Maria Pereira
Maria Pereira is a Conflicts Analyst with extensive experience in legal operations, specializing in matter intake and processing, conflict-of-interest analysis, and background research. In her role, she is responsible for reviewing all new client and matter submissions, conducting detailed conflict checks, and performing research on individuals and organizations using resources such as Westlaw. She works closely with General Counsel and attorneys to evaluate potential conflicts, facilitate clearances, and support the preparation of waiver language when necessary. Additionally, she manages aspects of lateral attorney onboarding, ensuring smooth and compliant integration of new attorneys into the firm.
Maria’s professional focus is grounded in rigorous research, careful analysis, and a strong commitment to protecting both the firm and its clients. She values precision, attention to detail, and strong reading and verbal communication skills, which are essential in her daily collaboration with attorneys, legal assistants, and senior leadership. Her approach is highly analytical and intuitive, with a belief in asking questions, challenging inconsistencies, and understanding the reasoning behind processes to ensure accuracy and sound judgment in all matters she handles.
She entered the legal field through paralegal studies and began her career as a paralegal before transitioning into conflicts analysis, building approximately 20 years of experience in the legal profession since 2005. Over the course of her career, she has worked extensively alongside General Counsel and firm attorneys, developing deep expertise in conflicts clearance and legal risk assessment. She participates in internal analyst meetings and firm-led professional development opportunities, and is committed to continual learning and professional growth within the field.
• Legal Aid Organizations
• Animal Welfare Organizations
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being curious and always wanting to learn and grow. I believe in self-analyzing yourself, not from a criticism point of view, but to learn and grow. I ask others questions because there are no wrong or right answers, and there are no dumb questions. I'm a very curious person. I don't just want to know that something is done a certain way - I want to know the why. I'm always finding the reasons and wanting to know a little bit more about why something is done the way that it's done, or what one area of law entails. An attorney once told me to be curious, and that's something I've taken with me all the time.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received was to be curious. An attorney once told me to always want to learn and grow, to self-analyze myself not from a criticism point of view, but to learn and grow, and to ask others questions. There are no wrong or right answers, and there are no dumb questions. I'm a very curious person - I want to know not just that something is done a certain way, but why it's done that way. I don't want to do something just because that's the way it's done. I want to know the why, so I'm always finding the reasons and wanting to know a little bit more about why something is done the way that it's done, or what one area of law entails. That's something that was once said to me by an attorney, and it's something I've taken with me all the time.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't give up. Time and practice makes perfect, so you have to just keep doing and being yourself. Don't give up on your dreams, don't give up on yourself, and don't self-doubt yourself. Just keep growing, be gentle with yourself, and be kind to yourself. Keep yourself wanting to grow constantly. It can be very overwhelming because it's a very fast-paced field where you have to be very detail-oriented and wear different hats. It can be very time-consuming with constraints of time frames and deadlines. There are times when it can be very busy and stressful. You have to watch for that and keep a balance between your professional life, your personal life, and your family life. Be gentle with yourself, but also try to do the best you can to always be better.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in my field right now are that it can be very overwhelming because it's a very fast-paced environment. You have to be very detail-oriented and wear different hats. It can be very time-consuming with constraints of time frames and deadlines. There are times when it can be very busy and very stressful. You have to watch for that and keep a balance between your professional life, your personal life, and your family life. It's important to be gentle with yourself while also trying to do the best you can to always be better.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In my work, I value being very detail-oriented and having excellent reading and verbal skills, since I'm speaking to attorneys, assistants, and people in higher positions. I'm very analytical and research-oriented. In this field, you have to pay attention to details and trust your intuition. When something doesn't make sense, you need to question it or bring it to somebody's attention. That's something I've definitely grown into and pay attention to. I also value curiosity - I want to know not just that something is done a certain way, but why it's done that way. In my personal life, family is most important to me. I have two kids and my husband, and I love to spend time with them, barbecuing and going to Disney or Orlando.
Locations
Private Company
Miami, FL 33175