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+1 (323) 282-7770 frontdesk@gondim-law.com

Team

For foreign citizens who wish to progress in their personal lives and professional careers in the United States, it is essential to rely on the legal support of attorneys who not only specialize in Immigration Law but who are also licensed to practice federal law across the entire country. All Gondim Law Corp’s attorneys are licensed in the United States and members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

Our team works under the highest standard of ethics, commitment, and transparency to ensure the best service to our clients. Gondim Law Corp. counts on attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants who are experienced in various types of immigration processes.

Meet our Gondim Law Corp. team. Let us fulfill your goals towards the American dream.

ATTORNEYS

Marcelo Gondim

Immigration Attorney and President

Marcelo is the founder and lead attorney at Gondim Law Corp. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and licensed by the State Bar of California, U.S. District Court (Central District Court of California), and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Marcelo came to the United States as an immigrant pursuing the same American dream, that years later, he has helped his clients achieve. Before his move to the U.S., Marcelo was an attorney in Brazil. Since 2010, he has been practicing law in the United States and has been working in immigration law for over 21 years now.

Julia Montenegro

Immigration Attorney

Julia is an immigration attorney licensed to practice law by the California State Bar since 2019. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and holds a Master’s degree from the Chapman University School of Law.  

A lawyer in Brazil since 2012, Julia began working at Gondim Law Corp in 2016, as an intern.

She is fluent in English and Portuguese. 

Patricia Mendoza

Immigration Attorney

Patricia holds a Juris Doctor degree (JD) from the University of West Los Angeles, School of Law. Since 2020, she is a CA Provisional Licensed Attorney authorized by the State Bar of CA and a member of the American Immigration Lawyer Association (AILA).

Patricia has considerable legal experience in various immigration areas, including but not limited to, immigration court proceedings, asylum, family-based and employment-based petitions/adjustment of status, naturalization, DACA, TPS, etc. She  is fluent in English and Spanish.

João Mateus Loyola

Immigration Attorney

João is an immigration attorney licensed to practice law by the California State Bar since 2022 and by the Brazilian Lawyers Association (OAB) in Brazil since 2014. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and USCIS Liaison Committee member”.

João studied law at Estacio de Sa University and completed a paralegal course at Fullerton College. He has more than ten years of legal experience working in different areas of administrative law. João speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Legal Team

Cynthia Macedo 

Coordinator

Cynthia has been working as a Paralegal at Gondim Law since 2020. She coordinates the EB-1 and EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) visa team. A licensed lawyer in Brazil since 2011, Cynthia holds postgraduate degrees in Public Law and Business Law, having worked for more than ten years in Customs and Tax Law. She is fluent in English and Portuguese.

Patricia Ventura

Rafaela Ampessan

Fernanda Louzada

Paralegal

Fernanda is lawyer licensed in Brazil since 2012. She graduated from Law school at Faculdade de Direito Milton Campos and held a postgraduate degree in Contracts. Fernanda worked for the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais – Brazil. She is fluent in English and Portuguese and speaks advanced Spanish.

Karoline Pereira

Paralegal

Karoline has been a licensed lawyer in Brazil since 2020. She previously worked at the Public Defense of São Paulo. She graduated from Law school at Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo and held a postgraduate degree in International Law and an LLM in International Business Law from Northeastern University. Karoline speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French.

Virgínia Montenegro

Paralegal

Virginia Montenegro is a paralegal at Gondim law Corp working with the EB-2 NIW team. She holds a postgraduate degree in Administrative Law and has been a licensed lawyer in Brazil since 2012. Virginia speaks English and Portuguese.

Emma Chaidez

Legal Assistant

Emma graduated in 2020 from UC Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies and Spanish Literature.
She worked as an immigration paralegal for two years and holds a Paralegal Certificate for State of California. She also has experience as an educator. Here she is part of the family-based team assisting with documentation and client communication. She provides support for translation services in Spanish and English as she in fluent in both.

Katherine Souza

Legal Assistant

Katherine is a licensed lawyer in Brazil since 2021. She graduated from Law School at UNASP and held a postgraduate degree in Technology law. She obtained her Master of Law degree in Intellectual Property in 2022 from University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. She has previously worked as an intern in Brazil at Procuradoria Geral do Estado de São Paulo and as a paralegal in a Boutique Law firm with Business, Intellectual Property, Loans, Real Estate, and Estate Planning. Katherine speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish. 

Andre Fiser

Office Clerk

Andre holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Sao Paulo. He has 7 years of experience working as Account Manager, taking care of clients, conflicts and demands. He is an asset to the legal team by supporting and assisting the EB2-NIW Department with a diverse organizational and operational skills set. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish and conversational in Hebrew.

Xenia Zamarripa

Office Clerk

Xenia works as a Law Clerk  at Gondim Law Corp since 2023.  She provides support to the Paralegals and Attorneys in the Family-based team on immigration petitions, green cards, employment authorization document cards, and various legal proceedings. Xenia holds a bachelor’s degree in Food Science and has previously worked in the food industry. She is currently completing a Paralegal Certification. Xenia is fluent in English and Spanish.

Administrative Team

Manuela Camboim

Administrative Assistant

Suellen Dacio

Administrative Assistant

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