Page 26 - Miami Vol 7 No 2

2018 WOMEN IN LAW
EMILIA A. QUESADA
Litigating a Lasting Impact
Knowing the lasting impact of my e orts on both the client and the industry is ful lling. Although I applaud our judiciary for the remarkable job they do in managing their caseloads, what I nd most challenging about the practice of law is the sheer length of time it takes to obtain justice for clients.
AALM: What was the beginning of your career like? How has it evolved over the years?
Quesada: e beginning of my career brings back great memories. Working at the biggest and best law rms of the time stocked with excellent lawyers who were hands- on trainers and openly shared their wealth of wisdom was fruitful. Undoubtedly, those experiences molded me into the litigator I am today. It also burns you out. I never thought twice about working around the clock as a young lawyer, staying in the o ce past 10 p.m. daily, and working weekends. But, once you have kids, your world gets turned upside down, in a good and very challenging way.
Having young children while striving to maintain a high- stakes litigation practice felt impossible at times. I could never have accomplished all I have without the immense help ob- tained from my family, particularly my mother-in-law.
A er a decade of the grind, I had the enviable opportuni- ty to open my own rm with my husband, Pablo Quesada, and two great friends who are also exceptional attorneys, Roland Sanchez-Medina and Peter Gonzalez. e rest is history. We will be celebrating 12 years of SMGQ this Janu- ary. It has been quite a ride, and I could not have picked better partners or lawyers to do this with.
AALM: How is your career di erent today than you envi- sioned in law school?
Quesada: I went to law school to become a prosecutor. I worked as a probation o cer for a year a er graduating from college and enjoyed interacting with the prosecutors in the courtroom when I would testify as a probation of- cer at hearings. As life would have it, though, I never be- came a prosecutor. Instead, upon graduating law school, I had the privilege of becoming an honors attorney with the Attorney General Honors Program and, a er completing my federal clerkship with the Department of Justice, went to work in private practice as a commercial litigator, the
AALM: When did you decide to become a lawyer and why?
Quesada: Ever since I can remember, I always said I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up. e reality was, though, that I had no idea what that meant. I did not know any lawyers growing up, or understand what the practice of law entailed. I am the rst lawyer in my family. I was moved to become a lawyer by the need for social justice, and con- sidered becoming a social worker for a period of time. God had other plans for my life, and I am grateful I followed thepathHesetoutforme.IlovewhatIdoand ndthe practice of law very gratifying. e legal profession is an honorable one. We truly make a di erence in people’s lives.
AALM: What do you nd rewarding about being an at- torney? What do you nd challenging about your practice? Quesada: I am honored and humbled by the trust that my clients place in me when they hire me to represent their in- terests. Clients turn to litigators when they have exhausted all business means to resolve their disputes, and are le with no choice but to push forward with litigation. Some of my most rewarding experiences include working on matters that are precedent-setting for my client and their industry, and hav- ing the opportunity to successfully achieve the desired result.
ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · MIAMI · VOL. 7 NO. 2 26