Admitted To Practice

• Missouri, 2010

Education

• Michigan State University College of Law
  
• J.D. and a Trial Practice Institute Certification
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln 
• B.A., B.S., Marketing and Anthropology
  

Senior Attorney

Melinda Potmesil’s passion for legal immigration stems from both its dynamism and the satisfaction she derives from helping people. As she says, “this field is constantly changing, and each day can be a new challenge.” Throughout her career, Melinda has worked with a wide range of companies, ranging from incubator start-ups to Fortune 500 companies with multiple international offices. Her experiences have given her the ability to work with and devise successful immigration strategies for her clients. “There is seldom only one way or solution,” she avers. “We have to be open to new ideas, new solutions, and new tools to get the ultimate approval.”

As a Senior Attorney at FGI, she brings a wealth of experience to her role, gained from representing a wide range of corporate and individual clients. Her background includes working with organizations across various industries, including healthcare, software development, engineering, architecture, and higher education. She has developed a particular depth of knowledge in employment-based immigration, including TNs, L-1s, PERMs, and EB-1As, as well as compliance support for internal HR teams. She also handles complex matters, including National Interest Waivers (NIWs), O-1 visas, and family-based immigration cases.

Melinda earned her J.D. and a Trial Practice Institute Certification from Michigan State University’s College of Law, where she also participated in Moot Court and the Trial Advocacy Board. She also holds dual bachelor's degrees in marketing and anthropology from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Currently, she is involved with several local bar chapters (Missouri Immigration Law Committee, BAMSL) as well as the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA, Missouri/Kansas chapter). She has also presented multiple times at Thompson Coburn seminars.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, having visited England, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, and South Korea, as well as gardening, camping, cooking, and yoga. Asked to summarize her immigration practice philosophy, Melinda says that her driving goal “is to be a good steward to the client. As immigration attorneys, we need to have practical business solutions that are balanced with the personal needs of the individual client and their family.”