Celesq® Presenters

Kristi Nevarez understands what Silicon Valley companies need from their local immigration counsel; she has spent the better part of two decades ensuring that Fragomen’s Silicon Valley office is there to meet those needs. She knows the challenges companies face in striking the delicate and effective balance between creating an excellent employee experience with necessary business considerations. 

With nearly 25 years of experience in corporate business immigration, Kristi is a trusted advisor to clients across a wide range of industries, including technology, semi-conductor, food and beverage, entertainment, consumer products and legal service providers. Companies look to Kristi for guidance as they support their own employees’ immigration needs and career trajectories while simultaneously making strategic choices for their businesses. Kristi draws on this longstanding experience as immigration counsel to corporate clients to create nuanced approaches to companies’ unique immigration programs. Providing specialized compliance and business risk advice, she helps companies with decades-strong and brand-new programs alike, always working to refresh and/or develop their immigration practices. 

In her role as Managing Partner of Fragomen’s Silicon Valley office, Kristi proudly leads an all-female partnership. She provides support for employees as she manages hundreds of attorneys, paralegals and business professionals—all of whom are tirelessly dedicated to providing exceptional legal and strategic business advice to Silicon Valley’s top players. A regular presenter on local, national and international panels, industry leaders look to her for her cutting-edge policy and legal analysis to help forecast important trends in immigration. 

A Silicon Valley native, Kristi’s local perspective and Latina background have long informed her commitment to immigration services. Clients appreciate her intimate understanding of the life-altering decisions with which their employees grapple, along with the dedicated service she provides to help ensure their success. 

Further, Kristi’s upbringing has made her particularly passionate about mentoring and helping to develop other women of diverse backgrounds. She serves on the Latina Advisory Council of How Women Lead, a national organization of top executive women focused on activating their individual and collective power to achieve equity for women by driving representation and opportunities across all aspects of life and career. Kristi sponsors the Silicon Valley office’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee and is personally and passionately active in internal and external DEI initiatives. 

Prior to rejoining Fragomen as a Partner, Kristi served as the Congressional Assistant and Immigration Policy Advisor to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, working with constituents in her local district office and working with the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Border Safety in Washington, DC.