Our Boston Immigration, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury Law Firm Team

Desmond P. FitzGerald, Principal Attorney

As the son of an Irish immigrant Desmond P. FitzGerald understands why people wanted to come to America. As a Boston immigration attorney who helped his Colombian-born wife become an American citizen he understands what it takes to make this happen.

Through his personal and legal experience it became apparent to attorney FitzGerald that there was little ingenuity and a lack of a consultative, proactive solutions-based approach to the area of immigration law. In order to better meet this need in the community, Mr. FitzGerald decided to start his own firm, which through his leadership, creative approach and litigation success, grew into what is now FitzGerald & Company.

Understanding firsthand the anxieties associated with immigration, Desmond has not forgotten the importance of serving every client in a respectful and personalized manner. He likes to work closely with clients to identify their objectives and provide them with a goal-based strategy to help accomplish them. For Desmond and his team there is no greater joy and reward in the practice of law, than to provide clients with the results they dream of. This is why the majority of the new clients that come to the firm are referred by satisfied clients.

Attorney FitzGerald has successfully filed legal actions against numerous government agencies, including the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, for improperly denying licenses to immigrants and against the Immigration Service (USCIS) for failing to properly and timely adjudicate immigrant petitions.

Significant legal accomplishments include establishing the rights of step children of U.S. citizens to be recognized as “unconditional” legal permanent residents, getting the Immigration Service to accept applications from detained immigrants without a fee, as well as having the first case of a residency petition approved for a same sex marriage by the US District Court of Massachusetts. In addition he has had several important court decisions on his cases published (read more about his published court decisions). As an experienced criminal litigator, attorney FitzGerald has particular expertise in minimizing negative immigration consequences of criminal charges or convictions.

Desmond FitzGerald served for over 8 years as the legal counsel for the Colombian Consulate for New England and his firm has always recognized the benefits that the immigrant community provides to our region and nation and the importance of offering quality legal services to protect it.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College, Attorney FitzGerald had the opportunity to live in Bogotá, Colombia, where he studied Spanish at the Universidad Javeriana, before he received his law degree from the New England School of Law.

Attorney FitzGerald has been admitted by the Bar to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the state of Florida, Washington D.C., the state of New Hampshire, the US District Court of Massachusetts, the First Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court of Southern Florida, the U.S. District Court of Nebraska, the U.S. District Court of Colorado, the U.S. District Court of New Hampshire. He is an active member of the Boston Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACLD).

Juan C. Congote, Attorney

For Juan Congote, practicing immigration law is all about bringing families together and about helping people achieve their dreams. As a Colombian immigrant himself, Juan has first hand knowledge of the hopes and expectations that immigrants have when they decide to move into this country, pursuing a better future. These experiences, and those of his family, also immigrant, are what motivate Juan to practice in the immigration field.

Juan got his Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida Atlantic University where he was in the President’s List and in the Dean’s list. He attended law school at Suffolk University where he was in the Dean’s List for three years in a row. During Law School, Juan was part of the Suffolk University Law School Immigration Law Clinic, where he represented indigent immigrants in asylum petitions and removal proceedings. He was also tasked of conducting the “Know your Rights” presentation in Spanish to ICE Detainees in Suffolk County Jail.

Juan’s legal experience has always revolved around helping those who need it the most. He worked as a Social Security Disability attorney for over four years, where he appeared in over a hundred hearings representing Social Security Disability claimants. Juan is now part of FitzGerald Law Company, with the objective of zealously defending the rights of the immigrant community and of those who have found themselves unfairly treated by the legal system.

Zrinka Anic-Milic, Attorney

Zrinka Anic-Milic lived in several different countries and later on moved to the United States. In this way, Zrinka understands the complexities of living in foreign countries and the intricacies of immigration and naturalization.

Zrinka is a law graduate from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. She continued her education by completing an internationally focused LL.M. at Pompeu Fabra University, Spain, with a special emphasis on human rights. In addition, Zrinka is a graduate of Boston University where she obtained and LL.M. in American Law.

Her prior experience includes interning in a Boston non-profit organization where she helped legal permanent residents obtain citizenship. The combination of academic, professional and personal experience in the field of immigration and protection of human rights motivates Zrinka to personally contribute to the facilitation of the immigration process for others.

Shirley Naranjo Giraldo, Paralegal

Born in Pereira, Colombia, Shirley is fluent in English and Spanish with a basic understanding of Portuguese. She is a full time paralegal at our Immigration, Criminal and Personal Injury Boston Law Office, she is responsible for preparing immigration applications, motions, affidavits, managing client relations, court communications, general case management and interpreting when needed.

Having emigrated from Colombia to be reunited with her family and after a long immigration process to become a “ legal alien”, Shirley understands our clients from both a professional as well as a personal perspective. Adapting to a new culture when moving to a different country is not easy and Shirley remembers the arduous experiences that came with adapting herself like not knowing her rights, being afraid of being separated again from her family or not speaking the language. Shirley knew back then that her mission was to help and encourage people who are going through the same experiences she went through.

Shirley is a graduate from Universidad Libre – Colombia with a BS in Environmental Engineering.She has obtained certificates in English from Harvard Extension School, BCAE, Salem State University and just got certified in Community Interpreting at Language Connections. She has worked in the past by implementing projects to mitigate environmental impact, and creating awareness of this issue in the community. Shirley enjoys making a positive influence in people’s lives and is an avid supporter of St. Jude Children’s research . She participates every year in the Boston Walk To End Alzheimer’s.