Our Firm's 25th Anniversary

Getting to know the client on a personal level is very very important to Diana, one of the reasons that I chose this law firm was because Diana I felt that she understood my case she cared about what I went through in my family as well she may be tiny but she went up against Doug the big guys in my case it was a large healthcare facility here in Broward stone she's she held her own.

Been a Volta lost his beloved wife Linda due to medical malpractice he prayed for direction and found it at his church.

After that the mass somebody gave me that like a magazine yeah when I came home I just read it and then boom I I guess Diane Santa Marta I don't Diana company, I love my wife and I promise I'm gonna bring this to the justice, what I need is a good lawyer and I could prank the pray to God and I got the answer, that's Diana.

A horrific crash and commercial truck driver Peter Garcia was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

They're very professional and obviously very knowledgeable with the way they treated my case but what I really enjoy the most is their friendliness their very easygoing people very accessible and that helps because sometimes dealing with legal matters for a layperson is very hard to understand.

Diana and Laura Dolan represented Peter and obtained a settlement six times over the policy limits.

For my head they would relate to them and understand them and and feel comfortable with the way they treated me and and eventually with dirt it was a very positive outcome for me,

Diana is very empathetic and I think if you're going to be a great attorney you have to have a lot of empathy yeah put yourself in those shoes and walk in those shoes for a bit to understand the pain the real pain that a lot of these these clients have.

The consequences of a medical mistake vehicle crash or violent crime often caused serious injuries and great emotional loss each day the Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria is trusted to defend the rights of injured victims and their families.

That's another thing that I love in this profession is we fight bullies we fight bullies that are corporations we fight bullies that take advantage of the underprivileged or people who otherwise wouldn't have a voice and I love that about what I do, but also have an opportunity to make a change in an unsafe practice an unsafe product or just a negligent situation is is what really fulfills me.

Being in a in a profession where you could influence other people's lives and if you use that in a positive way it's a very powerful thing.

The compassion and empathy for clients is genuine Diana graduated from the University of Miami laude with a bachelor's degree in English, then she graduated the University of Miami School of Law since 1985 she has devoted her practice to representing people injured as a result of the negligence of others, she learned from one of the best legal giant Sheldon Schlessinger.

If I go into a courtroom on behalf of a client I go in to win and I do the very best that I can for that client.

From the very first day that I was there I knew this is what I will do the rest of my life.

Diana's mentor was one of the most successful attorneys in the country and encouraged her when she decided to open her own firm in 1991, Diana and the firm flourished gaining a reputation for excellence listed in Best Lawyers in America, selected to Florida Super Lawyers, and she earned the martindale-hubbell a vie rating the gold standard of peer review ratings she is a member of the prestigious million-dollar advocates forum and less than 1% of US attorneys have earned that status diana was appointed by Florida Governor Jeb Bush to serve on the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Committee and served for four years in the news regularly or her settlements and jury verdicts she got an eight-point-two million dollar verdict for a 16 year old athlete injured in a warehouse accident one point six million dollar settlement for a ballerina injured in a car crash another million dollar settlement for an 81 year old grandmother killed by a speeding locksmith Diana's accomplishments catapulted her into an elite group of litigators Diana was elected to the board of directors of the academy of florida trial lawyers and served for ten years she earned the wings of justice award for her unyielding commitment and received the most valuable player staff appreciation award in two separate years along with the shoe-leather award and the above and beyond call of duty award now known as the Florida Justice Association, the organization is dedicated to strengthening and upholding our civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida citizens consumers, Diana is now recognized as a fellow of the FJA. Dana skills and her love for teaching led her to become a sought-after speaker at FJA seminars for continuing education.

I love the law and I love being with other lawyers especially lawyers who do what would I do we are in many ways a brotherhood or sisterhood of advocates and warriors.

But no amount of advocacy could take on mother nature, October 2005 Hurricane Wilma a deadly category five storm battered South Florida four days, Dianna's law office was destroyed.

We walked in and the roof was off the windows are blown in everything she had worked for and had was totally destroyed 100% all the files were destroyed there was nothing to go on there was no time to wonder what to do it was just time to put into action a plan that would make this all happen so that's what we did.

The couple's motto failure is not an option.

Good-afternoon losses of Diana Santa Maria this is Shirley how may I help you in a new location diana resumed and grew her practice.

Everything is very tight-knit and we do work closely as a team so it'sit's when a client speaks to one of us is like speaking to all of us.

In addition to obtaining justice and compensation for her clients Diana continues to stand out as a leader in her profession she's a member of a boda the American Board of trial advocates in 2012 she was elected president of the Fort Lauderdale chapter with her family at her side at the installation dinner Florida Supreme Court justice Fred Lewis wrote her to say you will make a positive and dynamic contribution to a boda and she did Diana initiated the first annual Henry Latimer professionalism program in honor of the late and beloved Henry Latimer and established an annual scholarship for Nova Southeastern University the local law school near her practice in 2013 Diana was selected as the abode of fort lauderdale chapter trial lawyer of the year, in 2016 Diana was honored with the gladiate record before hundreds of her peers at the FJA a workhorse convention.

Strength skill drive heart an unwavering advocate a master of the trial a champion for victims it is my honor and privilege to present the 2016 compassion a gladiator award to Diana Santa Maria.

Where as long as I can remember this profession has always been to me about two basic things in any and every case and that is knowing my client and telling their story.

To receive this award from this organization is something I will always treasure and and keep very close to my heart.

She is as compassionate a person with her client as you could possibly imagine and she's also has that sword for the people who oppose her client.

Diana is fluent in Spanish as is most of her staff she also speaks French so client meetings don't require interpreters or translators her experience revealed a successful resolution at mediation could be challenging due to language and cultural barriers so Diana became a certified mediator and founded bilingual mediators to serve the cross-cultural population.

And I feel that giving back is something that i need to do to balance the scales of justice in what the profession has provided to me.

Giving is a big part of the culture within the firm in 2010 Brian and Diana were honored for their professional and philanthropic accomplishments as one of South Florida's finest couples the gala benefited cystic fibrosis it's just one of many organizations they support, Laura is a board member at monarch care a charity that supports vulnerable people.

Key to being a good personal injury attorney is to understand people is to be able to feel people if you're not involved in the community you can't really understand anything.

In terms of what I've been able to give back I think I have been able to exemplify that a woman lawyer with with a family can accomplish things and perhaps provide inspiration to others.

Our family is our life and work hard play hard which might adopt that type of philosophy.

Diana and Brian have known each other since high school their sons Nick and Alex are the twinkles in her life. She's able to speak to you on a level of empathy and understanding that is not commonly found the answer is within you when you learn to quiet yourself and fight your mind.

Diana's words of wisdom to her sons always be true to their heart.

To always be true to who they are regardless of what others tell them to always listen to their heart because that's where the answer always lies and to trust their instincts to always be kind to others to always make an effort to give back.

Alex was born with a rare genetic disorder and a huge heart.

Alex is a very joyful young man who who really belongs in theater he shines on stage and he's a natural performer.

My mom is perfect to me because this is the greatest moment oh my god and she's always been there for me, I'm very passionate we have parents like that.

Alex and Bryant love to sing together and entertain. The whole family is gifted musically Diana learned to play from her mother and Nick plays guitar and sings in a band the family loves to be together dressing up in costumes traveling to great heights in Hawaii taking an Alaska cruise visiting abroad boating sharing a meal and finding fun and funny in everything Brian and Diana are a supportive and loving team.

The accomplishment of 25 years they it's a milestone I mean how many businesses even survived five or ten years. I think I've heard a statistic that eighty percent of businesses fail within the first five or ten years so 25 years tells me as a former business guy in the corporate world that she's doing something really well.

Congratulations to Diana her team and the Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria for passionately pursuing justice and making the world a safer place.