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Porthole headshot image of Fragomen [SanDiego][Partner][KarineWenger]

Partner

Karine Wenger

Karine-Wenger
Porthole headshot image of Fragomen [SanDiego][Partner][KarineWenger]
  • People

Partner

Karine Wenger

Country / Territory

  • United StatesUnited States

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish
  • French

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 858 793 1600

F:+1 858 793 1686

San Diego, CA

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

5355 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 750

San Diego CA 92121

United States

Connect via Linkedin

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish
  • French

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 858 793 1600

F:+1 858 793 1686

San Diego, CA

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

5355 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 750

San Diego CA 92121

United States

Connect via Linkedin

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish
  • French

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 858 793 1600

F:+1 858 793 1686

San Diego, CA

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

5355 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 750

San Diego CA 92121

United States

Connect via Linkedin
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Karine, managing partner of Fragomen’s San Diego office, represents a range of clients from single investors to Fortune 500 and 100 companies.

She boasts a deep background in advisory work, having guided countless individual employees through the complexities of the immigration system early in her career. As her practice grew, her work shifted to program design and management—helping clients understand their immigration challenges from a high-level strategic perspective.

Karine excels at integrating immigration strategy into her clients’ business goals and objectives, using immigration law to help them grow and prosper.

  • Individual investors and entrepreneurs value her ability to present clear, viable options that synthesize their unique personal and business goals.
  • She represents young, midsize companies that are shifting to a larger workforce as a consequence of their growth, ensuring that their evolving policies and programs are compliant, manageable, efficient and cost-effective.
  • Fragomen’s largest corporate clients rely on her to efficiently manage their immigrant workforces while maintaining the highest level of employee satisfaction “on the ground”.

She continues to advise all her clients on individual cases and situations that present particularly thorny or intractable issues.

Fundamental to Karine’s approach is her conviction that immigration is a mission-critical strategic consideration in general business planning and contingency response. Clients depend on her advice in areas that intersect with her practice in novel and productive ways, including tax, employment and regulatory issues that might not traditionally be associated with immigration law. She has advised clients on layoffs, force reductions, employee relocations, corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, litigation and government investigations.

Whether she is representing an individual or an institution, empathy is the guiding star for Karine and her teams. She strives to build clarity and humanity into the employee experience, whether she is designing a program that will manage thousands of foreign workers or is helping her team iron out the difficulties faced by a lone employee at the center of a difficult immigration problem. She believes that sound, well-executed strategy is the most effective way to demonstrate her care for the client’s staff, from program managers to front-line workers.

Karine maintains an active pro bono practice. Most recently she has worked closely with Casa Cornelia, a non-profit organization in San Diego, California that provides legal services to women and children who have been the victims of abuse and who qualify for immigration benefits to remain in the U.S.

As Fragomen San Diego’s managing partner, she invests wholeheartedly in the training and mentorship of the teams and associates in the office.

Karine is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

She continues to advise all her clients on individual cases and situations that present particularly thorny or intractable issues.

Fundamental to Karine’s approach is her conviction that immigration is a mission-critical strategic consideration in general business planning and contingency response. Clients depend on her advice in areas that intersect with her practice in novel and productive ways, including tax, employment and regulatory issues that might not traditionally be associated with immigration law. She has advised clients on layoffs, force reductions, employee relocations, corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, litigation and government investigations.

Whether she is representing an individual or an institution, empathy is the guiding star for Karine and her teams. She strives to build clarity and humanity into the employee experience, whether she is designing a program that will manage thousands of foreign workers or is helping her team iron out the difficulties faced by a lone employee at the center of a difficult immigration problem. She believes that sound, well-executed strategy is the most effective way to demonstrate her care for the client’s staff, from program managers to front-line workers.

Karine maintains an active pro bono practice. Most recently she has worked closely with Casa Cornelia, a non-profit organization in San Diego, California that provides legal services to women and children who have been the victims of abuse and who qualify for immigration benefits to remain in the U.S.

As Fragomen San Diego’s managing partner, she invests wholeheartedly in the training and mentorship of the teams and associates in the office.

Karine is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Education

  • Golden Gate University School of Law, J.D., 1998
  • University of California, San Diego, B.A., 1994

More from Karine

Admissions

Bar Admissions: California

Practice Limited to Federal Immigration & Nationality Law

Awards

Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2018 to 2025

Listed in San Diego Business Journal’s Leaders of Influence in Law, 2024

Listed in San Diego Business Journal’s Women of Influence in Law, 2023, 2025

Inn of Court Pro Bono Publico Award, Casa Cornelia Law Center’s 10th Annual La Mancha Awards, 2017

Named one of the “San Diego County Top Attorneys,” San Diego Source, 2014 to 2015

Professional accomplishments

Member, Lawyers Club of San Diego

Member, San Diego Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association

Advisor Emeriti, International Law section of the State Bar of California

Editorial Board of the California International Law Journal

Past AILA Chair and Executive Committee member, San Diego Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association

Executive Committee member, International Law section of the State Bar of California

Board of Directors for the San Diego French-American Chamber of Commerce

Member, Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce

Experience

Represents global leaders in the telecommunication industry, creating and implementing immigration programs customized to their specific needs, and managing them in a streamlined and cost-effective manner.

Provides innovative solutions and legal guidance in all aspects of employment-based immigration ranging from nonimmigrant issues to obtaining permanent residency.

Assists start-up and small international businesses in strategizing and facilitating the employment of foreign personnel through L-1 intra company transfers and establishing E-1 and E-2 registration at U.S. consulates around the world.

Manages immigration programs on behalf of companies in the hospitality, entertainment, shipbuilding, manufacturing, and biotechnology industries in all aspects of securing immigrant and nonimmigrant visas.

Publications and lectures

Speaker, “Are You Prepared? Key U.S. Immigration Compliance Updates for Employers.” Fragomen, Webinar, 24 March 2025.

Speaker, “TSD Spotlight: Tech Worker Immigration Alerts with Fragomen.” Tech San Diego, 14 February 2023.

Speaker, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Building a Powerful, Inclusive, and Equitable Work Environment for a Diverse Workforce.” Legal + Strategic Insights 2022 San Diego SHRM Conference, San Diego, CA, 11 March 2022.

Contributor, “Rethinking immigration policies for STEM doctorates.” Science, 27 January 2021.

Speaker, “The CWS Summit Court.” 15th Annual CWS Summit North America, San Diego, CA, 9 September 2019.

Contributor, “ICE Knocking on Doors of Companies Hiring Foreign Tech Students.” Bloomberg Law - Daily Labor Report, 13 August 2019.

Contributor, “H-1B visa policies favor large companies, study says.” The San Diego Union-Tribune and Los Angeles Times, 5 August 2019.

Speaker, “New Immigration Realities - Changes in Immigration Policies, Regulations and Trends.” Tech San Diego HR Roundtable, San Diego, CA, 27 March 2019.

Contributor, "USCIS Policy Changes Put STEM Students on Shaky Footing." Law360, 25 July 2018.

Presents/lectures extensively to seminar groups in the United States, including but not limited to:

  • 20th Annual AILA California Chapters Conference
  • AILA 2007 Spring Fundamentals of Immigration Law Conference
  • AILA’s Conference “The Essentials of Immigration Law for Paralegals, Legal Assistants, and Law Office Staff”
  • State Bar of California
  • San Diego County Bar Association
  • Association of Corporate Counsel, San Diego Chapter
  • Sterling Education Services

Karine’s insights

August 21, 2025 | Awards

Fragomen Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America™Read more

July 8, 2025 | Awards

Partners Nadine Bahnan, Ruth Spillane and Karine Wenger Named to San Diego Business Journal’s 2025 Women of Influence in LawRead more

June 6, 2025 | Media mentions

The Hollywood Reporter: Will Trump Torch L.A.’s Olympics?Read more
More related insights

Karine’s insights

August 21, 2025 | Awards

Fragomen Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America™Read more

July 8, 2025 | Awards

Partners Nadine Bahnan, Ruth Spillane and Karine Wenger Named to San Diego Business Journal’s 2025 Women of Influence in LawRead more

June 6, 2025 | Media mentions

The Hollywood Reporter: Will Trump Torch L.A.’s Olympics?Read more
More related insights

Karine’s insights

August 21, 2025 | Awards

Fragomen Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America™Read more

July 8, 2025 | Awards

Partners Nadine Bahnan, Ruth Spillane and Karine Wenger Named to San Diego Business Journal’s 2025 Women of Influence in LawRead more

June 6, 2025 | Media mentions

The Hollywood Reporter: Will Trump Torch L.A.’s Olympics?Read more
More related insights

Country / Territory

  • United StatesUnited States

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish
  • French

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 858 793 1600

F:+1 858 793 1686

San Diego, CA

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

5355 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 750

San Diego CA 92121

United States

Connect via Linkedin

Karine’s insights

August 21, 2025 | Awards

Fragomen Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America™Read more

July 8, 2025 | Awards

Partners Nadine Bahnan, Ruth Spillane and Karine Wenger Named to San Diego Business Journal’s 2025 Women of Influence in LawRead more

June 6, 2025 | Media mentions

The Hollywood Reporter: Will Trump Torch L.A.’s Olympics?Read more
More related insights

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish
  • French

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 858 793 1600

F:+1 858 793 1686

San Diego, CA

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

5355 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 750

San Diego CA 92121

United States

Connect via Linkedin

Karine’s insights

August 21, 2025 | Awards

Fragomen Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America™Read more

July 8, 2025 | Awards

Partners Nadine Bahnan, Ruth Spillane and Karine Wenger Named to San Diego Business Journal’s 2025 Women of Influence in LawRead more

June 6, 2025 | Media mentions

The Hollywood Reporter: Will Trump Torch L.A.’s Olympics?Read more
More related insights

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Get in touch

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish
  • French

Contact information

Email

[email protected]

T:+1 858 793 1600

F:+1 858 793 1686

San Diego, CA

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

5355 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 750

San Diego CA 92121

United States

Connect via Linkedin

Karine’s insights

August 21, 2025 | Awards

Fragomen Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America™Read more

July 8, 2025 | Awards

Partners Nadine Bahnan, Ruth Spillane and Karine Wenger Named to San Diego Business Journal’s 2025 Women of Influence in LawRead more

June 6, 2025 | Media mentions

The Hollywood Reporter: Will Trump Torch L.A.’s Olympics?Read more
More related insights

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

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Learn more

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Learn more

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Learn more

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