Kellie E. MacDonald

Kellie E. MacDonald is an experienced immigration lawyer who helps businesses and individuals solve employment-based immigration matters with strategic and practical guidance. She advises clients on short and long-term visa options and has deep knowledge of nonimmigrant visa categories such as H-1B, L-1, E-3, and TN. Her counsel includes waiver strategies for J-1 nonimmigrants, including Conrad 30 and other government agency-supported waivers.

Kellie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University in 2008, graduating summa cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to complete her Juris Doctor at Harvard Law School in 2015. During her time there, she served as a student attorney with the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, gaining early experience representing vulnerable clients.

Kellie focuses on creating legal pathways for individuals with exceptional talent, particularly in science and business fields. She handles O-1 petitions for individuals with extraordinary ability and permanent residence cases like EB-1 and EB-2 National Interest Waivers. Kellie also supports companies on compliance needs related to Labor Condition Applications, Forms I-9, and immigration considerations during business changes like mergers and acquisitions.

Kellie began her career in immigration legal services, serving immigrant communities through Catholic Charities’ Refugee and Immigration Services in Boston and the American Friends Service Committee in Newark. Her background includes work on removal defense, asylum claims, immigrant detention, and appellate advocacy. After law school, she was selected for the Immigrant Justice Corps Fellowship, a highly competitive program for new attorneys focused on deportation defense.

Kellie E. MacDonald continues to lead with integrity, using her knowledge and background to help clients navigate the changing immigration landscape with clarity and confidence.

She frequently presents on immigration law topics for the Maine legal community and stays active in pro bono work. Her service includes both individual cases and support for broader pro bono projects. She is admitted to practice law in Maine, Massachusetts, and New York, as well as before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. She also speaks Spanish, which helps her serve a broader client base.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP
• Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association
• Member, Maine State Bar Association

Licensed State

• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New York

Education

• Harvard Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Tufts University
  BA with Summa Cum Laude

Awards & Badges