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Elora Andrade Ortego always knew she wanted to be a lawyer. She was inspired by her father, the late Professor Attila de Souza Leão Andrade Jr., a Yale graduate and a leading legal scholar in Brazil, who taught International Law in the United States. Following her father’s footsteps, Elora graduated with a juris doctor degree from the very prestigious University of Florida Levin College of Law in Gainesville, Florida. Previously, she obtained her bachelor’s in arts degree, Cum Laude, with a major in English and a minor in Criminal Justice and Education from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Her professional career started as a law clerk in a prestigious immigration law firm in Miami, Florida, where she was eventually hired as an attorney after graduation providing legal immigration services to clients of multiple nationalities. In 2011, Elora opened her practice as a solo practitioner, and in 2017 she joined attorney Andrea Canona and founded Andrade Canona.
Elora is American, Brazilian, and Italian. She born and raised in the city of São Paulo, Brazil and she immigrated to the United States with her family in 1998. From the moment Elora first came to this country, she had the opportunity to experience each step of the immigration process, along with all of the feelings and worries involved. Her legal practice of immigration law is born of her own immigration process, which has lasted over eighteen years
Elora is highly skilled in business immigration and has assisted numerous entrepreneurs and investors in their immigration cases. Furthermore, she has extensive experience in cases of individuals of extraordinary and exceptional ability, as well as complex family and naturalization cases. A fierce negotiator and advocate, Elora has successfully negotiated with attorneys from the U.S. Department of Justice satisfactory decisions for her clients in federal court. Importantly, Elora empathizes with her clients and shares in their worries and uncertainties which naturally derive from the immigration experience.
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Andrea Mattar Canona, born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, earned her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Florida International University College of Law, where she graduated number six in her class. While in law school, Andrea worked as a student attorney at the Immigration Law Clinic, representing detained immigrants in removal proceedings. Andrea also served as a research assistant to Professor Thomas E. Baker, a renowned constitutional scholar, and worked as a law clerk intern to Judge Frank A. Shepherd at the Third District Court of Appeals in Florida.
After graduation, Andrea was selected through the prestigious U.S. Department of Justice’s Attorney General’s Honors Program to work as an Attorney Advisor at the Executive Office for Immigration Review, Miami Immigration Court. Her responsibilities included preparation of written decisions involving complex immigration issues for 14 judges. Andrea provided presentations and summaries to judges regarding novel areas of the law, as well as analysis of criminal convictions in the immigration context.
Andrea also worked at a prestigious boutique immigration law firm, where she focused her practice on employment-based visas, investor visas and extraordinary ability petitions, as well as on asylum, waivers, motions to reopen and reconsider, and appeals. In 2017 she joined Elora Andrade and founded Andrade Canona, where she continues to dedicate herself to ensuring the best legal representation to her clients.
Andrea is a sought-after lecturer and is often invited to speak about immigration law to audiences in the United States and Brazil. Andrea is passionate about finding creative legal solutions for her clients, and she enjoys researching complex issues in the law. Andrea also dedicates her time to educating people about immigration law through videos, radio shows, lectures and articles. Andrea is actively involved with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
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Renata Keller Duran is from Salvador, Brazil. In Brazil, Renata obtained her law degree from Faculdade Unime in 2008 and began her career as a legal advisor to the Appellate Court in the state of Bahia. She was responsible for advising the judges and drafting judicial opinions involving issues in various areas of law. She went on to join a respectable law firm, where she focused on consulting services and civil litigation involving consumer law, real estate law, corporate law, and taxation.
In the U.S., Renata obtained a master’s degree in law (LL.M.) from the Florida International University College of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in February 2022. In Florida, her practice is limited to Immigration Law. As an immigration attorney, she may represent clients all over the United States and at U.S. Consulates worldwide.
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• The Missouri Bar, 2022
• Brazilian Bar Association, State of Bahia (OAB), 2010 (voluntarily inactive)
• Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Leah Shadle earned her Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Creighton University School of Law in 2007. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Creighton University in 2003, with a major in Justice and Society and a co-major in Political Science. Leah is licensed to practice law in Florida and the District of Columbia. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. As an immigration attorney, she may represent clients all over the United States and at U.S. Consulates around the world.
Leah previously worked at an immigration firm in Miami, Florida where she handled a variety of employment and family-based immigration matters. She assists clients with petitions based on extraordinary ability, national interest waivers, provisional waivers, writs of mandamus and investment visas. Prior to the practice of immigration law, Leah served as in-house counsel to One Laptop Per Child, Inc., a non-profit organization created to provide children around the world with a quality, innovative educational program.
She has experience with commercial contract negotiation and regulatory compliance matters. Leah served as Co-Director of New Leaders Council (NLC) Miami, a chapter of a national non-partisan organization that connects the next generation of leaders in Miami. She was selected as an NLC Fellow in 2014 and as a member of the 2016 Dade Legal Aid Leadership Academy.
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Adriana Harris was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and raised in Queens, New York. She graduated from St. John’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies. With over 27 years of experience in immigration law, Adriana brings extensive knowledge and dedication to her role as Senior Paralegal at Andrade Canona. She is committed to providing exceptional service and personalized attention to clients throughout the immigration process.
Over the course of her career, Adriana has developed a strong understanding of immigration procedures and the complexities involved in preparing and managing cases. Her experience, attention to detail, and commitment to client satisfaction make her a valuable member of the firm. She takes pride in assisting individuals and families as they navigate important immigration matters.
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Nagila de Oliveira is originally from Brazil and is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Law from Universidade Salgado Filho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Shortly after graduating, she moved to the United States, where she gained valuable experience in administrative and customer service roles.
Nagila joined Andrade Canona in 2021 and currently serves as a Paralegal. She assists the firm’s attorneys with the preparation and organization of immigration petitions and applications, providing support at various stages of the legal process. Drawing on her legal education and previous professional experience, she approaches her responsibilities with dedication and professionalism, helping ensure that clients receive consistent support as their cases progress.
Katia Queiroz, a dual Brazilian and American citizen fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, has extensive experience in advertising, marketing, and business administration. Before moving to the United States over 25 years ago, she worked for several advertising agencies in Brazil. Prior to joining Andrade Canona, she spent many years working for Globo TV International in Miami, Florida.
As Office Manager at Andrade Canona, Katia oversees the firm’s daily administrative operations, ensuring an organized and efficient work environment. She also manages the firm’s billing and financial administrative processes, including invoicing, payment processing, and client account management. Her financial accuracy, organizational expertise, and operational efficiency contribute to the smooth operation of the firm.
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Claudia Rojter was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, and immigrated to the United States in 1992. Before joining Andrade Canona, she dedicated 25 years to early childhood education, developing strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills while building lasting relationships with children and their families.
As a Legal Assistant at Andrade Canona, Claudia brings extensive customer service experience and a deep understanding of the challenges immigrant families face. Her compassionate approach, dedication, and ability to connect with others enable her to provide valuable support to both clients and the firm’s legal team. She is the first “hello” you hear at Andrade Canona.
ANDRADE CANONA, PLLC | 2025
