Her Story
About Maria
I have been practicing law since 1994, with over 32 years of experience across multiple continents and practice areas. I started my career doing international mergers and acquisitions, international litigation, and corporate reorganizations in Europe, South America, and the U.S. I worked on major projects including the reorganization of British Gas in Europe, Philip Morris in South America, and handled all corporate and contracts work for Pfizer International. I worked extensively in the pharmaceutical industry, represented a company listed on the Paris stock exchange that does city furniture and advertising across Europe, and managed corporate matters for big companies in the oil industry and national industries in Argentina. I participated in numerous privatizations in Argentina and major arbitrations with the International Chamber of Commerce, with headquarters in Paris but conducted in Miami. I spent several years in the telecommunications industry, negotiating international agreements in multiple languages simultaneously, including sophisticated technological agreements for space agencies and telecommunication companies. When I came to the U.S., I pursued my passion for criminal justice and earned a master's degree while teaching legal Spanish at James Madison University and lecturing at VCU. I passed the DC bar exam and then the Virginia bar exam on my first try, scoring in the top 10% on the uniform bar exam, which I consider a significant achievement coming from Argentina with a different language. After working at a law firm in Virginia, I decided to open my own law firm with my own rules and treatment for my clients. My firm started 100% as immigration practice, but I have now incorporated family practice, criminal practice, and business practice, and I work with a couple of lawyers who have magna cum laude degrees from good universities. I continue to do international work and maintain contacts in Argentina, particularly with the new lithium and rare earths industries, while serving many international clients here.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maria
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to finding and following my passion. If you have passion for what you do, you are never going to work a day in your life because you will be enjoying what you do, and I'm very passionate and very motivated about what I do. I enjoy my day in the firm, I really do. I think you have to find your passion and then go for it. I'm super motivated, and if I'm doing something that I'm really passionate about, it's so motivating that I don't feel tired. I've gone through some serious health issues like 10 years ago, and that hasn't stopped me at all, and that's because I think I'm doing what I love.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to find their passion and go for it, because if you have passion for what you do, you are never going to work a day in your life. What I love about this country that I always admired is the possibility of starting no matter what age. I feel that in the U.S., you're never old, so there's never a deadline for you to start a new project, and I think I've proved that here because I'm 56. I also believe that this is a country where if you have merits on your own, you can achieve great things. When I arrived to the U.S., I had zero connections, and that didn't stop me from obtaining my goals. The U.S. is a wonderful country because they allow that no matter your age, you can restart again and be successful, even if you don't have any connection, you can build up. I am super grateful and super admire the society because they allow that.
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