Sylvia Ontaneda-Bernales

Sylvia Ontaneda-Bernales is a seasoned attorney with licenses in Maryland and DC, and she holds admissions to the United States Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She is the founder of the Law Offices of Sylvia Ontaneda-Bernales in Maryland, Ontaneda-Bernales Law in Nevada, and Ontaneda-Bernales LLC in New Mexico. Her Immigration practice encompasses a wide range of services, including Relative Petitions, Fiance Visas, Naturalizations, Green Card Applications, Business and Investor Visas, and DACA.

In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales is a proficient mediator, contributing to the District Court of Maryland's ADR Program. She is also a Spanish language consultant, translator, and interpreter, registered with the Maryland Court Interpreter Registry. Her professional affiliations include various organizations, and she served as Past President (2009-2010) of the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association.

Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales earned her Juris Doctorate from the George Washington University National Law Center. She also holds an MA in journalism and a dual BA in journalism and social psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a graduate of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Lima, Peru.

Her journalism career spans print and broadcast media, with roles as a freelance feature writer, book and newsletter editor, literary translator, television producer, documentary producer/director, and media consultant.

Governor Martin O'Malley appointed her to the Maryland Health Care Commission in 2007 and the Commission to Study the Impact of Immigrants in Maryland in 2010. In 2010, Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake appointed her to the Wage Commission. Recognized for her contributions, she was named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by The Daily Record in 2008, and a Maryland Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Baltimore Magazine has also acknowledged her as a Top Lawyer in Maryland.