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Practice Focus
Maria chairs the firm's Corporate Department and serves on the Management Committee. Her practice concentrates on the rapidly changing areas of technology and intellectual property transactions, litigation and counseling. She also provides strategic counseling and general corporate representation to start-up and emerging companies.
A significant portion of Maria’s practice involves advising clients on matters involving intellectual property protection, licensing and transferring, social media, electronic contracting, data security regulation, compliance and breaches, software and technology development and licensing, SaaS transactions, online sweepstakes and contests, website terms of use and on-line privacy, web site development, maintenance and hosting, technology and web services contracts, co-branding, strategic alliances, data protection and electronic communications in the workplace.
Maria's practice also includes litigation involving non-competition agreements, theft of trade secrets, unfair and deceptive business practices, and trademark and copyright infringement in both state and federal courts. She also practices before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Maria presents and writes regularly on intellectual property, Internet, e-commerce, social media, electronic communications and related topics.
- Counseling businesses in connection with privacy and data security regulation and compliance, including consumer privacy, data security breaches and e-commerce related issues.
- Advising businesses with regard to social media, including the development and implementation of social media policies, compliance programs associated with uses of social media for advertising, marketing, promotional and other business purposes and the interplay between intellectual and other proprietary rights and social media.
- Representing a manufacturer of yogurt and yogurt-related products in connection with commercial contracts, protection of confidential and proprietary information, intellectual property licensing and protection, and branding, advertising and promotional-related matters.
- Counseling businesses in connection with privacy and data security regulation and compliance, including consumer privacy, data security breaches and e-commerce related issues.
- Advising businesses with regard to social media, including the development and implementation of social media policies, compliance programs associated with uses of social media for advertising, marketing, promotional and other business purposes and the interplay between intellectual and other proprietary rights and social media.
- Representing a manufacturer of yogurt and yogurt-related products in connection with commercial contracts, protection of confidential and proprietary information, intellectual property licensing and protection, and branding, advertising and promotional-related matters.
- Representing businesses with regard to development and implementation of document retention policies and compliance programs.
- Advising businesses with regard to online sweepstakes/contests and other forms of promotions.
- Representing SaaS provider of e-learning solutions with regard to technology, software and/or content development and licensing transactions.
- Advising software developers in connection with licensing of mobile apps.
- Assisting businesses in the strategic selection, clearance, registration, management and/or enforcement of trademarks, trade dress, domain names and associated rights.
- Assisting businesses with regard to ownership and protection of copyrights arising from a wide range of works created by employees and independent contractors.
- Representing software developers, authors and publishers in connection with the protection of their copyrighted works against unauthorized copying, distribution and performance.
- Advising manufacturer of vitamin, mineral and nutritional supplement products with regard to intellectual property protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
- Representing businesses in connection with the recovery of domain names from cybersquatters and on domain name strategies, domain name acquisition and the protection of intellectual property rights on the Internet, including through international proceedings of ICANN.
- Assisting businesses with the negotiation and drafting of professional services and consulting agreements.
Education
B. A., Wellesley College
J. D., Boston College Law School
Honors
- Selected as one of the "Top Ten Women Lawyers in Boston" and as one of the “Top Ten Corporate Lawyers” by Women's Business Boston.
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Received the “Diversity Heroes Award” given by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and the Massachusetts Bar Association at their annual “Excellence in the Law” event, which celebrates achievement and distinction in the profession.
- Selected on multiple years by Law & Politics as a Massachusetts “Super Lawyer” and a New England Super Lawyer in the field of Intellectual Property.
- Named one of the “20 on the Move, Hispanic Executives Making an Impact in Boston” by the Boston Business Journal and El Planeta.
- Recognized by the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys with its Las Primeras Award for her unique contributions, vision and leadership within the Latino community in Massachusetts.
Memberships and Admissions
Maria is admitted to practice in Massachusetts. She is a former Trustee of the Boston Bar Foundation. Maria chaired the Boston Bar Journal's Board of Editors (2001-2004) and served as a member of the Council of the Boston Bar Association (1999-2002). She has also served on the Boston Bar Association Beacon Award Nominating Committee (2010). She is a member of the Boston Bar Association, the Women's Bar Association, and the Hispanic National Bar Association.
Community Involvement
Maria has been active in a number of community organizations and as a panelist in Bar-sponsored programs, among others. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the South Shore Health and Educational Corporation and South Shore Hospital. Maria is also a member of the Governing Body of the ATHENAPowerLink® Program, a unique business mentoring program sponsored by the Women's Business Connection of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. She is Past-President and a former member of the Board of Directors of the South Shore Women's Business Network in Massachusetts. Maria also served on the Wellesley Development and Outreach Council, an advisory council to the Board of Trustees, the President and the Office of Resources and Public Affairs of Wellesley College. She is a former member of the Advisory Board of the Boston Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting, ALPFA. She is also a former member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Boston/International Institute of New Hampshire.
Maria is a native of Managua, Nicaragua, and is fluent in Spanish.
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Practice Areas
Intellectual Property and Technology
Business Litigation
Commercial Contracts - Domestic and International
Entertainment, Media and Publishing
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