Athena Eliades earned her law degree from UNLV Boyd School of Law, where she developed a passion for immigration law after serving as a student attorney in the UNLV Immigration Clinic program. Before law school Athena earned a Bachelor of Arts in the field of American History from UNLV and a Master of Arts in Latin American History from San Francisco State University. After grad school, Athena taught history at Berkeley City College before being inspired to pursue a career in law.
Athena is a Las Vegas native born to a Greek immigrant. Her cultural and life views have been informed by her unique understanding of immigrant communities and her strong connections to her home town. She pays homage to her community by a continued commitment to pro bono representation of those that are underserved in the Las Vegas Valley.
In forming Shamoon Eliades, LLP, she and her partner, Michael Shamoon, had a vision to provide quality representation while remaining devoted to the community and client-centered representation. As attorneys, Athena and Michael are dedicated to serving the needs of their clients.
Michael Shamoon is an experienced immigration attorney and co-founder of Shamoon Eliades, LLP.
Mr. Shamoon devotes most of his legal practice to helping people navigate the complex and sometimes daunting U.S. immigration system. His work is focused on devising the best pathways for his clients to obtain visas, employment authorization, green cards, and citizenship in the United States. Mr. Shamoon also advocates on behalf of refugees and asylum-seekers to protect their ability to remain safely in the United States. In cases where the government is attempting to deport an immigrant from the country, Mr. Shamoon fights vigorously for his clients’ right to remain in the United States, exhausting every available legal remedy.
As an immigrant himself, Mr. Shamoon is intimately aware of the obstacles and challenges that immigrants face in the United States. His goal is to be an ally to his clients by guiding them through the process every step of the way. Mr. Shamoon has had success representing clients from all over the world.
Prior to starting this firm with his partner and longtime friend, Athena Eliades, Mr. Shamoon headed the University Legal Services Program at the Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic, where he provided pro bono assistance to hundreds of immigrant students and their families.
Mr. Shamoon received his Juris Doctor from the William S. Boyd School of Law and trained under the guidance of the renowned immigration law professor and author, Michael G. Kagan. Mr. Shamoon is admitted to the State Bar of Nevada. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he majored in political science and French. Mr. Shamoon is fluent in Arabic and French, and conversational in Spanish.