Meet the Antonini & Cohen Team: Kathleen Hoyos

Kathy Hoyos began her career with Antonini & Cohen in 2010. She had recently moved from New York to Lawrenceville, Georgia. Soon after, she visited our office with a friend (a client we’d worked with before) and was able to meet with Carolina Antonini, one of our founding partners. “I knew I wanted to work with an immigration attorney before deciding whether to apply for law school,” says Kathy. “I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to meet Carolina in person and give her my resume.” Three weeks later, Kathy joined our team and started training as a paralegal with Angie Antonini and Gwynne Davis.

It wasn’t long before Kathy started law school at Georgia State University. She became involved with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), one of the oldest Hispanic civil rights organizations, and is working to get the local chapter re-chartered. In addition, she volunteers with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the Latin American Association (LAA) where she helps young adults navigate high school and college. In 2016, Kathy completed her law degree and passed the Georgia bar exam so that she can practice law in the state of Georgia. Kathy now serves Antonini & Cohen’s clients as an associate attorney.

With family roots in Colombia, Kathy grew up in New York. One of her favorite experiences was during her college years when she was a student at New York University (NYU). She landed a rare opportunity through the Indigenous Peoples’ Centre for Documentation, Research and Information (DOCIP) to volunteer as a translator during the 2007 Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations. Not only was Kathy able to assist with document translation, but she also had the special opportunity to serve as a simultaneous interpreter during several of the panels and conferences. Kathy is fluent in four languages – English, Spanish, French, and Italian. Kathy recently moved to Brookhaven and is loving her shorter commute! Now she has more time to enjoy dancing (even at the office) and eating at her favorite restaurants, including Eclipse di Luna, Varuni Napoli, Sublime Doughnuts, and Grub Burger Bar. She also has more time to listen to salsa music and the romantic ballads she grew up listening to with her grandmother.

When she’s homesick, Kathy stops in at Las Delicias de la Abuela. “They have the best black coffee in town,” she says. “They make it in aguapanela, or sugarcane water, like my grandmother used to. I highly recommend it.” She also recommends her favorite book, The Little Prince. She has read it in three different languages and gifts it frequently because of its life lessons for adults as well as children.

We’re glad to have you as part of the Antonini & Cohen team, Kathy!