Maria Teresa Bates, Esq.

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Maria Bates is licensed in Florida and Washington D.C. and the principal of Maria Bates Law PLLC.  She received her B.A. in Human Development with a minor in Latin American Studies from Eckerd College in 1997, her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in 2007, and her LLM in Business Law from Florida State University in 2021.   

Although Maria is a lawyer, she first started her career as a counselor for teenagers dealing with addictions and mental health issues. She then transitioned to special projects consulting where she designed systems, new departments, policies and procedures, and strategic plans. She also worked on unique events and projects including fundraising for a political campaign. Ready to take her career to the next level, she returned to law school. After law school, she founded two private adoption agencies, served as Executive Director and Agency attorney and assisted hundreds of clients in building their families through adoption and assisted reproduction.  After a decade of practice, she returned to school for her Master’s of Law in Business Law and has added on business, food and farm law to her practice areas.  

Maria serves her clients from a place of passion, knowledge, and experience - having started and run her own small businesses and nonprofits and built her own family through adoption as a single parent. Maria is passionate about helping build families and working with business owners and nonprofits to effect real community change.    

Maria is actively involved in community organizations and pro bono work. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Family Equality. Maria is also involved in the American Bar Association, serves as an advisory board member to the Florida Adoption Information Center, and has provided commentary and specialized trainings on adoption interventions, foster care adoptions, special needs children, and other family and community focused issues.