Maria R. Ortega is a highly experienced former prosecutor with over 15 years of experieince in the representation of businesses and individuals.  Ms. Ortega earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and Management Information Systems and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.  After college, Ms. Ortega began working for the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation’s (“HSBC”) in their highly competitive Management Training Program. HSBC is a British multinational investment bank and financial services company, and is one of the world’s largest banks as well as the largest in Europe, with total assets of US$2.715 trillion. At HSBC Ms. Ortega gained valuable business experience at their Headquarters in New York and in England.  In particular, Ms. Ortega worked in HSBC’s commercial lending department in New York, NY.

Following her tenure at HSBC, Ms. Ortega received a Juris Doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2004. Thereafter, she worked as an Assistant State Attorney in the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, where she gained invaluable trial experience and handled hundreds of cases.  As a result of her work in the field of Criminal Law, Ms. Ortega possesses a unique advantage when handling immigration matters with criminal issues (also known as “crimmigration”).  After her service to the State of Florida, Ms. Ortega went into private practice where she has represented businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals with their transactional and litigation matters.

Beginning in 2014, Ms. Ortega has focused her legal practice to immigration, where she helps clients with their business and family immigration matters, including business visas, family petitions, waivers, hardship matters, legalization, and deportation.

Ms. Ortega is admitted to practice in the State of Florida and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.  Ms. Ortega’s immigration practice is based in Miami, Florida and serves clients locally and internationally. Ms. Ortega is currently an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the nation’s largest bar association of immigration attorneys in the U.S., and the AILA South Florida Chapter.