Editorial: Corporate Immigration in Illinois

01 July 2008

Of the 24 lawyers featured on the following pages, only four can be said to practise at one of the established full-service firms. During our research we sought to highlight those individuals dedicating the majority of their time to enabling the legal immigration and naturalisation of skilled workers and their dependants on behalf of large corporate entities. Indeed, in an environment in which the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division is playing an increasingly active role and the H-1B cap is achieved in record time, the individuals on the following pages are highly sought-after by some of the world's leading corporations looking for guidance on the myriad issues falling under the umbrella of corporate immigration law.

Sidley Austin LLP remains "the only large corporate outfit with a significant [corporate immigration] presence in the state", according to a prominent source. Marketa Lindt and Timothy Payne are regarded as "two of the best lawyers in the Chicago market" and "great advisers to their clients". Lindt is a former chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Chicago chapter and one of the most nominated lawyers in the publication. Her practice focuses on counselling companies defending workplace enforcement actions and she also actively advises clients on compliance programmes to prevent employer sanctions. Her work on the immigration aspects of corporate transactions was also brought to the attention of researchers. Payne offers clients advice on I-9 compliance audits as well as immigration best practice. He also assists the firm's corporate and litigation departments on the immigration status of employees involved in mergers and acquisitions. Such is his reputation in the sector that one rival noted, "anything he does is of a high standard, [he is] a great lawyer". Diana Bauerle is new to the chapter this year and comes recommended as "exceptionally talented" and "a must for entry". Bauerle advises on temporary and permanent resident processing and has also represented clients before the immigration agencies of the US Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Labor (DoL) and the Department of State.

Vedder Price PC is the only other full-service firm featured in the chapter. Gabrielle Buckley co-chairs the International Bar Association's immigration and nationality law committee and has also held a number of positions in the American Bar Association. Aside from a strong practice advising on aspects of immigration tied in with transactions and reorganisations, she also comes recommended for her advice on immigration compliance policies and I-9 audits.

As previously mentioned, the practice of immigration law lends itself to the small, specialised boutique. Unsurprisingly, therefore, such firms dominate the rest of our findings. Masuda Funai Eifert & Mitchell Ltd is a case in point with three highly rated individuals from its "excellent group" making the chapter. Sources "think very highly of" Bryan Funai who was praised as "an expert on Asia, particularly Japan". Kathleen Gaber chairs the firm's business immigration group and draws her clients from industries such as transport, construction and equipment, hi-tech, banking, financial and the automotive sector. Gaber has held a number of senior positions in the Department of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service. Robert White "does a lot of work for the Bar both locally and nationally" and is currently a member of AILA's ICE Worksite Enforcement Committee. Among other matters he comes recommended for his defence of companies during labour condition and application and I-9 audits by the DoL and ICE.

Zulkie Partners LLC is rated as "one of the first-tier firms in the state" for corporate immigration advice. In the figure of founding partner Paul Zulkie it boasts "one of the stars" of the Chicago immigration bar. Zulkie's reputation in the sector led one source to note, "when I think of big corporate immigration I think of Paul. He is one of the leaders in the state, if not the country". His practice covers the full range of immigration advice and the "excellent" Susan MacLean joins him on the following pages. MacLean currently chairs AILA's National DoL Liaison Committee and comes recommended as a "fantastic attorney".

Terry Yale Feiertag joined Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym Ltd in 2007 from Mandel Lipton and Stevenson, bringing with him years of experience and an excellent reputation in the sector. One source noted, "he has been a mentor for a lot of us". Kalman Resnick is similarly well regarded and directs the firm's immigration group. His practice incorporates business immigration as well as asylum and refugee cases, and he also has extensive knowledge of labour and employment issues. Davidson & Schiller LLC is another immigration boutique with two entries in the chapter - Mark Davidson and William Schiller. The firm advises a broad client base on all areas of immigration law throughout the United States. Among other matters Schiller comes recommended for his "innovative work on asylum cases" and he currently teaches a course on international human rights and US refugee law at Northwestern University. He also represents educational institutions, corporates, professionals and other individuals in matters before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Davidson was also consistently endorsed to researchers and boasts a "top-tier" practice. He is a former chair of the Chicago chapter of AILA and represents individuals as well as national and multinational corporations.
Kempster Keller & Lenz-Calvo Ltd also fared well in our findings with two highly rated individuals making the grade. Cheryl Lenz-Calvo is "a star" according to one prominent rival and is said to be particularly knowledgeable on labour certifications. She is also heavily involved with AILA and counts hospitals, universities, small and large corporations, NBA athletes, researchers, artists and professors among her clients. Martina Keller was also endorsed by a number of the practice area's leading lights and is a former chair of AILA's Chicago chapter. Fragomen Del Rey Bernsen & Loewy LLP is a name synonymous with the practice of corporate immigration law. Its international reach is unparalleled in the sector with more than 600 dedicated professionals in a network of 33 offices and affiliated offices throughout the Americas, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. Michael Turansick manages the firm's Chicago office and represents a number of large corporates from the technology, banking and manufacturing sectors that are headquartered in the city. His international assignment and outbound immigration work was noted on a number of occasions as was his I-9 audit, labour conditions and M&A advice.
Stephen Navarre practises out of his own firm in Des Plaines and fared particularly well in our latest research. Navarre was commended to researchers as "a really sharp guy", "very talented" and "first-rate" with one going on to add, "if I had a corporate matter I would refer it to him, safe in the knowledge that I was in good hands". Carlina Tapia-Ruano also has her own firm having, along with Navarre, previously practised at Minsky McCormick & Hallagan PC. She boasts "a solid national reputation" for family and employment-based immigration and is immediate past president of AILA. Margaret McCormick practises out of Minsky McCormick & Hallagan PC with clients ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to individuals. McCormick has an "excellent reputation" in the sector and is said to be "vastly experienced" - particularly when it comes to I-9 audits and compliance programmes. Robert Ahlgren is also "vastly experienced" and his firm has been concentrating on immigration matters since 1973. Aside from employment-based immigration, the firm also advises on family cases, removal defence and appeals. Sources note that "he has been an inspiration to many of us".
Douglas Bristol is another prominent figure in our research and is a professor of immigration at DePaul University College of Law and Chicago-Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Bristol has a strong employment-based practice but also advises clients on family-based matters. Susan Fortino-Brown is another of Illinois's stars with recommendations from some of the practice area's leading names. Fortino-Brown has her own firm focusing on business immigration for both large and small companies. Ian Wagreich from Choi & Wagreich LLC is a new addition to this year's publication. Wagreich was praised as "an excellent speaker" and boasts a broad-based business immigration practice. Champaign-based firm Erwin Martinkus & Cole Ltd makes an appearance this year thanks to the strong showing of Lynne Feldman in our research. Feldman was praised as an "excellent mentor" and is said to have a strong statewide practice.

It is not possible to buy entry into Who's Who Legal

terms and conditionscontact us