Juliana Gaita, Esq.
Although originally a Brooklyn, New York native, Attorney Juliana Gaita has called Boca Raton, Florida home for many years, attending middle school at Pine Crest and high school at American Heritage, graduating at the top of her class. After high school, Ms. Gaita moved to Red Sox Nation and earned her Bachelor of Arts at Boston College. She majored in Communications and Theology and minored in Faith, Peace and Justice. Thereafter Juliana started a staffing company which she sold shortly before attending law school. Her time as a business owner (both with her firm and staffing company) has helped Juliana to be able to give both practical business and legal advice to her clients.
Ms. Gaita earned a scholarship to Northeastern University School of Law where she participated in the unique co-op program they offered. This allowed her to gain real-life law experience while still in school, working for such state departments as the Office for Juvenile Justice, the Public Defender of Middlesex County and clerking for the Honorable Judge Borenstein (ret.).
Not one to shy away from a challenge or hard work, Ms. Gaita completed law school while raising her daughter and working as a full-time live-in nanny. It is during this time in her life that Ms. Gaita became acutely aware of the challenges that single parents face, and she is able to bring that understanding to her law practice now. After meeting her husband and shortly after the birth of her second child, Juliana and her family relocated back to South Florida, where they plan to remain.
Juliana has focused her practice of law in litigation and honed that skill through her representation of various clients in real estate, contract and family law matters: including national lenders in mortgage foreclosure actions, consumers, realestate investors and families facing various legal issues. Ms. Gaita is incredibly comfortable and tough in the courtroom. Ms. Gaita first became committed to giving back with her work through the Tracy Mcpharlin Pro Bono Project representing foster children in the dependency care system In Broward County. It was that pro bono work that changed Ms. Gaita’s entire life trajectory. After representing numerous children, Ms. Gaita and her family decided that they could give back even more by becoming a foster family. Ms. Gaita has cared for numerous children who have come into her home through foster care, all while still maintain her successful law practice. She has spent countless hours advocating for children and/or their caregivers, helping parents to make birth plans and helping families to finalize adoptions. Over the years her practice has become the go-to for the foster families and relative care-givers in the community, who are facing custody issues. Ms. Gaita and her husband adopted three children from foster-care and while they don’t expect to adopt anymore children, Juliana is passionate about helping families grow through the adoption process. Her experience as both a single mom and now an adoptive mother gives her unique perspective on the challenges and joys of adoption.
Ms. Gaita is committed to protecting your family, finances, business, assets and your real-estate sale and purchases and believes in a holistic approach to law, often emphasizing the counselor part of “counselor at law”. The firm looks at the entire individual to see where the law can assist the client and we are always looking to be the solution, not add to the problem. Ms. Gaita believes that a particular situation or “legal problem” cannot be adequately understood and addressed in the absence of a thorough understanding of the individual and that may affect the ways in which the particular situation is addressed moving forward. Once you have become our client, you have found lawyers for life, helping you with any legal situation that may come up in the future. As part of the Boston College Jesuit community she also holds the belief of their motto “men and women for others.” Juliana injects passion and determination into every action that she undertakes for her clients. Her law practice and her clients provides purpose, fun and fulfillment to her life. Ms. Gaita believes that when you truly are on purpose, the people, resources and opportunities you need naturally gravitate toward you and the world in turn benefits, as your actions automatically serve others. Ms. Gaita is accessible to her clients almost 24 hours a day, and she has come to know most of her clients not just as clients but as friends. Our Firm would love to see if you would be a good fit as a client and we encourage you to reach out to us.
Ms. Gaita is licensed to practice in MA, FL as well as the Southern District of Florida and the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Juliana is also a member of the Florida Adoption Council.
Samia Azad, J.D.
Samia Azad, originally born in Bangladesh, was raised in South Florida and has lived here now for 24 years. She received her Bachelors degree from Florida State University and graduated with honors in International Relations and Political Science. While at Florida State, Samia was heavily involved in service or human rights organizations including Habitat for Humanity and Amnesty International. However, her most rewarding experience was traveling abroad to work for a non-profit organization, where she helped children learn English. After graduation, wanting to gain real life experience, Samia worked in several divisions, including the Juvenile Division at the State Attorney’s Office in West Palm Beach.
She then pursued her law degree at Nova Southeastern University. While in law school, she spent her summers employed at a boutique family law firm. Ms. Azad was involved in the family law and public interest law society, became an editor of the Journal of International and Comparative Law. She was also a researcher for the Adults with Intellectual Disabilities (AIDD) Clinic on campus and graduated under the pro-bono honors program for the hours she dedicated her local community.
Her passion to help others through law comes from her desire to make the law accessible to everyone and, as an immigrant, to give back to this Country that has afforded her so many opportunities.
Jamie Michel
Jamie was born and raised in rural Maryland but shortly after graduating with a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins University, she accepted a job offer as the Development Director for a children’s charity in Texas. Jamie has spent most of her adult life working with children and families. Jamie took a few years hiatus from the “social service” field and worked in the high-end travel industry. Although the travel bug has only intensified after traveling the world, Jamie realized how much she missed feeling fulfilled. She took a job at the University of Miami – Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center as a Clinical and Patient Care Coordinator where she developed deep relationships which she still maintains today.
Jamie has a thirst for knowledge and enjoys learning so while working full time at the cancer center she enrolled in a paralegal studies program. After successfully completing the program it was time to put her newly acquired knowledge into action. Jamie was offered a position as the paralegal/legal assistant to the Partner for a large firm working in the property damage department. This position gave Jamie the foundation and experience she needed to come full circle to pursue her passion working with children and families and chase a career in the Adoption/Family Law field.
Jamie’s parents still live in her childhood home in Maryland and her brother and sister-in-law live in California. Despite the physical distance, Jamie is very close with her family and visits with them as much as possible. Jamie lives with her husband, stepson, and puppy in West Boca and her favorite things to do are spend time with her family, travel, and grow intellectually and emotionally.
