Martha arrived in Miami from Cuba in 1967, and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in English and her juris doctor degree from the University of Miami. She began her career as a lawyer in 1984 in an insurance defense firm. In 1987 she joined the City of Miami Attorney's Office as the lawyer representing the city in workers' compensation matters. Later she and two partners opened their own practice, where she continued to primarily represent employers. After ten years, in 2000, she made the decision to open her own firm, solely concentrating on workers' compensation law.