September 17, 2024
Elise Fialkowski is one of our senior partners with nearly 30 years of immigration experience. She joined the firm as a partner while the firm was still quite young. Since then, she has helped grow and shape the firm into what it is today! Elise is a supportive manager, ready with an encouraging word, jumping in to help at a moment’s notice, and of course, ready to celebrate achievements! Read below to learn more about Elise Fialkowski!
- How long have you been at the firm?
I’ve been with the firm 17 years! I was a Partner at a large firm and joined the firm as a Partner in 2007. - What is your current role?
I’m a member of the firm’s Management Committee as well as the Co-Chair of our Corporate Practice. I also lead our Compliance Team. - How has your job changed over the years?
I joined the firm as a Partner focusing on corporate work in many sectors, including for example, finance, biotech, engineering, and pharma. I also led our Compliance Team. As our firm and its corporate practice have grown, we recently restructured, and I assumed the position of Corporate Practice Co-Chair. In the many years I have been at the firm, I have also developed niche areas and expanded clients including work with universities, research institutions, startups and entrepreneurs. I also love working with artists and art institutions. - What is your favorite memory from your early days at the firm?
Every year our team plans a special event for all firm employees around the holidays. It is often a surprise until very shortly before the event, with only the planning team, now our social committee, fully aware of the details. In the early days of the firm, when we could all fit into a large tour bus, we took our Philadelphia employees to New York City to see our New York office and the beautiful Rockefeller Center decorations, followed by a gourmet lunch and white elephant gift swap. It was a wonderful holiday event and get-together. The tradition continues to today. Just yesterday, we were told the date of the holiday party, with details to be disclosed just prior to the event. I’m sure it will be another great get-together of the entire firm, now with employees from 22 states across the country! - What do you value most about working at KILP?
We have a fantastic team of employees at every level. Not only do we have attorneys who are true leaders in the field of immigration, but our employees truly care about the firm, its clients, and their coworkers. It is truly a team effort to produce the highest quality immigration advice, guidance and support to companies and clients from around the globe. We look forward to working with each other day in and day out to serve our clients. - What has been one of the more challenging times?
In September 2020, the government announced that the Visa Bulletin was going to move forward dramatically allowing many long-delayed applicants to file the adjustment of status, the last step in the green card process. Prior to the announcement, many of the applicants worried that they may never be able to get to that last step and obtain green cards with their family members during their entire working career. The window for filing was incredibly tight, and the firm had hundreds and hundreds of cases to file for its clients and their family members. Our team quickly mobilized to obtain the needed information and prepare the many hundreds of cases necessary for our clients. In true KILP fashion, the entire team came together to do what was needed to help our clients, literally working around the clock to meet the deadline. I still remember the final hours in the office, with a huge team of attorneys, paralegals, and administrative support all working together to finalize the filings to meet the deadline. - Anything else you want to share?
I am so proud of our firm and the work we do. We have built a very varied practice, and our firm is known as a leader in many areas of immigration, often on the cutting edge of new developments, working creatively to meet client needs and ensuring compliance. We literally work to help bring the best and the brightest from around the world to the United States, including healthcare researchers, doctors, professors, leaders in AI, entrepreneurs, business founders, athletes, and artists.
Stay tuned to our 20th Anniversary page for more updates and staff features!
