BAL remains a market leader in this space and has a national presence, continuing to advise leading names in the industry, including global blue-chip clients on complex business immigration matters. Led out of Texas by managing partner Jeremy Fudge, the group works closely with its government strategies team to handle global policy issues and advise federal agencies. Roberto Caballero   heads the Houston, Austin and New York offices and has a focus on corporate immigration policies for energy and technology sector clients. Kortney Gibson in Texas is the key name for non-immigrant visa applications and has been spearheading the firm’s expansion in the Rocky Mountain region. Maggie Murphy joined the team in Austin from Jackson Lewis P.C. in January 2021 and specializes in employment-based immigration. On the West Coast, Frieda Garcia  manages the San Francisco office and has over two decades of global immigration expertise, particularly on strategic solutions for companies. Core members there include family-based immigration expert Delya Ghosh  and Nassim Mahzoon in Santa Clara who holds various leading tech companies as key clients. In Washington DC, Lynden Melmed  is highlighted for his ‘exceptional expertise’ in navigating federal agencies including DHS and DOL compliance. Senior associate Tiffany Martinez advises on non-immigrant and immigrant visa matters. The team further bolstered its practice with the June 2021 lateral hire of Leslie Rohrbacker in New York from Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy. Founding partner David Berry has retired from active practice.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP‘s immigration and global mobility practice is based in Washington, DC, and has expertise acting for corporate clients across employment-based immigration work, compliance, and transactional mandates. Eleanor Pelta jointly manages the team with Shannon Donnelly, offering strength in federal litigation for clients challenging immigration decisions related to visa denials, as well as handling contentious investigations before the Department of Justice and Homeland Security. The group continues to be instructed by leading names in the technology, pharmaceuticals, and financial services sectors. Eric Bord leads the immigration compliance practice and advises clients on I-9 and E-Verify issues. In San Francisco, James Vazquez-Azpiri advises corporate clients on business immigration matters including employee transfers, foreign resident worker visas, and restructurings. Also on the West Coast is counsel Christina Gonzaga who maintains an active pro-bono practice representing clients on family-based immigration issues, asylum, and deportation. Laura Garvin is in Miami and acts predominantly for high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs. The department works cross-border across Europe and Asia.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP has an ‘exceptional’ immigration practice and continues to be a market leader in business immigration matters for corporates and blue-chip companies. The group has an integrated department spanning employment law and litigation, handling several investigations before federal agencies. Fielding a team of experts across six locations and jointly managed by senior partners Russell Swapp in Boston and Atlanta-based James King; the core group comprises Leon Rodriguez who is singled out for immigration regulatory and policy advice, having been the former director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services until 2017. Also in Washington DC is counsel Dawn Lurie who is noted for EB-5 investment work. Dyann DelVecchio Hilbern in Boston advises corporations, non-profit organizations, and education institutions on F-1 visas, permanent residence, and other US visa work. Sharon Cook and Gabriel Mozes in Atlanta are key members of the team specializing in foreign talent retention and visa issues, respectively. Over in the West Coast, Angelo Paparelli remains a pre-eminent practitioner, handling government investigations.

Akerman LLP’s practice is predominantly led out of Miami and handles business immigration matters for large companies, particularly those in the healthcare and hospitality sectors. Practice head Maria Casablanca has extensive experience in US immigration work and is noted for EB-1 and EB-5 immigrant visas. She also has experience representing employers before ICE audits. Co-chair Denise Gavica Perez handles family-based immigration matters and represents clients before federal agencies including the Department of Labor and Department of State, counting various hospitals and healthcare institutions as key clients. On the employment side, Eric Gordon in West Palm Beach now leads the employment practice and is recommended for litigation and compliance issues. Associate Rachel Perez remains a core part of the team and advises on global transfer of employees.

Foster LLP’s Texas-based immigration team provides a comprehensive offering to regional and international clients, managed by Charles Foster. The team has extensive experience in global immigration matters, compliance, and temporary and long-term work visas. In Houston, John Meyer leads on EB-5 investor visa for multinational companies and Avalyn Langemeier handles non-immigrant work visas particularly, H-1B and J-1 waivers. Green card applications are dealt with by Jose Perez. Nestor Rosin focuses on employee mobility issues and corporate compliance – he also handles immigration litigation. The team also advises on corporate reorganizations and M&A related issues. Managing partner of the Austin office Robert Loughran represents high-net-worth clients, large corporates and finance start-ups, whilst Ryan Chargois leads the firm’s global immigration practice.

The business immigration practice at Greenberg Traurig LLP focuses on employment-related immigration matters and is led by experienced practitioners Laura Reiff in Washington, DC and Ian R. Macdonaldin Atlanta. The team is well-versed in US work visas, compliance and worksite enforcements and investigations for domestic and regional organizations. Co-chair of the group Kristen Ng in Washington DC handles citizenship issues related to the acquisition and retention offoreign talent for employers whilst Martha Schoonover is the name for naturalization issues. In the New York office, key contacts include Kate Kalmykov who handles EB-5 investor programs for large corporations and Nataliya Rymer who focuses on compliance matters, particularly I-9, H-1B and LCA. Other core members of the group include Jennifer Hermansky in Philadelphia who is regularly instructed by healthcare and pharmaceutical sector clients. The team also has an experienced bench of associates dotted around New York and Atlanta.

Mayer Brown’s global mobility and immigration practice group maintains an excellent track record handling complex federal litigation and investigations. The Washington DC based team is active across employment law and advises leading clients on temporary work visas and employee transfers, and has also been assisting on asylum cases and evacuation efforts from Afghanistan on a pro-bono basis. Practice head Elizabeth Espín Stern has extensive experience acting for multinational corporations in the telecommunications sector on immigration policies and mobility. Grace Shie  holds various global banks and financial services companies as key clients. Additions to the team include Carl Risch, who previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs and is recommended for nationality law, and counsel Morgan Bailey, who joined from US Citizenship & Immigration Services.

Led out of its Washington DC office, the team at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP handles global immigration mandates, sponsorship issues and compliance work for domestic and international corporates. Jointly managed by veteran professional Ian Band and business immigration expert Adam Rosser; the team is active in the healthcare, pharmaceuticals and retail sectors, advising clients on temporary work visas, including H-1B, O-1, and permanent residence matters through PERM. Counsel Suzan Kern handles green card applications for employers and maintains a busy pro-bono immigration practice. At the associate level, Sara Harlow advises on family-based immigration matters whilst Lieselot Whitbeck in Miami is the contact for global workforce transfers.

At McDermott Will & Emery LLP, the immigration practice works closely with the firm’s private client practice to offer an extensive offering across employment law, cross-border trusts and tax work to its corporate clients. The team also represents several German companies operating in the US. Led by Joan-Elisse Carpentier in New York, the group handles non-immigrant and immigrant visa work, compliance matters and employee transfers. Malati Lal is a core member of the team as is associate Abigail Kagan who conducts internal investigations.

Bracewell LLP, the immigration practice is led by highly rated Victoria Garcia in San Antonio and has experience acting for both domestic and large multinational companies. The group advises on visa issues, particularly visas for Canada, Mexico and Peru, investigations by the Department of Homeland Security and employment related business immigration work, alongside asylum and refugee issues. The team also advises domestic and international clients on EB-5 investor programs.

Dentons Cohen & Grigsby’s immigration practice leverages its firm wide capabilities across employment law and corporate to offer multinationals a full-service offering. Based out of Pittsburgh, the team advises on business immigration work and short and long-term visas issues. Lawrence Lebowitz is the key name for family-based immigration matters and has a strong record advising on US citizenship issues, whilst Alexa Forte focuses on compliance. Also in Pittsburgh is co-chair Alexander Castrodale who handles immigrant and non-immigrant visa, particularly EB-1 visas. The team also has a presence on the West Coast with Silicon Valley co-head Matthew Schulz being the key contact for global mobility issues.

Husch Blackwell LLP’s business immigration practice is housed in Kansas City, and has a national scope of matters including immigration-related investigations, audits, and visa work. The group is jointly managed by Kelli Meilink and Christine Fabin, and is highlighted for its national interest exemptions work, which has seen an increase of activity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Counsel Toni Blackwood has experience representing employers in compliance audits and investigations by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, whilst senior counsel Carrie Claiborne provides employment law expertise. The team works closely with its Washington DC based government solutions group to handle high-stakes investigations and contentious work.

At Jackson Lewis P.C. team has experience advising on non-immigrant and immigrant visa matters and regulatory compliance work. The team is jointly managed by Omaha-based Amy Peck who handles employment-based immigration law and business immigration expert Otieno Ombok in New York. In Washington DC, co-head of the group Michael H. Neifach advises on border security matters and represent employers in investigations by the Department of Homeland Security. He is supported by Brenda Oliver who joined from Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy in September 2021. Also in DC is Minnie Fu, who co-leads the international employment practice group and is the key contact for employment visas. The team also advises on travel restrictions, particularly amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.