Praised by clients as ‘one of the largest and most sophisticated immigration teams’, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP commands strong capabilities in the area of non-US visas and work permits, immigration issues relating to corporate transactions, foreign employment laws, taxation and compliance. Catering to a wide-range of international and high-caliber clients across a range of industries such as technology, media and entertainment and financial services. The strong bench is widely regarded as doyens in the fields of H-1B (nonimmigrant) visas, PERM and compliance. ‘Skilled legal professional’ Shannon Donnelly co-leads the team from the Washington DC office alongside Eleanor Pelta. Donnelly assists her clients on immigration issues arising from corporate transactions and movements of key executives and managers, while Pelta provides strategic advice on immigration programs designed to aid staff retention and talent hiring. The two co-leads are supported by Washington DC-based Eric Bord, who spearheads the firm’s immigration compliance and risk management practice, and Laura Garvin, who focuses on employment-based immigration law from the Miami office.

Working across a diversity of sectors, Akerman LLP provides a full-service immigration offering advising a range of clients on immigration strategies, compliance issues, pre-immigration tax and visa planning. The team are also adept at strategizing on corporate expansion and filing petitions in the EB-5 investor category. Recent standout work includes the filing of over 150 immigrant petitions for Adventist Health System. The practice is led by a triumvirate of experts, Eric Gordon chairs the labor and employment practice group from West Palm Beach, alongside Maria Casablanca, who serves as chair on the immigration and compliance practice in Miami. Third co-head, Denise Gavica Perez, also operates from Miami and represents a wide range of sectors on both investment-based immigration and employment-based immigration matters. They are supported by Anthony El-Hashem in Miami, a former trial attorney at the U.S Department of Justice, who brings extensive experience in handling nonimmigrant visas, employment-based immigration petition and I-9 compliance issues.

Foster LLP’s dedicated immigration practice combines attorneys with specialized expertise with the full breadth of immigration services. The group are well-equipped to handle nonimmigrant and immigrant cases, corporate transfers, individual family-based representation, immigration workforce compliance and removal proceedings. The team is co-led by founder and chairman Charles Foster in Houston, Robert Loughran in Austin, who specializes in immigration and nationality law, along with Houston-based Helene Dang, who manages employment-based immigration for employers, large multinationals and start-ups. Also, in Houston is Avalyn Langemeier, who’s practice focuses on employment and compliance particularly in the healthcare and academic sectors. Austin-based Delisa F. Bressler is well-versed in temporary US work visa permanent residency and naturalization along with Ryan Chargois, who focuses on work authorizations and work permits. In Houston, Layla Panjwani advises a diverse client portfolio on corporate immigration strategy whereas, Dorothee Mitchell specialized in the energy, education and IT industry from the Austin office. Todd Fowler, Sandra Dorsthorst and Vi Nguyen are other practitioners of note.

Jackson Lewis P.C. advises on state and local immigration, leveraging extensive experience in representing key executives facing immigration detention and fighting denials and removals at federal court. The team also provides counsel to a number of clients on regulatory compliance, for example I-9 employment eligibility and verification, and routinely represents clients and vendors in Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor investigations. Michael H. Neifach, operating from Washington DC, focuses on compliancy issues, serving a broad clientele of high-net-worth individuals, private equity firms and multinational corporations. In Omaha, Amy Peck handles complex compliance and workplace immigration matters alongside chairing the National Verification Committee for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Based in White Plains, Otieno Ombok specializes in the healthcare sector providing industry tailored advice to major pharma companies, healthcare providers, and manufacturers on their immigration policies. Nicola AI Ling Prall and Meredith Stewart are other key figures in the practice.

Bolstered by a strong international network, Mayer Brown International LLP is notable for corporate immigration and mobility staffing, while talent management, visa sponsorship, and spousal benefits are other areas of expertise. The Washington DC-based team also engages in high-profile asylum work representing families fleeing religious persecution in Nigeria and Afghan women refugees. The global mobility and migration group is co-led by Elizabeth Espín Stern, renowned for her work advising multinationals, and Grace Shie, a specialist on employee mobility in financial and equity markets. Carl Risch advises on global visa and passport function for the US government and foreign consulates, and Maximilian Del Rey assists with immigration-related compliance and risk management.

 

New York headquartered with a strong presence in the German market, McDermott Will & Emery LLP is a full-service corporate immigration practice well-placed to handle visa applications, executive transfers, I-9 compliance programs and government audits. The group also works closely with its private client practice to offer immigration advice to wealthy families and advises on immigration aspects arising from mergers and acquisitions. Strengthened by the considerable expertise of New York-based Joan-Elisse Carpentier, regarded by many as a leading figure in immigration and nationality law, leads the firm’s business immigration practice, supported by immigration-related disputes expert, Paul Hughes, who operates from Washington DC.

 

Dentons is bolstered by an extended network of offices across the US and possesses considerable expertise in the business immigration field. Key areas of the practice include personnel movement, assisting companies with hiring highly skilled professionals and the full range of business visa applications. The team is led by a quartet of specialists – Alexander Castrodale operates from the Pittsburg office and specializes in employment-based immigration, including temporary and permanent visas, family-based immigration, naturalization, and related issues. In Des Moines, Lori T. Chesser assists individuals and employers with all their immigration needs and brings an impressive client portfolio of Fortune 500 companies, Pittsburg-based Alexa Forte handles temporary and permanent visas for clients’ foreign national employees, and business immigration expert, Matthew Schulz who is based in Silicon Valley. Megan Lantz recently joined the firm from Barten Law and now practices in the Des Moines office.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP‘s handles the full spectrum of immigration work from sponsorship, global immigration and compliancy issues. In Washington DC, Ian Band co-leads the practice and advises corporate clients on immigration and nationality law alongside Adam Rosser, who focuses on employment-based immigration as well as practice management, immigration pricing and employee retention matters. Suzan Kern assists banking, manufacturing and biotech companies to secure a variety of visas for employees, Shaena Rowland focuses on corporate immigration and compliancy and Lieselot Whitbeck, who operates from Miami, specializes in aiding companies with a global workforce. Recognized expert in Department of State policy and consular operations, Stephen Pattison is based in the Washington DC office. Sara Harlow, Brooke Hollmann, Farah Egal are other key names in the practice.

Laura Devine Attorneys LLC immigration practice is led by ‘highly knowledgeable’ New York-based attorneys Jennifer Stevens and Laura Devine and caters to a diverse portfolio of clients from a diversity of industry sectors. The group are further strengthened by their transatlantic partners based in the London office. The practice heads are supported by dual-qualified Miglena Ilieva and Jane Lee, who focuses on business immigration and compliance.

Skilled at advising clients on planning temporary employee assignments, BakerHostetler handle temporary work visas and other visa types, such as H-1B and E-3 visas, alongside petitions for green cards. Catering to a diverse client portfolio across a range of industries such as manufacturing, engineering and financial services. David Serwer co-leads the team from Chicago, and brings extensive expertise in employment-based immigration law. He is joined by Amy J. Traub, who co-chairs the team from New York. The two co-leads are aided by Pamela D. Nieto, who operates from Houston and assists small and large companies in their immigration planning whether managing employee transfers abroad or the hiring of foreign nationals. John Foerster specializes in corporate immigration from the Chicago office, meanwhile Michelle Barhorst leverages her in-depth knowledge of the healthcare and insurance industries in Columbus.

Representing clients across a diverse range of industries, Bracewell LLP collaborates closely with its corporate, energy and tax team to provide full-service immigration offering. The practice is led by Victoria Garcia, who operates from San Antonio, advising domestic and international clients on employment-based immigrant and non-immigrant visas. Another area of expertise is family and employment-based applications for permanent residence and citizenship, employee transfer, and conflicts between US and foreign immigration regulations.

With strong presence in Kansas and the wider Missouri area, Husch Blackwell LLP, provide immigration counsel to a wide-ranging client base. Short and long-term work authorizations, immigration planning, I-9 compliance and U.S. consular representation are some of the key issues in which the firm is well-placed to assist clients with. The group is co-led by business immigration specialist, Kelli Meilink, and Christine Fabin, who focuses her practice on hiring talent abroad, sponsorship petitions and immigration policy development. The leadership team operates out of Kansas City.

Perkins Coie LLP is led by KoKo Ye Huang, an expert on the interplay between immigration compliance and litigation, who operates from Seattle. The group caters to clients from a diversity of industries such as technology, life sciences, retail and construction and is skilled in defending employers in DOJ and DOL investigations as well as assisting on compliance requirements. Eryne Walvekar, also in Seattle, is the other practitioner to note.