Marina Shepelsky, Esq.
Managing Attorney
Hello! My name is Marina Shepelsky.
I am an award-winning immigration and family law attorney, and a CEO and founder of Shepelsky Law Group.
I am an immigrant myself. My life’s goals are to legalize people in United States, keep families together, and to help parents separate from each other in their divorce proceedings with dignity and with protecting the interests of the children.
I am licensed as an attorney in New Jersey since 2002 and in New York State since 2003. I am licensed in 2 highest level federal appeals courts – Eastern District and Southern Districts of New York. I am admitted in all 58
Immigration Courts in United States, and in the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).
And finally, I am admitted to practice (make oral arguments) before the Supreme Court of United States, the highest court in America.
I was born in the Soviet Union in the capital of Ukraine, Kiev. I came to America at the age of 12 and went through the entire process of naturalization myself.
I am a survivor of divorce and know from personal experience how people suffer for long years when in abusive and violent situations.
Immigration practice
On the immigration practice side, I work in immigration courts, USCIS and Board of Immigration Appeals to protect my clients from deportation. I have written and won appeals to U.S. Federal Circuit Appeals courts.
I work on very complex immigration matters including family petitions, asylum, green cards, waivers, deportation court work, appeals, motions to reopen, visas and petitions for victims of domestic violence and abuse (such as VAWA, U-Visas, and T-Visas), adjustment of status, consular processing, employment visas and overcoming denials, citizenship and cancellation of removal.
For clients living in other countries outside the U.S., I work with U.S. Department of State and consulates to process visas and ensure our clients get approved to come to United States in the shortest possible time.
Since 2003, when I began practicing law in New York, I have submitted, processed and won thousands of immigration cases and changed the lives of people from across the world, allowing them to make their home in United States.
My whole life is focused on the advancement and protecting of immigrant rights in United States and fighting for a better immigration system.
I am a loud advocate and activist for immigrant rights in America.
Divorce/Family law
I have successfully survived divorce myself with 3 small children in 2012. I work really hard as a single mother and I am committed to protecting the rights of our clients in divorce and family matters. My first priority is protecting the kids.
Every child should feel safe and comfortable in their home and family environment.
My goal is to help couples separate and divorce in the most dignified way while putting their children first. Our clients get divorced quickly, and have a very detailed road plan for their after-divorce life, which includes division of property, alimony, child support, visitation and custody plans that work for them individually.
In 2019 I founded a nonprofit organization called End The Silence Foundation. I am currently working on making it a live breathing organization to provide survivors of family violence with resources to become successful members of society and overcome abuse.
I am a member of the following organizations:
- American Bar Association (Civil Rights Committee)
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”)
- Association of Deportation Defense Attorneys
- New York State Bar Association
- Brooklyn Bar Association
- Richmond County Bar Association
- Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association
- NY State Academy of Trial Lawyers
My awards:
- 2002 Fordham University School of Law Public Service Award
- 2013 Kyrgyz Club in US Recognition Award for Public Service
- 2015 Avvo Excellent Rated Attorney
- 2018 Lawyers of Distinction 5-Star Recognition of Excellence in Family and Divorce Law
- 2019 Lawyers of Distinction 5-Star Recognition of Excellence in Family and Divorce Law
- 2019 Judge of the NYU Law Moot Court Board Immigration Law Competition
- 2019 American Institute of Legal Counsel 10 Best Immigration Attorneys – New York.
Collen M. Vitali, Esq.
Associate Attorney
Hello! My name is Colleen Vitali.
I am an immigration and matrimonial family law attorney.
I love to change people’s lives by winning their immigration and family law cases. And proud to be a part of the award-winning team of lawyers at Law Offices of Marina Shepelsky, P.C. (Shepelsky Law Group).
I was born and raised in Connecticut. I received my undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Mathematics from Stonehill College in Massachusetts. I received my Juris Doctorate and became a lawyer in 2010, graduating from Pepperdine University School of Law. After graduating, I practiced family law in California for five years before returning home to the East Coast.
I regularly advocate for clients in immigration, family and divorce courtrooms across the New York metro area and still do work in California.
I have successfully obtained legal status for hundreds of our immigration clients and resolved complex issues of custody, child support, equitable distribution, and domestic violence for family law clients.
I am licensed to practice law in the states of New York (2012) and California (2010). I am also admitted to the Central District of California (2010).
When not working, I enjoy traveling, spending time with friends and family and cheering for my beloved baseball team, the Atlanta Braves. Go Braves!
Alina Kats, Esq.
Associate attorney
Hello! My name is Alina Kats.
I am an award-winning immigration attorney, and an associate of Shepelsky Law Group.
I was born on March 25, 1984 in Moscow, Russia. I graduated law school in Russia in 2006. I have been traveling between Russia and New York since I was 16 to visit my father who lives here, but moved to New York in 2006 after graduation. I got my LLM in 2011. Throughout the course of my LLM program I was on the Dean’s list.
I passed NY Bar exam and got admitted practicing in 2016. Right after that I opened my own practice.
I began working at Shepelsky Law Group in the beginning of 2021.
I went back to school and obtained my JD in May, 2022. Thus, I have 3 higher education degrees in total in relation to law. I was enrolled in a virtual PhD program in Public Policy and Administration and completed all the coursework but decided to take a break.
My main practice area and passion has always been immigration.
Currently, I am in the process of obtaining my license to practice in New Jersey and I am also planning to take the bar exam in Florida.
I am licensed in one of the highest-level courts – Eastern District Federal Court.
Since 2016, when I began practicing immigration law, I have submitted, processed, and won many immigration cases.
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING
– In 2020, I was a CLE lecturer on Family based immigration at the National Academy of Continuing Legal Education.
– In 2017 I volunteered at the Brighton Neighborhood Association and provided pro-bono consultations as well as legal advice to people in need.
AWARDS
– 2022 Super Lawyers New York Metro Rising Stars Honoree Rated by Super Lawyers – Only 2.5% of the attorneys in the State are selected to Super Lawyers.
