Overview

Carlos has experience as a judicial law clerk to federal and state judges, judges pro tempore, and staff attorneys on complex and high-stakes matters encompassing corporate and personal liquidations and reorganizations, contract disputes, personal injury, real property litigation, business torts, and administrative appeals.

While at BKLW, Carlos has worked on various bankruptcy, complex civil, and criminal cases.  Among other things, he successfully obtained the dismissal of an adversary proceeding by one of the debtor’s minority interest holders against several unsecured creditors in a chapter 11 case.  In this heavily contested case, Carlos and the BKLW team additionally secured the allowance and payment of nearly $1 million in administrative expense claims owed to the largest unsecured creditor.

In addition, Carlos represented a businessman facing several tax-related felonies in federal court.  He and his team persuaded the District Attorney’s Office to accept a plea deal of one year probation, no restitution, and no prison time. Carlos also represented a professional licensee accused of aggravated insurance fraud in an information charging ten felonies.  As the lead associate on the matter, he worked to secure his client a two-misdemeanor plea deal for unrelated offenses that resulted in 45 days of community service and no prison time.  Carlos also defended a globally-renowned pharmaceutical company in a products liability action. After months of intense litigation, Carlos and another BKLW partner filed a comprehensive demurrer that resulted in the plaintiff summarily dropping all claims against the client.  Most recently, Mr. Nevarez was a member of the BKLW trial team that secured a global misdemeanor settlement for his client and several other technology professionals charged in one of the first federal prosecutions under the CAN-SPAM Act.

Prior to joining BKLW, Carlos clerked for the Honorable Ernest M. Robles at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. There, he worked on issues concerning Section 727 non-dischargeability, Section 523 exception to discharge, relief from the automatic stay, plan confirmations, proof of claim objections, challenges to debtors’ homestead exemptions, valuation disputes, and Section 363 asset sales. At the Superior Court of California, San Francisco County, Carlos was a law clerk to Presiding Judge Teri L. Jackson. There, he also served the entire civil bench, which included assignments for one of California’s busiest real property tribunals.

Carlos is a graduate of Berkeley Law School at the University of California. While studying at Berkeley Law, he earned the “Prosser Prize” in Constitutional Law (second in class). After his first year of law school, Carlos externed for the Honorable John A. Mendez at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Additionally, he was Associate Editor for the Ecology Law Quarterly and Development Director for the La Raza Law Journal (LRLJ).

As an LRLJ and La Raza Law Students Association member, Carlos provided academic support and mentorship to first-generation, first-year law students as well as undergraduate and high school students. He continues such mentorship to this day, as he regularly speaks as a panelist to undergraduate and high school students about his law school and clerkship experiences, most recently at the Munger, Tolles & Olson Fellows Program workshop. At a CLE event organized by the James T. King Southern California Bankruptcy Inn of Court, he also presented on patient care ombudsman issues concerning debtors and creditors in liquidation and reorganization proceedings. Carlos obtained bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and political science, summa cum laude, and earned the distinction of a Top Ten Senior from the University of Texas at El Paso. He is conversationally fluent in Spanish.

Representative Matters

  • Defense of an independent sales representative accused of conspiring with others to steal biomedical trade secrets under federal civil RICO statute.  Following a one-week civil trial in the Central District of California, Carlos worked closely with a partner to obtain a full defense verdict for client and later secured over $600,000 in attorney’s fees from the plaintiffs.
  • Representation of commercial tenants pursuing claims for breach of contract and fraud against their former landlord company and its principal.  Carlos and his team reached a settlement in his clients’ favor on the eve of trial.
  • Representation of the largest unsecured creditor in a complex chapter 11 bankruptcy.  In this heavily contested bankruptcy, Carlos worked closely with a partner to secure payment of nearly $1 million in administrative expense claims owed to client.   Additionally, Carlos successfully obtained the dismissal of an adversary proceeding filed by one of the debtor’s minority interest holders against several unsecured creditors.
  • Defense of a globally-renowned pharmaceutical company in a products liability action.  After months of intense litigation, Carlos and another partner filed a comprehensive demurrer that resulted in the plaintiff summarily dropping all claims against the client.
  • Representation of a professional licensee accused of aggravated insurance fraud in an information charging nine felonies; as lead associate, Carlos worked one-on-one with a partner to secure for his client a two-misdemeanor plea deal for unrelated offenses that resulted in 45 days of community service and no prison time.
  • Representation of a businessman facing several tax-related felonies; Carlos and his team persuaded the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California to accept a plea deal of one year probation, no restitution, and no prison time.