JUAN CASTAÑEDA

Education

• University of Notre Dame Law School – Juris Doctor

• University of California Santa Barbara – B.A. Business Economics

Bar/Court Admissions and Professional Affiliations

• California State Bar

• United States District Court for the Southern District of California

• United States District Court for the Central District of California

• United States District Court for the Eastern District of California

• United States District Court for the Northern District of California

• Notre Dame Law School Association Board

Associations

• Member, Notre Dame’s Law Association Board

Juan Castañeda is an expert in complex corporate internal investigations, an experienced trial attorney and legal advisor and strategist for companies and individuals through the United States.

Juan gained his investigation and litigation experience while serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California as well as through top-tier national firms, Sheppard Mullin and Mintz Levin.

His expertise in internal investigations is extensive and includes conducting over 15 years of corporate internal investigations. Such investigations have ranged from whistleblower complaints, harassment/discrimination claims, ethical and policy violations, fraud and corporate embezzlement related to current and former employees, executives, board members and in house legal department team members. In the investigations Juan has led, he has represented banks, health care providers, life science and consumer companies, universities, insurance companies, multinational NGOs, faith based organizations and boards of directors.

Juan‘s litigation experience includes successfully prosecuting and defending clients in litigation through trial in state and federal courts along with arbitration tribunals. The focus of Juan‘s litigation practice includes business and fraud disputes, employment litigation defense, extensive trade secrets litigation, white collar and health care litigation, along with real estate and cross border litigation that utilizes his bilingual capabilities.

Juan brings his experience in seeing the intricacies of internal business operations along with the impact employment related disputes have on businesses and organizations, into a proactive and practical employment and government compliance practice. As a legal strategist and advisor, Juan guides companies in resolving employment disputes before they reach litigation while helping clients develop and implement business policies and practices to help companies thrive.

Juan received his Juris Doctorate from Notre Dame Law School where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Legislation and obtained his B.A. in Business Economics from U.C. Santa Barbara. Juan is proud to serve as a member of Notre Dame’s Law Association Board.

Prior to attending law school at Notre Dame, Juan was an Associate Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Dispute Analysis and Investigation Unit. As a forensic consultant, he assisted U.S. based and international companies in commercial litigation disputes.

On a personal side, Juan is a first-generation immigrant from Peru. As a Latino and an immigrant, Juan has taken his father’s advice to “never forget where you came from” and given back to those in need through various pro-bono civil rights and immigration matters as well as community development initiatives aimed at building community for the common good. Juan has been happily married to his wife, Signe, for over 20 years and is most proud of the family environment they have created in raising their six children.