LawDragon has released its guide recognizing 100 leading U.S. immigration lawyers, spanning corporate/global mobility work for multinationals, EB-5 investor visas, family-based immigration, deportation defense, compliance (I-9/E-Verify), and broader advocacy/litigation. The list draws from journalistic research, peer nominations, and vetting. It builds on LawDragon’s coverage of immigration since 2007, with an emphasis on both business needs and individual/human rights aspects amid global migration challenges.
Featured/Highlighted Lawyers
The article spotlights three honorees with mini-profiles:
- Edward Ramos (Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt, Miami): Passionate advocate handling employment- and family-based matters, federal court challenges to denials, national class actions, and amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of AILA and immigrants’ rights groups.
- Morgan Bailey (Mayer Brown, Washington, D.C.): Former senior USCIS/DHS official (over 10 years, including roles as special advisor, Acting Field Office Director in Kenya, and Field Office Director in China). Now advises multinationals on global mobility and migration.
- Mariana Ribeiro (Gunster, Miami): Co-leads the firm’s Immigration practice; Brazilian-born, focuses on complex employment-based visas (EB-5, L-1, H-1B/specialized knowledge, E visas, extraordinary ability, etc.), labor/consular processing, and co-chairs the firm’s Women’s Leadership Forum.
Hall of Fame Inductees (marked with *)
Several veterans recognized for sustained excellence:
- Charles C. Foster (Foster, Houston) — Multinationals and foreign investors.
- Austin T. Fragomen Jr. (Fragomen, New York) — Immigration law pioneer.
- Denise C. Hammond (Grossman Young, Silver Spring, Md.).
- H. Ronald Klasko (Klasko Immigration Law Partners, Philadelphia) — E-2, EB-5 specialist.
- Ira J. Kurzban (Kurzban Kurzban, Coral Gables, Fla.) — Alien/human rights focus.
- Deborah J. Notkin (Barst Attorneys at Law, New York).
- Angelo Paparelli (Vialto Law, Los Angeles) — Among others.
Standout Firms and Representation
- Fragomen: Strong presence with multiple entries, including Austin Fragomen Jr. (HoF), Bo Cooper, David Grunblatt, Carl Hampe, Kevin Miner, and Carmita Alonso — reflecting its dominance in global mobility and compliance.
- BAL (Berry Appleman & Leiden): Numerous honorees (e.g., Roberto Caballero, Kelli Duehning, Jeremy Fudge, Frieda Garcia, Delya Ghosh, Kortney Gibson, Jeff Joseph, Lynden Melmed) — strong in corporate immigration and government strategies.
- Greenberg Traurig: 11 attorneys recognized (more than 10% of the list), including Courtney Brooks, Dillon Colucci, Cole Heyer, Jennifer Hermansky, Kate Kalmykov, Ian Macdonald — underscoring significant depth in business immigration and compliance.
- Foster: Multiple members, including Charles Foster (HoF).
- Stone Grzegorek: Several in Los Angeles (e.g., Elsie Hui Arias, Michelle Franchett, Candice Garrett, Kathleen Grzegorek, Yeu Sik Hong) — particularly noted for EB-5 and business/family work.
- Kurzban Kurzban: Edward Ramos and Ira Kurzban (HoF), plus Kevin Gregg — litigation and advocacy focus.
- Other notable firms/individuals: Mayer Brown (Bailey, Del Rey), Klasko (Klasko, DeNisi, Fialkowski), WR Immigration, Morgan Lewis, Jackson Lewis, and boutique/regional players.
Key Themes and Interests for Lawyers
- Balance of Practice Areas: Heavy on corporate/global mobility for businesses, but also includes deportation defense, family/individual matters, EB-5, asylum, and human rights.
- Government Experience: Valued (e.g., Bailey’s USCIS background).
- Diversity: Recognizes leaders from varied backgrounds, including international natives and those in smaller/boutique practices alongside BigLaw.
- No major omissions called out in coverage, but the list naturally favors those with strong peer nominations and visibility in complex business/advocacy work. It continues to evolve from prior corporate employment-focused recognitions to include more “consumer-side” advocates.
This guide serves as a useful peer-vetted benchmark for referral networks, lateral interest, or understanding who’s viewed as top-tier in a high-demand, policy-sensitive practice area. Full list and profiles are available on the LawDragon site.
