Gigi Gardner is the founder and owner of Gardner Gordon. Throughout her legal career, she has helped thousands of immigrants from all walks of life to achieve their American dream. She views her profession as a calling to serve others in need, and to advocate for those facing injustice.
Gigi was born and raised in Clayton, North Carolina. She comes from a long line of subsistence farmers who immigrated to America from England and have called North Carolina home since colonial times. Her father is a retired state highway patrolman who served Johnston County for 25 years. Her mother is a retired beautician who owned and operated Milady Hairstyling in Clayton for more than 40 years. Growing up, she watched the Hispanic community bloom in North Carolina, which drove her desire to become fluent in Spanish.
Gigi decided she wanted to be a lawyer in elementary school, but her passion for immigration was ignited while she was teaching English as a second language in Costa Rica, and Mexico after undergrad. There, she witnessed the effects of globalization firsthand, teaching business English to locals who worked for multinational corporations. Since then, she has made it her life’s work to do everything in her power to build bridges between cultures.
In her free time, Gigi enjoys seeing live music, snowboarding, scuba diving, and exploring the world.
Bar Admissions
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth District
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
Supreme Court of North Carolina
Education
Campbell University School of Law, J.D. 2009
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A. 2002
Community Activism
One Blood Movement of Unity
Board of Directors, 2020 to present
Wake County Chapter of the ACLU of North Carolina
Board of Directors, 2009-2017
President, 2014-2017
Professional Memberships
Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
Morrisville Chamber of Commerce
Wake County Bar Association
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Federal Bar Association
Awards, Certifications & Accreditations
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating
Business North Carolina Legal Elite Hall of Fame in Immigration
Super Lawyers North Carolina Rising Star in Immigration
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Woman Owned Small Business certification
North Carolina Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) certification
