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Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) announced today that Hadi Allawi has been hired as Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Allawi is a recognized MENA expert specializing in business strategy, intelligence and geopolitical risk analysis across multiple industries. Prior to joining BAL, Allawi led the MENA desk of a London-based specialist advisory firm assisting major multinational companies with operations in the region.
Allawi brings considerable expertise to BAL’s MENA London-based practice. He will continue to expand and manage a team of experienced professionals who are dedicated to immigration matters in the region.
“I am honoured to join the BAL team and support the firm’s continued growth to ensure we deliver exceptional service to our clients,” said Allawi. “I look forward to leveraging my ten years of experience in the region to make BAL the leading provider of immigration services in the Middle East.”
BAL Managing Director Emily King, who had previously led the firm’s strategy in the Middle East, stated: “The Middle East is of great interest to many of our clients. Hadi brings considerable on-the-ground-knowledge to our matters in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and elsewhere in the region. He knows the challenges in the region and how to overcome them.”
Jeremy Fudge, BAL Managing Partner, stated: “Hadi joins a strong team with a unique service offering for MENA and his expertise will give a truly strategic benefit to our clients in this region.”
Media Contact: Emily Albrecht Senior Director — Marketing & Communications ealbrecht@bal.com 469-559-0174
Law360 ranks BAL as one of the nation’s best law firms for female attorneys and partners in the recent Glass Ceiling report. The publication calls BAL a Ceiling Smasher and ranks the firm number three in the 100 Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys and number two in the 25 Best Law Firms for Female Partners.
“We are honored to be acknowledged as pace setters who recognize diversity in the workplace. BAL strives to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to excel,” stated Frieda Garcia, one of the firm’s equity partners.
Law360 surveyed over 300 U.S. firms, or vereins with a U.S. component, about their overall and female headcount as of December 31, 2015. Only U.S.-based attorneys were included in the survey.
– Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
By Jeff Gorsky
With the presidential campaign in full swing, few issues are generating more attention than immigration reform. In particular, on the Republican side, much is heard about the need for border security. Donald Trump began his rise to the top of the polls by calling for the creation of a wall on the border, a wall he states will cost eight billion dollars (a figure that has been disputed by many as too low). Ted Cruz quickly outlined his own plans to create fencing all across the Southern border.
Both plans have proved to be popular with GOP voters. But both plans are based on a mistaken and simplistic premise: that building an enormous and very expensive wall on our southern border with Mexico will prevent illegal immigration and significantly bolster our national security. In fact, the wall represents an outdated idea of national borders, and building it will only address—at great expense– a small portion of today’s international immigration.
In the twenty-first century, the border between the United States and the rest of the world is not limited to the lines on a map between the U.S. and its neighbors. The border is every international airport in the United States, as well as every U.S. visa counter all over the world screening potential visa applicants. This border is enormous and very busy: there were seventy-five-million international visitors to the U.S. in 2015 alone.
This travel is vital to the U.S. economy. International visitors are expected to spend over 220 billion dollars in the U.S. this year alone. They are essential to U.S. international trade, they enable companies to invest in the U.S., and all this travel bolsters good ties to the rest of the world and promotes cultural exchange.
While this travel is critical to our economic and national interests, it does present risks. But the risks are not principally from our southern border. There is no evidence that any terrorist act in the U.S. has been committed by someone who crossed the southern border illegally.
Fortunately, Congress and the administrations of both President Bush and Obama have recognized that the true nature of our borders go beyond the line between U.S. and Mexico. Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the government has expended enormous resources to help control this extended border.
They have done this in part by taking steps to push the border out. This means extensive screening of travelers before they leave their home countries. For example, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) which requires screening of visa exempt travelers before they can board a plane. Congress required and the government implemented expanded biometric fingerprint collection for travelers, and the State Department has also been a leader in the use of facial recognition technology. The National Counterterrorism Center and other agencies have significantly expanded the quality of security screening. The result is a virtual wall, with a much greater reach and sophisticated screening ability than a physical fence.
Smarter border security will also address the thousands of immigrants who enter legally each year and then overstay their authorized admission, a problem left untouched by a border wall. The FY 2015 DHS Appropriations Act provided $9.9 million for a new reporting environment for the Arrival and Departure Information System, which will allow the federal government to track entry/exit and overstay data on a monthly or weekly basis, as needed. DHS is in the process of testing several new exit control systems, and technological improvements should allow in the near future for significantly more effective use of exit data to assist in immigration security and control.
Having spent many years at the State Department in the Visa Office, I know that there are legitimate questions about immigration reform to be asked; unfortunately, they aren’t the ones being asked in the GOP campaign. Instead, GOP presidential candidates have fallen back on a sound bite – “build the wall” – and have refrained from presenting any 21st Century solutions to this modern challenge. A real policy debate over immigration and security must move beyond a border wall and candidates should be asked to address how they will implement an entry-exit tracking system and improve security screening at consulates and airports outside of the United States.
Jeff Gorsky is Senior Counsel at Berry, Appleman & Leiden LLP. He previously served as a senior lawyer in the Visa Office at the Department of State.
Click here to view Jeff Gorsky’s article that was published in The Hill.
Berry Appleman & Leiden’s Managing Director, Asia Christina Karl and Managing Director, Oceania Tim Denney were awarded the 2016 Worldwide ERC Meritorious Service Award at the Global Workforce Summit: Talent Mobility in APAC in Shanghai, China on March 17, 2016.
The Meritorious Service Awards are granted annually to those professionals who have demonstrated commitment to the service of global mobility and who have contributed significantly to the Worldwide ERC through speaking at events, serving on committees, and writing articles for Mobility magazine.
Worldwide ERC is the workforce mobility association for professionals who oversee, manage, or support U.S. domestic and international employee transfer. The organization was founded in 1964 to help members overcome the challenges of workforce mobility, and has grown today to nearly 10,000 service industry members around the world.
Berry Appleman & Leiden is pleased to announce that Jeff Gorsky is joining the firm after serving in senior legal positions at the U.S. Department of State for three decades. Gorsky will be based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
“Jeff served as a high-ranking lawyer in the office that handles the most complex and sensitive immigration issues from around the world,” said Lynden Melmed, a partner in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. “He understands how consular officers approach visa decisions day in and day out, and he has been a respected advisor to top policy makers in government. We are confident that his background will enhance and build on our firm’s unique government affairs capabilities.”
Gorsky’s career at the Department of State spanned over three decades. He worked as a Foreign Service Officer, managed the nonimmigrant visa section in Medellin, Colombia, served as consular chief in Bilbao, Spain, and finished his career as Chief of the Legal Advisory section of the Visa Office. He received numerous awards over the course of his government career, including two State Department Superior Honor Awards.
“I am honored to be joining the most respected immigration firm in the world,” Gorsky said. “Berry Appleman & Leiden is known within the government for its integrity and its ability to effectively represent their clients. I look forward to being part of their team and supporting their clients.”
The Legal 500 has once again ranked Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) as tier one, noting that, “The group is ‘adept at finding compliance solutions to mobility challenges’, and managing partner Jeremy Fudge in Dallas is ‘experienced, smart and responsive’.” BAL was also recognized for the firm’s strength in Texas, with the publication noting that, “the firm is especially strong in Texas, where it has three offices and provides global assistance to energy clients headquartered in the state.” It was also noted that BAL is, “well known for assisting clients with establishing overseas offices and thus has a good understanding of emerging markets.” BAL was also recognized for expertise in advising on non-immigrant visas, green card petitions, immigration support for corporate restructuring, compliance and consular affairs.
Founding Partner David Berry, Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge, and Partner Lynden Melmed were recognized as leading attorneys, and the publication noted that, “Lynden Melmed in the Washington DC office is a former government adviser and is renowned for representing clients in compliance audits and government investigations.” Partners Edward Rios, Vernadette Antonio, Frieda Garcia, Petra Tang, Carla Tarazi, Susan Wehrer, Brigitte Hocking and Kortney Gibson were also named, with the publication adding that, “Roberto Caballero in Houston is, “‘driven and efficient.'”
About The Legal 500
For 27 years, The Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive research programme revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in 106 jurisdictions.
The rankings are based on a series of criteria, but simply put, we highlight the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel. Our research is based on feedback from 250,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers, and a team of researchers who have unrivalled experience in the legal market.
The Legal 500 produces a wide ranging series of resources for in-house lawyers including roundtables, client insight reports and recognises and rewards the best in-house lawyers through our Corporate Counsel 100 series and The Legal 500 Awards. Please use the tabs at the top of the screen to find out more.
CHAMBERS USA 2015 PUBLISHED RANKINGS
Once again, BAL has been ranked by Chambers USA as a Band 1 firm in the Nationwide category as well as in the states of its largest offices, California and Texas.
NATIONWIDE BAND 1 Known for: Recognized as one of the leading and largest immigration groups in the nation. Possesses tremendous firepower to manage the corporate immigration programs and global movement of a high volume of clients. Provides comprehensive expertise across the full suite of non-immigrant and immigrant employment visa categories. Adept at briefing multinational corporates on compliance best practices.
Strengths: “They provide clear and creative solutions to difficult cases.” “We feel comfortable that we are maintaining full compliance and that our employees are kept up to date on their cases at all times.”
Notable practitioners: The “very smart and adept” David Berry stands out as one of the firm’s most capable and eminent attorneys. Operating out of the San Francisco office, he expertly guides multinational corporations through the compliance process and provides insightful counsel on the immigration consequences of M&A activity.
Lynden Melmed combines a deep understanding of immigration law with an unique insight into the federal government branches, formed during his position as Chief Counsel of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). He is considered a go-to practitioner for advice on highly sensitive issues that involve government audits and immigration investigations.
CALIFORNIA BAND 1 Known for: Powerful West Coast presence as part of a prominent national practice representing a range of major organizations. Provides sophisticated advice on a broad array of corporate immigration matters including compliance, global migration and inbound visas.
Strengths: “… they take the experience of the entire process very seriously. They jump in to help whenever they can, which is critical for us.”
Work highlights: Secured a decisive victory for a substantial technology company regarding the requirements of online job advertisements as part of the PERM labor certification process.
Notable practitioners “Talented lawyer” David Berry is held in high regard by market commentators, who appreciate his “very cordial” approach. His expertise spans a range of challenging issues faced by employers, from corporate compliance to due diligence following mergers and acquisitions.
San Francisco partner Susan Wehrer excels at advising clients on a host of business immigration matters including the labor certification process, petitions for individuals of extraordinary ability and adjustment of status applications. Sources describe her as a “dynamic, smart and excellent lawyer.”
TEXAS BAND 1 Known for: Market-leading presence with a nationwide profile in all areas of corporate immigration. Represents major corporates from the oil and gas, technology and engineering industries among others in a range of matters, including the implementation of global mobility and compliance programs.
Strengths: “The tracking system they have is phenomenal. On a daily basis, I am amazed when I get something across after giving them such short notice. They are very proactive and that is hugely important to us.”
“The knowledge is really there. Whenever we have issues, they present us with comprehensive legal options.”
Notable practitioners: Shawn Orme is joint head of the firm’s global immigration practice and is a respected figure in the Texas immigration community. One source notes: “I’ve seen his analysis and respect his work. He is an excellent business immigration attorney.”
Eminent practitioner: Managing partner Jeremy Fudge has an extensive background in business immigration, particularly acting on behalf of large corporates. Sources note his ability to “know and understand larger companies’ needs and meet their expectations with efficient and cost-effective legal representation.”
About Chambers USA
Since 1990, Chambers has published the world’s leading guides to the legal profession and has built a reputation for in-depth, objective research.
The publication has a team of over 140 highly qualified full-time researchers who conduct thousands of interviews with lawyers and their clients worldwide. Working with editors, they identify and rank the world’s best lawyers (i.e. those who perform best according to the criteria most valued by clients – such as technical expertise, business acumen, prompt delivery, value for money). No lawyer can buy their way into Chamber’s rankings. As a result, their directories – published annually – are known to be the most accurate and the most reliable.
Source: Chambers USA
In its 2015 publication, Chambers Global has awarded BAL an elevated ranking, noting that BAL, “Maintains a well-established reputation for corporate immigration, with a strong foundation in the USA. With a spread of offices worldwide, the firm is well placed to provide global immigration services, including in relation to M&A transactions and compliance. It is highlighted by interviewees for providing outstanding strategic and service-oriented advice.” Notable practitioners listed for BALinclude Partners David Berry, Jeremy Fudge and Shawn Orme, and Managing Directors Christina Karl, Emily King and Daniela Lima.
About Chambers Global Chambers Global covers over 190 countries across the world. It also includes Region-wide and Global-wide sections. The research team is unique in its size, talent and range of international experience. 150 full-time researchers and editors speak over 20 different languages. Based in the London office, they conduct in-depth telephone interviews with lawyers and clients around the world.