SYMPHORIEN-SAAVEDRA LAW - Key Persons
"Frank" Symphorien-Saavedra's practice is focused on high stakes immigration and nationality law. Board certified in immigration and nationality law, a distinction limited to less than 8% of all Florida lawyers, Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra is an expert who is AV rated "Preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell and has been designated a Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine. Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra has also been a member of The National Advocates; Top 100 and The National Advocates: Top 40 under 40. As of May 2021, Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra is the only board certified immigration expert within the State of Florida who is a Venezuelan native.
Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra's unique practice focuses on removal defense, federal court litigation, and extraordinary ability visas or national interest waivers. He also handles all other aspects of U.S. Immigration and Nationality Law, including family immigration, asylum and U.S. Citizenship claims. The tenacity which drives Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra's practice has led him to successfully brief and win cases before administrative and Circuit appellate courts to secure successes for his clients.
A native of Venezuela, Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra immigrated to the United States when he was 11 years old. His father worked 24-hour shifts as a taxi driver in New York City in order to bring his wife and children to the United States. Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra attended West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida, where he participated in the law magnet program and won a mock appellate brief competition. His promising young career was evident when he presented mock oral arguments before the Florida Supreme Court at 16 years of age. Thereafter, Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra attended The Florida State University College of Law after graduating with high honors from the University of South Florida. Following a clerkship at the Orlando Immigration Court, his personal experiences and education led him to settle early and passionately on the field of immigration law. Thirteen years later, immigration continues to be Mr. Symphorien's exclusive focus in his practice of law.
Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra cherishes his Latin heritage and is deeply devoted to this land of opportunity and freedom, which he calls home. He empathizes with the plight of other immigrants, immigrant families, and is passionate about providing opportunities for talented and driven professionals to contribute to the fabric of this great country. Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra particularly values opportunities to help thriving businesses collaborate with talented professionals in order to add to the strength and ingenuity of this country.
Currently, Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra serves on the Florida Bar Immigration and Nationality Law Certification Committee and will serve as vice-chair during the 2021-2022 term. Previously, he served in committee leadership roles for the Orange County Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyer's Association-Central Florida Chapter, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and he regularly provides commentary on Univision, and various local media outlets including Unimas and News13. He is a regular speaker at national and local conferences that equip immigration lawyers and his opinions and analysis on the subject of extraordinary ability visas and federal court litigation have been published in professional journals.
Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra is fluent in Spanish and English and is always learning Portuguese. He is married to Litty Symphorien, an educator, and they are parents to three young children ages 13, 9 and 3. He is an active member of Horizon West Church. On a leisurely day off, you'll find him with his immediate and extended family grilling for a hungry crowd.
Job Titles:
- Associate Immigration Attorney
Immigration attorney Melissa Trivino has been practicing alongside Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra since January 2020. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in 2010 from the University of Phoenix in Charlotte, North Carolina. A child of Colombian and Ecuadorian parents, Mrs. Trivino is personally connected to immigration stories. Prior to attending to law school, Mrs. Trivino worked as an immigration paralegal for many years. This experience inspired her to explore the field of immigration law further and ignited within her a passion and desire to help the immigrant community.
In 2019, Mrs. Trivino relocated to Central Florida and received her Juris Doctorate degree from Barry University School of Law. While in law school, Mrs. Trivino served as a Student Attorney in the Advanced Immigration Clinic and received early exposure to immigration-related matters ranging from family based petitions, cases under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and Asylum applications to representing clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration Court. Mrs. Trivino also served as Treasurer for the Counsel for Children Association and was a member of the Hispanic American Law Student Association.
Melissa Trivino is fluent in Spanish and is a member of the Florida Bar and the Young Lawyers Section of the Orange County Bar Association. Mrs. Trivino resides in Central Florida with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, listening to music, and traveling.