Olivia Serene Lee is a Partner at Minami Tamaki LLP in the firm’s Immigration and Nationality practice group, specializing in a variety of employment-based immigration matters. Olivia works with many companies in all stages of a company’s lifecycle, including pre-formation, seed funding, accelerator/incubator programs, early and late stage, acquisitions and mergers, and public offering.
In addition to her legal practice, Olivia has been active in professional and civic affairs. She is currently an elected Director on the Board of Governors for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the national association of more than 16,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law. Since 2009, Olivia has served on the Advisory Council of AILA Northern California, having served as Chair of AILA Northern California from June 2016 to July 2017. Olivia has also met with Congressional offices in Washington, DC, and in the local San Francisco area to advocate for immigration reform. She has served on a number of AILA National committees, including University, Annual Conference, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committees. She serves on the American Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council as an AILA representative. She regularly speaks on local and national AILA CLE panels on topics such as O-1s, H-1Bs, entrepreneur visa options, practice management, and business immigration litigation in federal court. Recently, Olivia authored the chapter “Gathering Evidence for Researchers in Private Industry” for Immigration Options for Academics and Researchers, 3rd Ed (AILA 2021).
She has been recognized by Super Lawyers in 2021 and 2022 and in the Rising Star category from 2014-2020. Olivia is also listed in the 2018-2022 Best Lawyers in America® for Immigration Law and Who’s Who Legal – Corporate Immigration from 2019-2021.
Olivia received her Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2008. She was admitted to the California Bar in 2008 and is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court, Northern District of California.
In keeping with the firm’s tradition of community service, Olivia serves on the board of Chinese for Affirmative Action and is a member of the National Implicit Bias Network.
While in law school, Olivia worked as a law clerk for the Immigration Practice Group at Minami Tamaki LLP. She also participated in her law school’s Immigration Appellate Practice and argued before the Ninth Circuit under her law professor’s supervision. Olivia interned at the San Francisco Immigration Court, where she researched removal, deportation and asylum issues. She also volunteered on immigration cases involving domestic violence and human trafficking at the Asian Law Alliance.
Olivia explored race and law issues as a Research Assistant to Professor Margalynne Armstrong. She received the Witkin Award for Critical Race Theory and a scholarship from the Asian Pacific Bar Association of Silicon Valley. She also volunteered in New Orleans through the Student Hurricane Network in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
EDUCATION
J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, 2008
B.A. and B.S., Asian American Studies; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Davis
ADMISSIONS
California, 2008
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
PROFESSIONAL
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area
Bar Association of San Francisco
COMMUNITY
Chinese for Affirmative Action, Board Member