Pryor Cashman LLP

Immigration Group

Partner

Partner Avram Morell is a member of Pryor Cashman’s Immigration Group and is one of the premier attorneys in his field.

Regularly recognized by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, The Legal 500, Best Lawyers, and other leading legal rankings guides, Avi brings a deep knowledge of immigration and nationality law to his practice. He represents the U.S. and foreign-based companies and organizations, entrepreneurs and investors doing business in the U.S., as well as their employees and family members.

Avi is widely known in the corporate world for his ability to navigate particularly complex business immigration issues, with Chambers USA 2021 describing him as "the first port of call for many clients...including household-name insurance companies and financial institutions." He understands the high level of scrutiny companies face with respect to immigrant workers and advises on matters relating to regulatory compliance, internal policies and training, and recordkeeping procedures. Avi frequently represents businesses and individuals before U.S. government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Department of Labor.

Many of Avi’s clients come from the financial services sector, including the U.S. and multinational banks, insurance companies, securities brokers/dealers, and private equity firms. He also represents designers and marketers of luxury fashion products and retail goods, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, and entertainment companies.

Avi advises on a wide variety of immigration matters that are essential to clients, including:

Temporary visas and applications for permanent residence Foreign talent recruiting and retention I-9 procedures and audits Regulatory compliance Immigration-related discrimination avoidance Immigration policy development Global mobility guidelines/processes development Workplace investigations Advising C-Suite Executives

Large U.S. corporations that require immigration counsel related to hiring and transferring their most senior executives rely on Avi’s counsel. Companies, institutions, and professional associations consult with him on legal interpretations of current and proposed legislation to advance their immigration-related lobbying efforts. In addition, Avi provides proactive guidance to boards of directors and top management regarding the far-reaching immigration implications of workforce changes that often accompany mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, international expansions, and changes in corporate leadership.

Industry Recognition

A regular lecturer on immigration law, Avi serves on the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s (AILA) national Verification and Worksite Enforcement Liaison Committee. The Committee is responsible for liaising, on behalf of the AILA’s 14,000 member lawyers, with the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security on the government’s policy and practice regarding employers’ obligations to verify the work eligibility of employees and avoid immigration-related discrimination. He has also served on AILA’s Liaison Committee to the Department of State, as well as two select committees that liaise with the New York City headquarters of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and Customs and Border Protection.

Hebrew

American Immigration Lawyers Association, National Verification and Worksite Enforcement Liaison Committee, National Department of State Liaison Committee American Immigration Lawyers Association, New York Liaison Committee to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Former Co-Chair American Immigration Lawyers Association, Liaison Committee to the New York City District Office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Former Co-Chair Law360 Immigration Editorial Advisory Board, Member NYU Moot Court, National Immigration Law Competition, Judge Practicing Law Institute (PLI), Faculty New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Faculty

Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University (J.D., 1993) Yeshiva University (B.A., cum laude, 1989)