Kelli is a partner in the Immigration practice. She counsels a broad range of clients, including startups, large international businesses, education institutions, and nonprofit entities, on all aspects of business-immigration related laws.
For more than 10 years, Kelli has worked with clients on global talent acquisition and retention strategies, helping them develop novel approaches using work visas and green cards to meet business needs. She further assists clients with matters of immigration and worksite compliance, particularly in times of heightened immigration enforcement.
Kelli believes every company is unique, and everyone’s immigration journey is also unique. She strives to deliver dedicated, personalized service to every client throughout all phases of the immigration process.

Focus Areas
Examples of Kelli’s experience include:
- Strategizing with clients in the preparation and filing of nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions
- Architecting legal and practical measures to handle large volumes of cases
- I-9 compliance, including training, audits, and E-Verify
- Developing company immigration policies
- Due diligence and counseling to identify immigration issues and harmonize workforces and policies in mergers and acquisitions
- “USCIS Proposes Fee Exceeding $103,000 for Initial H-1B Petitions,” Thompson Hine Immigration Update, August 2026
- “Green Card Processing Inside the U.S. Just Got Harder: USCIS Narrows Path for Adjustment Status,” Thompson Hine Immigration Update, May 2026
- “ICE Reclassifies Common I-9 Errors as Substantive Violations — Immediate Action Recommended,” Thompson Hine Immigration Update, May 2026
- “Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B Lottery,” Thompson Hine Immigration Update, February 2026
- “Federal Judge Pauses Termination of TPS for Haitian Nationals,” Thompson Hine Immigration Update, February 2026
- “H-1B and H-4 Applicants Face Visa Appointment Delays Under Expanded Social Media Review,” Thompson Hine Immigration Update, December 2025
- “Additional USCIS Guidance on $100,000 H-1B Fee,” Thompson Hine Transition: A Presidential Change Update, October 2025
- “Trump Administration Continues to Target the H-1B Visa Program, Now Proposing to Favor Higher Paying Positions,” Thompson Hine Transition – A Presidential Change Update, September 2025
- “Executive Order Imposes New $100,000 Fee Per H-1B Worker,” Thompson Hine Transition – A Presidential Change Update, September 2025
- “Tips For Managing Social Media And International Travel Risks,” Law360, July 2025
- “CHNV Parole Program Terminated: What Employers Need to Know,” Thompson Hine Transition – A Presidential Change Update, June 2025
- “DHS Implements Foreign National Registration Requirement,” Thompson Hine Transition – A Presidential Change Update, April 2025
- “HSI Worksite Enforcement Actions: Employer Rights and Responsibilities,” Thompson Hine Immigration Update, February 2025
- “Green Card Processing Inside the U.S. Just Got Harder: USCIS Narrows Path for Adjustment Status,” Thompson Hine Webinar, June 2026
- “Managing Employee International Travel in a Shifting U.S. Immigration and Border Control Landscape,” Thompson Hine Transition: A Presidential Change Webinar Series, Session Thirteen, May 2025
- “Expected Immigration Policy Shifts,” Thompson Hine Transition: A Presidential Change Webinar Series, Session One, December 2024
- Selected for inclusion in Lawdragon 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers, 2025-2026
- Selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Immigration, Ohio, 2025, 2026
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2022-2024 for Immigration Law
Professional Associations
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Ohio Women’s Bar Association
Professional Activities
- University of Dayton School of Law Alumni Association board of directors, member, 2014-present; secretary, 2021-present
Education
- University of Dayton School of Law, J.D., 2014,
University of Dayton Law Review, staff writer
- Wittenberg University, B.A., 2010
Bar Admissions
- Ohio
- USCIS Proposes Fee Exceeding $103,000 for Initial H-1B Petitions,
Immigration Update
, August 26, 2026 - Green Card Processing Inside the U.S. Just Got Harder: USCIS Narrows Path for Adjustment Status,
Immigration Update
, May 26, 2026 - ICE Reclassifies Common I-9 Errors as Substantive Violations — Immediate Action Recommended,
Immigration Update
, May 19, 2026 - Three Thompson Hine Partners Featured in 2026 Lawdragon 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers List,
Thompson Hine LLP
, May 9, 2026 - Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B Lottery,
Immigration Update
, February 12, 2026 - Federal Judge Pauses Termination of TPS for Haitian Nationals,
Immigration Update
, February 3, 2026 - H-1B and H-4 Applicants Face Visa Appointment Delays Under Expanded Social Media Review,
Immigration Update
, December 9, 2025 - Six Thompson Hine Partners Named to Lawdragon’s 2026 List of 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers,
Thompson Hine LLP
, October 31, 2025 - Additional USCIS Guidance on $100,000 H-1B Fee,
Transition – A Presidential Change Update
, October 22, 2025 - Trump Administration Continues to Target the H-1B Visa Program, Now Proposing to Favor Higher Paying Positions,
Transition – A Presidential Change Update
, September 24, 2025

