student at the University of St. Thomas Law School. She holds a Master in Law from the University of Minnesota and is a licensed attorney in Peru, her home country. Mirtha is a member of the Latinx Law Student Association at UST Law and currently working as an intern in the Legal Affairs Department of Target Corp. Her interests are related to Business Law, Corporate Law, and Compliance. In her free time, she practices yoga and enjoys cooking. 

 

University of St. Thomas School of Law 

mmontoya@stthomas.edu

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Madelyn Cox-Guerra

Madelyn Cox-Guerra is a rising 3L at the University of Minnesota Law School. She is focused on juvenile advocacy in both the criminal and
immigration justice systems. Madelyn is the President of the Minnesota Justice Foundation, the Lead
Online Editor of the Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality, and a clinic director for the Detainee Rights Clinic.