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 met 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.” Kathy joined our team three weeks later 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 could 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 as a New York University (NYU) student. 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 unique opportunity to serve as a simultaneous interpreter during several 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.
Kathy stops at Las Delicias de la Abuela when she's homesick. “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 languages and frequently gifts it because of its life lessons for adults and children.
We’re glad to have you on the Antonini & Cohen team, Kathy!