The 2024 Lawdragon 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers
By Katrina Dewey | May 3, 2024 | Guides, News & Features
Nadia Yakoob (Nadia Yakoob & Associates), Otieno B. Ombok (Jackson Lewis) and Matthew S. Dunn (Kramer Levin)
We’re honored to introduce The 2024 Lawdragon 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers.
These are the leading lights for individuals and businesses seeking hope, opportunity and better days. They specialize in global mobility, impact advocacy, refugee and asylum claims.
Many of them were inspired to represent immigrants because of their own history coming to America and navigating its corridors of entry. They are from multinational law firms, and those that specialize in immigration. A few have opened their own practice to help communities in need.
The importance of government knowledge and strategies cannot be overstated as we researched the experience and accomplishments of the candidates for this year’s guide. Many of those recognized have spent years in various government posts overseeing immigration and now use that wisdom to guide corporations, investors, artists and individuals. In addition to our journalistic research we rely on nominations as well as vetting by peers to select those included.
This guide is 61 percent female and 41 percent inclusive. Those denoted with as asterisk are members of our Hall of Fame.
Freedom and opportunity seem so easy when they’ve never been denied to you or offered at the cost of repression or abuse. And so, amidst all the noise of current times, the clashes of past and present, we salute each and every one of these heroes who has dedicated their careers to helping others have a chance.
| First | Last | Firm | Location | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geetha Nadiminti | Adinata | FordHarrison | Los Angeles | Business Immigration, I-9, E-Verify Compliance |
| Carmita | Alonso | Fragomen | New York | Global Mobility |
| Jeff | Appleman* | BAL Immigration Law | San Francisco | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| Alexis | Axelrad | Barst | New York | Corporate & Family Immigration |
| Davis C. | Bae | Fisher Phillips | Seattle | Business Immigration |
| Marcela | Bermudez | Greenspoon Marder | New York | Business Immigration |
| David | Berry* | BAL Immigration Law | San Francisco | International Corporate Immigration |
| Eric S. | Bord | Morgan Lewis | Washington, D.C. | Business Immigration |
| Roberto | Caballero | BAL Immigration Law | Houston | Business Immigration |
| Colleen L. | Caden | Pryor Cashman | New York | Immigration & Nationality Law, inc. Sports |
| Susan J. | Cohen | Mintz | Boston | Immigration |
| Bo | Cooper | Fragomen | Washington, D.C. | Government Strategies & Compliance |
| Helene | Dang | Foster | Houston | Corporate Immigration |
| Shannon | Donnelly | Morgan Lewis | Washington, D.C. | Immigration & Global Mobility |
| Kelli | Duehning | BAL Immigration Law | San Francisco | Government Strategies & Compliance |
| Matthew S. | Dunn | Kramer Levin | New York | Business Immigration |
| George | Ernst | Hall Booth Smith | Little Rock, Ark. | Immigration, International Business |
| Corina M. | Farias | Foster | Austin | Business Immigration |
| Kelli A. | Fennell | Hughes Socol | Chicago | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| Charles C. | Foster* | Foster | Houston | Immigration Law, esp. Multinationals, Foreign Investors |
| Austin | Fragomen* | Fragomen | Miami | Immigration Law |
| Jeremy | Fudge | BAL Immigration Law | Dallas | Corporate Immigration |
| Maria Fernanda | Gandarez | Pryor Cashman | New York | Global Mobility & Immigration |
| Patricia | Gannon | Greenspoon Marder | New York | Business Immigration, Employment Verification |
| Victoria M. | Garcia | Bracewell | San Antonio, Texas | Immigration, Labor & Employment Law |
| Frieda | Garcia | BAL Immigration Law | San Francisco | Worldwide Immigration Services |
| Darren G. | Gardner | King & Spalding | San Francisco | Global Human Capital & Compliance |
| Candice | Garrett | Stone Grzegorek | Los Angeles | Immigration, esp. EB-5 Investment Immigration |
| Elizabeth L.A. | Garvish | Garvish Immigration Law Group | Atlanta | Corporate and Individual Immigration |
| Jennifer Walker | Gates | JLW Immigration Law Group | Austin | Family Immigration, Crime & Domestic Violence Visas |
| Delya | Ghosh | BAL Immigration Law | San Francisco | Corporate & Family Immigration |
| Kortney | Gibson | BAL Immigration Law | Dallas | Corporate Immigration |
| Sandra | Grossman | Grossman Young | Bethesda. Md. | Immigration & International Human Rights Law |
| David | Grunblatt | Fragomen | New York | Business Immigration, esp. Global Mobility |
| Kathleen | Grzegorek | Stone Grzegorek | Los Angeles | Business Immigration |
| Denise | Hammond* | Grossman Young | Silver Spring, Md. | Immigration Law |
| Carl | Hampe | Fragomen | Washington, D.C. | Immigration Law, inc. Compliance Counseling, Enforcement Defense |
| Addie | Hogan | Corporate Immigration Partners | San Francisco | Immigration Law |
| Yeu Sik | Hong | Stone Grzegorek | Los Angeles | Individual & Corporate Immigration |
| Elizabeth | Jordan | Sturm College of Law | Denver | Immigration, Disability & Criminal Justice System |
| Jeff | Joseph | BAL Immigration Law | Denver | Immigration Advocacy |
| Kate | Kalmykov | Greenberg Traurig | Florham Park, N.J. | Business Immigration, inc. Compliance |
| Sameer | Khedekar | Banyan | Mountain View, Calif. | Global Immigration |
| Rebecca | Kitson | Rebecca Kitson Law | Albuquerque | Immigration Law, inc. Employment & Family |
| H. Ronald | Klasko* | Klasko Immigration Law Partners | Philadelphia | Immigration Law, inc. E-2, EB-5 |
| Mark D. | Koestler | Kramer Levin | New York | Business Immigration, Global Mobility |
| Robert | Krug | Hughes Socol | Chicago | Individual & Corporate Immigration |
| Ira J. | Kurzban* | Kurzban Kurzban | Coral Gables, Fla. | Immigration, inc. Human Rights |
| Avalyn Castillo | Langemeier | Foster | Houston | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| Ann | Lee | Holland & Hart | Denver | Business Immigration |
| David W. | Leopold | UB Greensfelder | Cleveland | Employment & Family Immigration |
| Marketa | Lindt | Sidley | Chicago | Business Immigration, Global Mobility |
| Robert | Loughran | Foster | Austin | Corporate Immigration |
| Jeremy | McKinney | Jeremy McKinney | Greensboro, N.C. | Immigration & Naturalization |
| Lynden | Melmed | BAL Immigration Law | Washington, D.C. | Immigration, Government Strategies |
| Jennifer | Minear | McCandlish Holton | Charlottesville, Va. | Employment-based Immigration, esp. Healthcare |
| Kevin | Miner | Fragomen | Atlanta | Business Immigration Strategy |
| Avram | Morell | Pryor Cashman | New York | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| Spojmie | Nasiri | Law Offices of Spojmie Nasiri | San Francisco | Immigration, esp. Family, Individual |
| Michael | Neifach | Jackson Lewis | Washington, D.C. | Immigration, Visa, Border Security |
| Courtney B. | Noce | Greenberg Traurig | Atlanta | Immigration & Compliance, esp. I-9 |
| Deborah J. | Notkin* | Barst | New York | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| Otieno B. | Ombok | Jackson Lewis | White Plains, N.Y. | Business Immigration, inc. Strategy, Implementation |
| Allen | Orr Jr. | Orr Immigration Law Firm | Washington, D.C. | Individual & Employment Immigration |
| Farshad | Owji | WR Immigration | San Francisco | Corporate Global Mobility |
| Angelo | Paparelli* | Vialto Law | Los Angeles | Business Immigration |
| Amy L. | Peck | Jackson Lewis | Omaha, Neb. | Immigration Law |
| Eleanor | Pelta | Morgan Lewis | Washington, D.C. | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| José | Pérez | Foster | Houston | Immigration Law, esp. Healthcare |
| Sarah K. | Peterson | Fragomen | Minneapolis | Employment-based Immigration |
| Susan | Pilcher | Stone Grzegorek | Los Angeles | Immigration Law, esp. EB-5 |
| Irina | Plumlee | Munsch Hardt | Dallas | Business & Family Immigration |
| John Patrick | Pratt | Kurzban Kurzban | Coral Gables, Fla. | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| John F. | Quill | Mintz | Boston | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| Thomas | Ragland | Clark Hill | Washington, D.C. | Individual & Corporate Immigration |
| Edward | Ramos | Kurzban Kurzban | Coral Gables, Fla. | Immigration Litigation |
| Laura Foote | Reiff | Greenberg Traurig | McLean, Va. | Business Immigration & Compliance |
| Edward | Rios | BAL Immigration Law | Boston | Global Immigration Strategies, inc. Technology |
| Kimberley Best | Robidoux | WR Immigration | San Diego | Employment & Family Immigration |
| Nestor | Rosin | Foster | Houston | Corporate Immigration, Employee Mobility |
| Nataliya | Rymer | Greenberg Traurig | Philadelphia | Employment-based Immigration & Compliance |
| Denyse | Sabagh* | Duane Morris | Washington, D.C. | Immigration & Nationality Law, Litigation |
| Elham | Sadri | Sadri Law | San Jose, Calif. | Nationality & Immigration Law |
| Martha | Schoonover | Greenberg Traurig | McLean, Va. | Business Immigration |
| Suzanne B. | Seltzer | The Seltzer Firm | New York | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| Grace | Shie | Mayer Brown | Washington, D.C. | Global Mobility & Immigration |
| J. Anthony | Smith | Tafapolsky Smith | Los Angeles | Employment-based Immigration |
| Grant | Sovern | Quarles & Brady | Madison, Wis. | Immigration & Mobility |
| Lisa | Spiegel | Duane Morris | Palo Alto, Calif. | Immigration & Nationality Law |
| Elizabeth Espín | Stern | Mayer Brown | Washington, D.C. | Global Mobility & Migration |
| William A. | Stock | Klasko Immigration Law Partners | Philadelphia | Immigration Law, inc. Business, Individual |
| Jacquelyn | Stone | McGuireWoods | Richmond, Va. | Government Relations, Regulatory, Immigration |
| Lincoln | Stone | SGG Immigration | Los Angeles | Immigration & Nationality, EB-5, Detained Refugees |
| Kelli | Stump | Stump Law | Oklahoma City | Family-based Immigration, Complex Deportation |
| Petra | Tang | BAL Immigration Law | San Francisco | Business Immigration, esp. Tech |
| Paige | Taylor | Fragomen | Houston | Global Mobility, PERM Certification |
| Helena | Tetzeli | Kurzban Kurzban | Coral Gables, Fla. | Business Immigration, Litigation |
| Chris | Thomas | Holland & Hart | Denver | Business Immigration |
| Sarah Lea | Tobocman | Gunster | Miami | Corporate Immigration |
| Anastasia | Tonello | UB Greensfelder | New York | Business & Individual Immigration |
| Yvonne | Toy | Ogletree | San Francisco | Business Immigration Law |
| Christy | Umstadter | Corporate Immigration Partners | San Francisco | Global Mobility |
| A. James | Vazquez-Azpiri | Tafapolsky & Smith | San Francisco | Business Immigration |
| Ron | Wada | Tafapolsky & Smith | San Francisco | Immigration Law |
| Kathleen Campbell | Walker | Dickinson Wright | El Paso, Texas | Business Immigration |
| Jacqueline L. | Watson | JLW Immigration Law Group | Austin | Immigration Law |
| Susan | Wehrer | BAL Immigration Law | Dallas | Business Immigration |
| Bernard | Wolfsdorf* | WR Immigration | Santa Monica, Calif. | Corporate Global Mobility |
| Scott W. | Wright | Faegre Drinker | Minneapolis | Business Immigration, inc. I-9, Compliance |
| Nadia | Yakoob | Nadia Yakoob & Associates | Oakland, Calif. | Immigration Law, inc. Immigrants & Refugees |
| Becki | Young | Grossman Young | Silver Spring, Md. | Business Immigration |
