Francisco Symphorien-Saavedra

Francisco “Frank” Symphorien-SaavedraBoard Certified ExpertFrancisco “Frank” Symphorien-Saavedra is a Board Certified Expert in Immigration and Nationality Law, a distinction limited to less than 7% of all Florida lawyers. Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra is AV rated “Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell and recognized bySuper Lawyersmagazine. Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra served on the Florida Bar Immigration & Nationality Law Certification Committee from 2016 to 2023, acting as Vice-Chair for the 2021–2022 term and Chair for the 2022–2023 term. His unique practice focuses on removal defense, federal court litigation, and extraordinary ability visas or national interest waivers. In 2014, Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra became one of the youngest attorneys in Florida to become Board Certified, and as of June 2021, he was the only Venezuelan native to earn that distinction.Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra previously served as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Liaison Chair for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Central Florida Chapter. He also served as Chair of the Immigration and Naturalization Executive Committee for the Orange County Bar Association.Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra has been quoted inThe Wall Street Journaland regularly provides commentary on national and local news media outlets, including Univision, Unimás, News 13, and WFTV, among others.Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra is also a regular speaker at local and national conferences for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. His panels typically equip other lawyers with expertise in areas involving federal court litigation, extraordinary ability visas, or national interest waivers.A native of Venezuela, Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra immigrated to the United States when he was 11 years old. His father worked 24-hour shifts as a taxi driver in New York City to bring his wife and children to the United States.Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra attended West Orange High School in Winter Garden, where he participated in the law magnet program and won a mock appellate brief competition. His promising young career was evident when he presented mock oral arguments on his written brief before the Florida Supreme Court. Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra attended Florida State University College of Law after graduating with high honors from the University of South Florida.Mr. Symphorien-Saavedra is married with three children. He enjoys cycling with his wife and children and playing and coaching basketball.