Partner Spotlight: Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm
Spotlight
Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm is a business immigration law practice based in Kansas City. Mira Mdivani and her colleagues at Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm guide US and international employers thought the maze of U.S. corporate immigration compliance, and onboarding and retention of international personnel.
Community service is at the heart of the firm’s practice. Mdivani lawyers help immigrant women and children, victims of domestic violence, and other violent crimes obtain legal immigration status through Mdivani Pro Bono Program. We sat down with founder Mira Mdivani to hear more about her support for Newhouse and her commitment to fighting for survivors of domestic violence.
Newhouse Connection
Firm’s Managing Partner, Mira Mdivani, knew of Newhouse through her work on immigrant survivors cases. When Newhouse’s current board chair and personal friend Rochelle Stringer reached out, Mira stepped up to help by becoming a presenting sponsor for our signature gala.
“My connection through Rochelle demonstrates the power of joining forces with someone who is determined and dedicated to the organization,” Mira says. “Both Rochelle and I care about human dignity and empowering the vulnerable. I admire her work leading the NewHouse Board, and immediately stepped up to help. Deep connections like these enable the success of missions like Newhouse.”
Supporting immigrant survivors
“Immigrant survivors of domestic violence and other violent crimes are among some of the most vulnerable people on earth,” Mira says.
Many immigrant survivors do not have legal status in the United States. Every day, their lives are in immediate danger from their abusers, plus they fear deportation.
“The abuser will threaten to “ship them back” to their country of origin if they speak up or complain,” she shares.
Through the Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm Pro Bono Program, Mira and her associates provide free legal services to immigrant women and children who are victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes, based on referrals from domestic violence shelters in Kansas and Missouri.
Achieving safe shelter, finding income, caring for children — these are all complex issues immigrant survivors face when leaving their abuser. Many don’t know where to start, and that they have legal options, which is why connecting with advocates like Mira is so vital.
Mira’s commitment to her pro-bono clients is clear. “We stay with clients all the way to achieving citizenship, even if it takes 10-15 years,” she says.
Collaborating with shelters
Mira has written a book with several lawyers at her firm to teach a course at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law on how to obtain legal status for immigrant survivors. She also utilizes this book to train staff at shelters, providing shelters with checklists, how to identify issues, and how to help survivors to collect crucial evidence. Overall, their goal is to enable shelter staff and survivors to build a case. Cases can take several months to build, which is why once the case is ready, it’s go-time.
“We schedule survivors to meet with us the very next day after they have the needed evidence to start drafting their immigration petition, with several lawyers collaborating on analysis and preparation of the case. Once it’s ready, it is urgent. It becomes an immediate priority.”
The impact of Mdivani’s work
Mira describes the impact of Mdivani Corporate Immigration Law Firm Pro Bono Program’s work with survivors as three-fold.
“First, it provides immense relief for the survivor. . . that we prioritize them and drop everything for when their evidence is ready. It helps restore the survivor’s sense of dignity and gives her hope. She can have confidence that she has powerful lawyers on her side as soon as she’s ready.”
“Second, it brings satisfaction to our lawyers. We love our corporate clients — we are excellent nerds on corporate immigration, and we are very proud of our expertise. We give the same quality of work to our pro bono clients, and it is a great booster for us. We feel useful to human beings who wouldn’t otherwise have justice.”
“Third, we demonstrate our commitment to our community’s shelters. It is very important to us that they do their part, and we are here immediately to do our part.”
The power of relationships
Mira is grateful to the Mdivani lawyers who have worked on pro bono cases — Danielle Atchison, Leyla McMullen, Jassy Riggins, Pat Mack, Samara Nazir, Emily Haverkamp, and Mason Ellis for their commitment to making the Kansas City community better through their pro-bono work.
“We have specialized, deep expertise, but we have a wide outlook for what makes lives in our community a better place to live. We are working hard on making it better for all.”
She also extends her gratitude to her corporate clients, who enable her firm with the opportunity to do this important work.
Finally, Mira says, “I’d like to toast to the power of friendship. Mdivani has supported other programs, and Newhouse would not be on my radar if not for my friendship with Rochelle Stringer. It demonstrates the power of one dedicated person to bring in her friends, employer, neighbors, and community with her to support such a worthy cause.”
Many thanks, Mira, for sharing more about Mdivani and your commitment to survivors of domestic violence. Newhouse believes it takes the entire community — including essential community partners like you — to shatter the barriers that feed the cycle of abuse. Thank you to you and your entire team for all the ways you serve and bring justice in our community.
To learn more about Mdivani, please visit https://uslegalimmigration.com/
