hi, I’m Maria.

think of me as your friend with a law degree

My history?

You might say I went from practicing my high notes to practicing law.

Here’s the one-minute synopsis.

  • I studied voice performance in college. (Yep…opera.) Did a little musical theater, jazz, and Pitch-Perfect-style a-cappella along the way.

  • Dealt with some stage fright issues and started to think about a different kind of career.

  • Napster was a thing, then, and I had a sort of “save the artists!” mentality about it, so law school was attractive. It wasn’t quite an Elle Woods-like “I think I’ll go to law school today,” but it wasn’t a strategically thought-out plan, either!

  • I’m not plunking out scales in a practice room anymore, but practicing does play a big role in my life. Law. Yoga. Calligraphy (for fun). Even herbalism and learning what I can about essential oils. You could say I’m a lifelong learner or…practicer.

Quick Stats

Favorite people: My husband and our two babes.

Favorite word: Hygge. (You can take the girl out of the midwest...)

Favorite snack: Popcorn popped in a pot with oil (bonus if there’s truffle salt)

Favorite musical: West Side Story and Children of Eden.

Favorite, must-have crystal: Aventurine.

If we meet up for coffee, I’ll probably order: A turmeric latte/golden milk.

If we go out for cocktails, I’ll probably order: A gin gimlet, up.

I used to be known for: My rendition of Blues in the Night, being a die-hard college football fan (go blue!), being painfully shy

I’m now known for: My ability to decode terms of use, my unapologetic addiction to a few Real Housewives shows, my spanakopita recipe

Been lawyering since: 2010

My type: Enneagram type 2 (“The Helper”), Myers-Briggs INFJ (fun fact, my sister is an ENFJ), Manifesting Generator (Human Design), Scorpio sun with Gemini rising.

You’ll catch me listening to music like: Death Cab for Cutie, Brandi Carlile, Muse, motown.

If I weren’t a lawyer, I could’ve been: A music supervisor. I’ve been collecting soundtracks since Clueless and Romeo + Juliet in 1996. I appreciate the art of setting a story to music.

CONFESSION:

I DO NOT MEASURE SUCCESS IN SUITS.

I don’t like to wear suits. I much prefer jeans. (Or, TBH, a cute loungewear set.)

Another confession? Starting my own business was not this big, master plan, until, all of a sudden… I was ready for it.

  • No asking for time off, total freedom to take on my favorite types of clients, the fun of creating and marketing my own brand… ahh. Control over my own destiny.

  • I knew when I started that I wanted to offer flat rate packages and other support because hourly rates can be, well, kind of unpredictable. My goal was (and still is!) to make the law less scary and more understandable for business owners.

  • Now, eight+ years after starting my own practice, I can’t imagine my life any other way. I really, truly, love what I do: helping people protect the most valuable parts of their business so that they can focus on what they truly love to do.

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