From Law School to Cross-Border Council

"Everyone kept saying: 'Why aren't you going to a law firm?' But I knew I had to listen to that inner voice that told me I was making the right decision."

From business-curious kid to global family advisor, Elias has always followed his gut—even when it meant taking the road no one expected him to.

Starting college, he knew he wanted to be in the business world, but not exactly where he would land. Accounting, marketing, finance—they were all on the table. Math came easily, and his mom's steady career as a state tax auditor gave him a front-row seat to the stability and impact of accounting.

All of this moved Elias down a traditional path: Earn his CPA and then a master's in accounting.

And he might have stayed on that track if not for a single law class that shifted something inside him. Statutes, case law, the structure of the legal system—it completed the picture.

"I didn't want to restrict my career to a single path," Elias said. "So instead of applying to graduate accounting programs, I sat for the LSAT and committed to law school."

In his second year, he chose to focus on tax. It was a natural fit—tax law draws on corporate work, trusts and estates, and business advisory. This enabled Elias to apply his accounting expertise and deeper legal analysis.

He wanted to be the person clients could turn to for complex, high-stakes decisions involving both their businesses and their families. That vision led him down an unconventional path—an attorney in a CPA practice instead of a law firm.

"A lot of people didn't understand this decision, but trusting my gut had never failed me before."

Working in an accounting firm offered Elias immediate opportunity to specialize in international tax and work with cross-border families and complicated multi-jurisdictional issues from day one.

The work also resonated on a more personal level. Elias' own Cuban-born family left the island in the early 1960s due to political upheaval—starting over in the United States with no real support to help navigate tax and business complexities.

Growing up in South Florida, Elias watched many of his friends' families carry similar stories from across Latin America: Facing big, complex decisions without a trusted advisor in their corner. He wanted to close that gap and be the advisor who understands the full picture and helps families protect what they've worked so hard to build—whether in the U.S., back home, or both.

Over the years, the skill Elias has worked the hardest to develop wasn't technical. It was harder: Listening.

"People confuse listening with basic hearing. I wanted to be the advisor who truly listened and deeply understood each client. The person who became the trusted voice on speed dial."

Elias grew into the type of advisor who understands what keeps people up at night, what they're worried about today, and what they've not yet considered. The type that feels more like extended family than a mere practitioner.

At every turn in his journey—from CPA track and law school to a nontraditional role inside a CPA firm and, today, a partner in a broader financial services company—Elias has always followed that internal pull; that gut instinct. So, when asked to offer advice to others just starting out, his response is no surprise:

"Listen to your gut, commit fully, and trust that with real focus and intention you will land in the right place, helping the people who need it most."

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