Kelly Simon named 2014 Up & Coming attorney

Kelly Simon

Missouri Lawyers Weekly has selected Thompson Coburn partnerKelly Simon as a 2014 “Up & Coming” attorney award winner.

Kelly is an immigration attorney in Thompson Coburn’s Labor & Employment group.

The awards honor attorneys who are under 40 or in the first 10 years of their legal careers. Winners were selected based on their academic and career accomplishments, community involvement, and potential to make a difference in the profession, legal system, or the community. The 54 award winners will be honored Oct. 3 at a special ceremony at the Chase Park Plaza.

As Thompson Coburn’s first full-time immigration partner, Kelly Simon is a core member of the firm’s 10-person Immigration Group and guides clients through the complex maze of the immigration process. She helps all types of businesses and nonprofits secure residency and, eventually, citizenship for mission-critical employees. Kelly’s interest in immigration law sprung from her prior career as a staffer for U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, where she worked directly on a variety of thorny immigration issues.

In her current role, Kelly frequently prepares immigration applications for scientists and researchers, distilling highly technical information and explaining exactly why an individual’s skills and area of research are essential to the petitioning university, hospital or private employer.

Outside of work, Kelly is active with a newly established nonprofit, Achievements Unlimited, that provides day programs for adults with autism and related disorders. This first-of-its-kind program in Missouri provides critical support, activities, and work experience for young people who have aged out of the St. Louis Special School District.