Important Updates
Important Updates
July 3, 2025 | United StatesUnited States: Congress Passes Budget Reconciliation Bill with Immigration Impact
July 3, 2025 | CanadaCanada: Ontario Implements Key Reforms to the Immigrant Nominee Program
July 3, 2025 | CanadaCanada: Québec Reopens Skilled Worker Program and Unveils Selection Criteria
July 3, 2025 | United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates: Temporary Pause on Issuing Freelance Visas
July 3, 2025 | United KingdomUnited Kingdom: Migration Advisory Committee to Assess Salary Thresholds, Temporary Shortage List Occupations
July 3, 2025 | United StatesUnited States: Congress Passes Budget Reconciliation Bill with Immigration Impact
July 3, 2025 | CanadaCanada: Ontario Implements Key Reforms to the Immigrant Nominee Program
July 3, 2025 | CanadaCanada: Québec Reopens Skilled Worker Program and Unveils Selection Criteria
July 3, 2025 | United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates: Temporary Pause on Issuing Freelance Visas
July 3, 2025 | United KingdomUnited Kingdom: Migration Advisory Committee to Assess Salary Thresholds, Temporary Shortage List Occupations
July 3, 2025 | United StatesUnited States: Congress Passes Budget Reconciliation Bill with Immigration Impact
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Senior Associate

Elizabeth Cleveland Wakefield

  • People

Senior Associate

Elizabeth Cleveland Wakefield

Country / Territory

  • United StatesUnited States

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  • English
  • Spanish

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[email protected]

T:+1 281 605 3154

F:+1 281 605 3150

Houston, TX

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

1415 Louisiana Street, Suite 2350

Houston TX 77002

United States

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Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 281 605 3154

F:+1 281 605 3150

Houston, TX

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

1415 Louisiana Street, Suite 2350

Houston TX 77002

United States

Connect via Linkedin

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 281 605 3154

F:+1 281 605 3150

Houston, TX

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

1415 Louisiana Street, Suite 2350

Houston TX 77002

United States

Connect via Linkedin
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Elizabeth is a Senior Associate at Fragomen’s Houston office, where she primarily advises clients on employment-based immigration matters. She partners with in-house counsel, human resources and executives to implement and execute strategies to meet clients’ most pressing U.S. immigration challenges. Elizabeth provides immigration solutions to businesses regarding temporary work visas, immigrant petitions and naturalization, as well as compliance and corporate restructuring issues. She has advised companies of all sizes in mergers, acquisitions and other corporate reorganizations, ensuring successful immigration compliance efforts.

Elizabeth is a regular public speaker and author. Her thought leadership has been showcased in numerous forums and spans a variety of topics—from the green card process to the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. immigration. Additionally, Elizabeth prioritizes community outreach and pro bono work in her practice. She currently serves as Fragomen Houston’s pro bono ambassador, helping to funnel public service work to the Houston office and its staff.

Prior to joining Fragomen, Elizabeth worked for another full-service immigration firm, where she represented corporate clients ranging in size from Fortune Global 100 corporations to family businesses. She also served as a Legal Fellow with the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, where she researched and composed memoranda analyzing U.S. immigration law for the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During law school, Elizabeth served as a Student Attorney with the University of Houston Immigration Clinic, where she helped to win an appeal from the Board of Immigration Appeals and contributed to federal policy memoranda. Elizabeth was also selected as a Research Assistant for a professor in the clinic. In addition, Elizabeth served as a Fellow with Mosaic Family Services, where she assisted clients with asylum cases and T and U visas.

Elizabeth speaks English and is proficient in Spanish.

During law school, Elizabeth served as a Student Attorney with the University of Houston Immigration Clinic, where she helped to win an appeal from the Board of Immigration Appeals and contributed to federal policy memoranda. Elizabeth was also selected as a Research Assistant for a professor in the clinic. In addition, Elizabeth served as a Fellow with Mosaic Family Services, where she assisted clients with asylum cases and T and U visas.

Elizabeth speaks English and is proficient in Spanish.

Education

  • University of Houston Law Center, J.D., 2012
  • Sewanee: The University of the South, B.A., 2008

More from Elizabeth

Admissions

Bar Admissions: Texas

Practice Limited to Federal Immigration & Nationality Law

Awards

Named to Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (Woodward/White, Inc.), 2024

Named to Houston Business Journal’s 2023 Women Who Mean Business Awards (American City Business Journals), 2023

Public Interest Fellowship Award, University of Houston Law Center, 2010

Wilkins Academic Merit Scholar, Sewanee: The University of the South, 2004-2008

Order of the Gownsmen, Sewanee: The University of the South, 2006 to 2008

Professional accomplishments

Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

Member, Houston Bar Association

Member, Houston Young Lawyers Association

Member, Texas Bar Association

Member, Asia Society

Publications and lectures

Speaker, “GME Leaders Exchange | Houston.” Global Mobility Executive, Houston, TX, 5 June 2025.

Co-author, “Prepare your global energy workforce for the second Trump administration.” Energy Voice, 21 January 2025.

Co-author, “Work Within the Water.” World Pipelines, Volume 23, Number 8, Pages 35-38, August 2023.

Speaker, “Hiring Foreign Nationals in the U.S.: What HR Needs to Know.”  2023 Gulf Coast Symposium on HR Issues, Houston, Texas, 13 July 2023.

Speaker, “’Right on the Money’ by Alan Jackson: Wage issues and processing updates.” AILA Texas Spring Conference, Austin, Texas, 31 March 2023.

Speaker, “Global Mobility Executive Houston Roundtable.” Global Mobility Executive Leaders Exchange, Houston, Texas, 30 March 2023.

Co-author, “White Paper: Immigration in the Offshore Energy and Maritime Industry.” Fragomen, 15 March 2023.

Speaker, “T’Expat Panel – Everything An Expat Needs To Know.” British American Business Council Texas, Webinar, 28 February 2023.

Co-author, “Don’t Let a Lack of U.S. Immigration Due Diligence Derail Corporate Reorganization.” Texas Lawyer, 14 September 2022.

Speaker, “Career Planning and Immigration: What HR Professionals Need to Know.” SHRM Gulf Coast Symposium, Houston, Texas, 28 July 2022.

Speaker, “T’Expat Panel – Everything An Expat Needs To Know.” British American Business Council Texas, Webinar, 5 April 2022.

Speaker, “T’Expat Panel – Everything An Expat Needs To Know.” British American Business Council Texas, Webinar, 17 March 2022.

Speaker, “911! An HR Toolkit to Prevent and Address U.S. Immigration Emergencies.” SHRM Gulf Coast Symposium, Houston, Texas, 3 August 2021.

Speaker, “Immigration Family Planning: What HR Professionals Need to Know.” SHRM Gulf Coast Symposium, Houston, Texas, 3 August 2021.

Speaker, “The Impact of COVID-19 and Presidential Proclamations on U.S. Immigration.” Association of Corporate Counsel Houston, Houston, Texas, 18 June 2020.

Speaker, “COVID-19 and U.S. Immigration.” SHRM HR Houston June General Meeting, Houston, Texas, 18 June 2020.

Elizabeth’s insights

June 5, 2025 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange | HoustonRead more

January 22, 2025 | Media mentions

Energy Voice: Prepare Your Global Energy Workforce for the Second Trump AdministrationRead more

October 10, 2024 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange F2F USA | HoustonRead more
More related insights

Elizabeth’s insights

June 5, 2025 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange | HoustonRead more

January 22, 2025 | Media mentions

Energy Voice: Prepare Your Global Energy Workforce for the Second Trump AdministrationRead more

October 10, 2024 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange F2F USA | HoustonRead more
More related insights

Elizabeth’s insights

June 5, 2025 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange | HoustonRead more

January 22, 2025 | Media mentions

Energy Voice: Prepare Your Global Energy Workforce for the Second Trump AdministrationRead more

October 10, 2024 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange F2F USA | HoustonRead more
More related insights

Country / Territory

  • United StatesUnited States

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 281 605 3154

F:+1 281 605 3150

Houston, TX

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

1415 Louisiana Street, Suite 2350

Houston TX 77002

United States

Connect via Linkedin

Elizabeth’s insights

June 5, 2025 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange | HoustonRead more

January 22, 2025 | Media mentions

Energy Voice: Prepare Your Global Energy Workforce for the Second Trump AdministrationRead more

October 10, 2024 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange F2F USA | HoustonRead more
More related insights

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 281 605 3154

F:+1 281 605 3150

Houston, TX

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

1415 Louisiana Street, Suite 2350

Houston TX 77002

United States

Connect via Linkedin

Elizabeth’s insights

June 5, 2025 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange | HoustonRead more

January 22, 2025 | Media mentions

Energy Voice: Prepare Your Global Energy Workforce for the Second Trump AdministrationRead more

October 10, 2024 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange F2F USA | HoustonRead more
More related insights

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 281 605 3154

F:+1 281 605 3150

Houston, TX

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

1415 Louisiana Street, Suite 2350

Houston TX 77002

United States

Connect via Linkedin

Elizabeth’s insights

June 5, 2025 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange | HoustonRead more

January 22, 2025 | Media mentions

Energy Voice: Prepare Your Global Energy Workforce for the Second Trump AdministrationRead more

October 10, 2024 | Conference

GME Leaders Exchange F2F USA | HoustonRead more
More related insights

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Explore more at Fragomen

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Immigration Consultant Azela Hadia covers everything you need to know about French citizenship by decree, a legal process through which a foreign national can acquire French nationality.

Learn more

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Learn more

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