Bermuda's first lawyer fluent in both English and Portugese was called to the Bermuda Bar earlier this month.

Mr. Hilberto DeFrias, 27, who joined the firm of Smith, Barnard & Diel in August, 1994, will concentrate on immigration, property, trusts and commercial law.

Mr. DeFrias, who was married in June, 1995, came to Bermuda from the Azores nine months after he was born when his family moved to the Island.

He attended Paget Primary, Warwick Academy and York University in Canada where his initial goal was to be a chartered accountant.

Soon after he switched gears and went into law at Keele University in England where he read law and economics.

Mr. DeFrias pursued the solicitor's route to qualification and attended the College of Law in 1993.

After he graduated with commendation in June, 1994, Mr. DeFrias joined Smith, Barnard & Diel where he completed his pupilage.

"It is a great honour to be counted among the many distinguished individuals that make up the Bermuda Bar,'' he said. "It has been a long hard road but today brings that to an end. It has not been easy.

"I want to thank my parents who came to Bermuda as immigrants which made it that much more dif ficult to ensure that I would become a barrister in Bermuda.

"They financed my education completely and at times they and my brothers showed more faith in me than I did in myself.'' immigration, property and commercial law.