Diamela del Castillo-Payet is a partner in the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen, where she is a member of the Tax & International Law practice group. Her practice focuses on employment-based (temporary and permanent) and family-based immigration petitions and applications. She represents the firm’s clients before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service as well as consular and other government authorities in the processing of E-2 Treaty visas for investors and managers, O-2 visas for extraordinary ability and L-1 intracompany transferee for executives, managers and specialized knowledge visas.
Diamela’s career has included service as in-house counsel to a multinational insurance corporation in New York City, where she oversaw the legal conduct and compliance of the entity’s corporate subsidiaries with the mandates of domestic and foreign regulatory bodies. Previously, she served as Assistant County Attorney at the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office, representing the Miami-Dade County in actions involving civil rights, code enforcement, construction disputes, workers’ compensation, bid protests and torts.
Diamela has taught business law courses as an adjunct professor at the University of Miami focusing on employment law, bankruptcy law, contract law and corporate compliance with immigration laws and regulations.
Credentials
Education
- University of Miami, J.D., cum laude, 1997
- University of Miami, B.A., Economics and Literature, magna cum laude, 1994
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Stanford Scholar
Bar Admissions
- Florida
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Languages
- Spanish
Professional and Civic
- The Florida Bar Association
News & Insights
Presentations
- Panelist, “Central Florida Commercial Real Estate from a Global Perspective,” Florida Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) Chapter Central District (April 7, 2021)
News & Speaking Engagements
- Quoted in "Supreme Court Blocks End of DACA," Society of Human Resource Management, June 18, 2020
Publications
- Author, “Rumor and Lies: The Parameters of Liability for Commercial Speech,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (2001)
- Author, “Discoveries Amid the Palms of S. Florida,” Book Review of A Little Love by C.C. Medina, The Miami Herald (July 9, 2000)
- Co-author, “Does Prayer Have a Place at Public College and University Functions?” Journal of Legal Studies in Business (1996)
Practice Areas
Accolades
- Miami Herald Silver Knight Award, Journalism, 1991