Sonia Torres

I am from Puerto Rico and lived in New York until I was about [a certain age], then returned to Puerto Rico where I went to college and law school. I initially wanted to be a doctor, but when I started my first science course in college, I realized I wanted to do something where I could be the best and help people from a social perspective, which led me to law school. I graduated from law school in 1990 and joined the U.S. Navy, where I became a JAG officer. After that, I spent 12 years at the U.S. Attorney's Office, where I eventually became chief of the criminal division. My years at the U.S. Attorney's Office as a prosecutor were one of my most notable professional achievements. After leaving, I worked at a big law office in Puerto Rico for 4 years, then established a boutique law firm with my partner, Nerida Melendez, who was a former AUSA. We specialized in high-profile white-collar defense and conducted hundreds of corporate investigations for multinational companies in Latin America. Three years ago, I joined DLA Piper as a partner and currently serve as co-chair of the white collar and corporate investigations group. Currently, I do a lot of compliance work and corporate investigations, and my days involve preparing for interviews for ongoing investigations. What I love most about being a lawyer is helping people. I truly do love helping people, and at this stage in my career, I help educate and provide guidance on preventive measures. I've seen so many people's lives be destroyed by mistakes that we do, and companies being destroyed. The part that I most enjoy in my work is that preventive education, talking to people and providing them with live examples, practicable examples of what I have seen.