Beatriz Trillos Ballerini is the Principal Attorney and founder of the Trillos Ballerini Law Firm, P.C.  With a direct interest in global issues and international law, Attorney Ballerini has built her firm by providing sound, honest advice and expert legal representation.

Attorney Ballerini has extensive experience in employment-based immigration, namely visas for investors, multinational managers, professionals, and persons of extraordinary ability, athletes and artists.  She also handles labor certifications, national interest waivers and physician cases.  Her firm also represents clients in a wide range of family based immigration cases, hardship waivers, naturalization and humanitarian visas.

Attorney Ballerini emigrated with her family from Colombia, South America, to the United States at the age of four. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a minor in Modern Languages from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from South Texas College of Law.  She is a native Spanish speaker, fluent in Italian and conversant in French. 

Having founded the Trillos Ballerini Law Firm in 2005, Attorney Ballerini is licensed by the State Bar of Texas, the Supreme Court of Texas, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Texas.  She is a Member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, State Bar Immigration and Nationality Law Section and Charter Member. She is also a member of the ABA International Section and International Bar Association. 

Since 2005, she has served as General Counsel to the Consulate General of Italy in Texas.

Among her accomplishments, Attorney Ballerini is the Customs Border Liaison for the Houston chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).  She is a committee member of the AILA National Field Operations Committee and past member of the AILA National Customs Border Protection Committee.  She has co-chaired the AILA Texas Chapter Spring Conference and presented at the International Bar Association Annual Meeting-Immigration Law Section, ABA International Section Conference,  AILA Texas Chapter Conferences, and AILA Mid-South Conferences.  

Super Lawyers Magazine and Texas Super Lawyers, ratings services provided by Thomson Reuters, selected her for their 2014 and 2015 Rising Star lists, and she was chosen as a Top Lawyer for 2015, 2016, and 2017 by Houstonia magazine. Houston Modern Luxury magazine selected her as one its 2016 Women of Distinction.

In her free time, enjoys giving back to the community and serves on the alumnae board of St. Agnes Academy Catholic High School and spending time with her family. 

Michele Strickland is an Associate Attorney at Trillos Ballerini Law Firm, PC. She joined the firm with almost twenty years employment and family based immigration law experience. Ms. Strickland is passionate about immigration law because of her grandparents’ immigration experience and her desire to help others.

Attorney Strickland has extensive experience with all types of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. She represents international investors, academic scholars, multi-national corporations, professionals, and persons of extraordinary ability. She also represents individuals with family based applications and assists individuals seeking to obtain U.S. citizenship.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of New Orleans and her Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. She is a member of the Connecticut and New York Bars. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She is currently Co-chair for the AILA Houston Section. She has held leadership positions in the past as Connecticut Chapter Chair, Board of Governors member, Vermont Service Center Liaison Committee member, and National Day of Action Connecticut Chair.

Attorney Strickland is a frequent speaker on immigration topics. She has spoken at AILA National Conferences, Local Bar Association CLEs, businesses, community groups, and schools. She has authored several articles on employment based immigration. She was previously an adjunct professor of law at the University of Connecticut School of Law and was Program Manager—H-1B, Office of International Students and Scholars at Tulane University.

She often volunteers in the community. Some of her past volunteer experience includes pro bono counsel for a refugee resettlement organization, ESL coach, co-chair of an annual fundraiser, co-president of PTA, and board member of theatre booster club.

Ms. Strickland resides in The Woodlands, Texas, with her husband and college-age daughters. In her free time, she loves to travel, bike ride, read, and root for the New Orleans Saints.

Martha Borges is the Senior Case Manager, responsible for daily operations of the office, ensuring the staff gets the support they need to provide exemplary customer service, preparation of family-based petitions and for consular matters, including immigrant and non-immigrant visas.

Martha immigrated to the United States from Mexico with her parents when she was five years old.  Fluent in both English and Spanish, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Houston Downtown.

Martha’s work experience includes serving as a legal assistant for a private immigration firm, prior to her tenure at our firm. She is a registered Notary in the State of Texas.

Martha is an active volunteer at the Houston Food Bank and on mission trips in the U.S. and Mexico. She enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors.

Maria Loera is a Senior Legal Assistant who is responsible for managing the office calendar, as well as providing support for the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) Labor Certification cases, family based petitions, and consular packages, including immigrant and non-immigrant visas. 

Raised in Houston, Maria is fluent in English and Spanish and is an accomplished bilingual translator. She immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a young child, and is pursuing a Legal Assistant/Paralegal Certificate. She became a U.S. citizen in 2012 with the encouragement of her husband and parents, and the help of Attorney Ballerini.

Maria’s work experience includes working at a title company before joining our firm. She is a registered Notary in the State of Texas.

Maria enjoys reading, history and travel, and takes special joy in supporting her daughter’s dance and acrobatics activities.

Ana Vazquez is the friendly face at our reception desk.  She is responsible for handling the phones and front desk, greeting clients and visitors, and providing customer service to clients and quality control for all outgoing petitions.

Fluent in English and Spanish, Ana immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a child. She is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) beneficiary and is pursuing an Associate’s Degree in General Studies.

Ana volunteers at Star of Hope homeless shelter and the Houston Food Bank, and enjoys dancing and playing volleyball and soccer with her family. 

Mike Castro is a Legal Assistant who is responsible for assisting with Employment-Based Immigration matters among other areas of the firm’s U.S. immigration practice.

Mike was born in Houston, Texas, and was raised by immigrant parents. He attended the Center for Advanced Legal Studies, where he acquired practical experience regarding paralegal methods and developed knowledge in specialized areas that include immigration law. He possesses more than 9 years of experience in U.S. immigration procedure. He is fluent in both English and Spanish and is a Registered Notary in the State of Texas.

Mike’s work experience includes working in different immigration law firms in the Greater Houston metropolitan area and assisting a variety of clients in different areas of immigration law, including non-immigrant and immigrant employment-based immigration, family-based immigration, citizenship and naturalization, removal proceedings, U visas, and asylum.

When Mike is not busy with Immigration work, he enjoys meditating, writing, reading, and listening to music. He has many topics of interest including history, philosophy, mysticism, and religion.