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DALLAS (May 16, 2023) — BAL continues to lead the pack in immigration law, with 14 BAL attorneys named to Lawdragon’s 2023 list of 100 leading immigration lawyers.
The prestigious publication said it selected the honorees through a process that combines journalistic research, robust submissions and vetting by peers. BAL led the way with more attorneys than any other corporate immigration firm. Those recognized were:
Additionally, Jeff Appleman and David Berry, BAL partners emeriti, were listed in the guide as members of the Lawdragon Hall of Fame.
While Lawdragon has included immigration attorneys in the past on its list of Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers, this was the first year it published a guide exclusively dedicated to immigration law. The 2023 Lawdragon Leading Immigration Lawyers guide is available here.
About BAL Established in 1980, BAL powers human achievement through immigration expertise, people-centered client services and innovative technology. BAL, with 13 offices across the United States and global coverage in more than 185 countries around the world, operates as a single entity through its oneBAL culture — a uniquely holistic approach, intentionally structured as one team, one brand, one P&L, one standard of excellence and one unifying technology. This united approach enables the firm to deliver the highest level of knowledge, insights and resources from across the entire organization.
Media Contact: Emily Albrecht Senior Director — Marketing & Communications ealbrecht@bal.com 469-559-0174
DALLAS (May 9, 2023) — BAL has been recognized by Inc. magazine, a premier business publication, as one of the Best Workplaces of 2023.
“This recognition validates BAL’s core value of putting people first,” said CEO Jeremy Fudge. “Inc. magazine selecting us as one of the best workplaces in the world confirms our people feel that and, in turn, live that out with each other every day.”
BAL was chosen from thousands of submissions on the basis of a rigorous selection process conducted by third party Quantum Workplace. Quantum conducted an employee survey covering topics such as management effectiveness, perks, fostering employee growth and overall company culture as well as audited the firm’s benefits to score and rank them compared to other companies in the country.
“Being named to Best Workplaces is an honor that only a small fraction of companies have been able to claim,” said Scott Omelianuk, Inc. editor in chief. “Proving to the world that you’re a magnet for talent and have a culture that keeps teams engaged, productive and proud to come to work is a truly remarkable achievement.”
BAL Chief People and Culture Officer Nicole Dawson noted that BAL stands apart thanks to innovative talent-development programs, including Explorers, where employees shadow colleagues in roles they are interested in; Elite Performance Transformation, which goes beyond traditional performance evaluations to support employees’ personal and professional goals; and development programs designed to enhance BAL’s culture by strengthening its leaders.
“These unique programs together with BAL’s collaborative culture contribute to our exceptional workplace environment and reputation,” she said. “This honor by Inc. confirms we are operating at a level far beyond just the legal industry and setting new benchmarks for all companies.”
About Inc. Media The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts and print.
Dallas (Mar. 2, 2023) — BAL is honored to be named a Most Innovative Company by iconic media institution, Fast Company. BAL is ranked fifth most innovative global business services company thanks to a relentless focus on exceptional client services, a unique business model and the use of proprietary technology that transforms the practice of immigration law.
How did a law firm secure a spot on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list? “By constantly asking how can we do this better, faster, more efficiently, with greater quality, service, expertise and technology” said BAL’s CEO, Jeremy Fudge. “We’re in the business of helping companies secure the right talent to change the world, and constant innovation is the key to our mission.”
BAL’s Pursue the Exceptional mantra permeates throughout the firm from supporting our people to legal services to technology and business operations. “We are intentionally structured as one team, one brand, one P&L, one standard of excellence and one unifying technology” said Managing Partner, Frieda Garcia. “This unified, team first approach incentivizes us to collaborate and innovate to better serve our people and our clients.”
For more than 25 years, BAL has consistently evolved our technology to transform the practice of immigration law. “We’re passionate about harnessing the limitless power of technology to innovate immigration and the business as a whole,” said Chief Information Officer, Jason Chancellor. Powered by our technology teams, BAL transformed the legal tech industry by creating Cobalt®, a proprietary case management platform. The first to use AI and machine learning in the management of immigration cases, Cobalt® has empowered the immigration journey of nearly 2 million people. The ever-evolving system allows BAL legal teams to operate seamlessly, provides clients 24/7 case monitoring, analytics, benchmarking, and crucial, up-to-the-minute immigration intel.
About BAL BAL powers human achievement through immigration expertise, people centered client services and innovative technology. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, people-centered client services and leading technology innovation.
DALLAS (Feb. 20, 2023) — Corporate immigration powerhouse BAL was distinguished this month by Lawyers of Color (LOC), for its industry-leading commitment to organizational diversity, equity and inclusion. The Washington D.C.-based nonprofit for the advancement of legal professionals of color awarded BAL with the Aspire Diversity Award, and will feature the firm in its Diversity Issue 2023 publication. Four of BAL’s Partners are named to the 2023 Lawyers of Color Power List: Managing Partner Frieda Garcia; Rob Caballero, who manages BAL’s Houston office; Nassim Mahzoon, who oversees the Santa Clara, Calif. office; and Edward Rios, who leads the firm’s Boston office.
The Aspire Diversity Award honors law firms that are dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion in their staff, managing partners, executive management committee and office managing partners, and that employ 4% or more Black attorneys.
BAL, the 2023 Immigration Law Firm of the Year by Best Lawyers-U.S. News & World Report, also ranked as the #1 law firm in the country for diversity on Law360’s 2022 Diversity Snapshot for the third year in a row. BAL also ranks the highest in diversity among equity partners, associates and other attorneys compared to firms of its size. Sixty three percent of BAL employees are people of color and the majority of BAL’s attorneys, 54%, are attorneys of color. Attorneys of color also make up 28% of the firm’s partners, 63% of the firm’s equity partners, and 60% of other BAL attorneys. The Aspire Diversity Award underscores BAL’s leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal industry, and the business sector as a whole.
“We are thrilled to be acknowledged by Lawyers of Color for our exceptional and authentic people-centered culture,” said Nicole Dawson, Chief People Officer. “We have always known that diversity is one of our biggest strengths and reflects our inclusive work environment and how we interact with our clients and our communities.”
LOC’s Power List distinguishes the most influential attorneys of color in the U.S., and is the only comprehensive listing of its kind in the industry. LOC initially compiled the list to highlight the achievements of lawyers of color and to promote DE&I in the legal industry.
“I’m honored to receive this significant and historic award,” said Managing Partner Frieda Garcia, who has helped BAL become a thought leader on DE&I issues. “My experience of diversity is lived and inspires me to cultivate diversity, empowerment and belonging in our DE&I initiatives. Diversity, equity and inclusion power our unified, oneBAL people culture, and because of it, we are that much more effective for our immigration clients across the nation and around the world.”
About Lawyers of Color Lawyers of Color is a 501(c)(3) missioned to advancing diversity in the legal profession and democracy and equality in marginalized communities. LOC champions attorneys of color and analyzes the intersection of the legal profession and social justice. The organization supplies critical research, career development, and brand marketing opportunities to its clients, and is recognized by the American Bar Association, National Association of Black Journalists, and National Black Law Students Association. LOC maintains a social media and email census of nearly 50,000 legal professionals, the record largest of any minority legal organization.
About BAL BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable businesses to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, people-centered client services and leading technology innovation. In 2018, BAL entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance with Deloitte U.K. to create the world’s first global immigration service delivery model. BAL’s proprietary Cobalt® digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services and Legalweek‘s Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.
BAL has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including the #1 Law Firm for Women by the National Law Journal four years in a row (2019-2022), #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), and #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot for three years running (2020-2022). BAL won in seven of Comparably’s Best Company categories, including Diversity, Women, Career Growth, and Perks & Benefits. The Dallas Business Journal named BAL one of only a handful of the 2022 Best Places to Work based exclusively on employee feedback. US News & World Report–Best Lawyers named BAL the 2023 Immigration Law Firm of the Year.
DALLAS (Feb. 1, 2023) — Immigration powerhouse BAL kicks off another year of distinction with the National Law Journal’s 2023 Legal Technology Trailblazers Award. The award recognizes “agents of change that are using innovation to help ease the daily tasks taken on by law firms and legal departments.”
“We’re honored by this recognition that embodies our commitment to cutting-edge technological tools that address the needs and challenges of in-house corporate immigration professionals,” said Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “I continue to be inspired by our incredible people behind all of our award-winning technology. They truly are the agents of change who make a positive difference in people’s lives every day.”
BAL’s proprietary immigration platform, Cobalt®, leads the industry with its innovative use of AI, robotic process automation (RPA), machine learning and other emerging technologies that enhance the immigration programs for companies and their in-house teams and make the immigration journey smoother for millions of users around the world.
As a result of BAL’s innovations, our teams spend less time on rote tasks and can focus their talents on what they do best: connecting with clients, building relationships, providing bespoke legal strategies and delivering an exceptional client experience. BAL’s investment in time-saving technology provides work-life balance to our teams, and the firm’s people-centered culture continues to attract the best talent in the industry.
“Our innovative spirit is what sets BAL apart, along with our unique ability to blend our tech teams with our legal teams to create practical tools that solve specific problems,” said Chief Technology Officer Chanille Juneau. “We are excited about new projects already in the works for 2023.”
This NLJ Legal Technology Trailblazers Award comes on the heels of BAL sweeping more than two dozen top honors for law, technology, DE&I and workplace culture in 2022.
About BAL BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable businesses to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, people-centered client services and leading technology innovation. In 2018, BAL entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance with Deloitte U.K. to create the world’s first global immigration service delivery model.
BAL’s proprietary Cobalt® digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services and Legalweek’s Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal. BAL has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including the #1 Law Firm for Women by the National Law Journal four years in a row (2019-2022), #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), and #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot for three years running (2020-2022). BAL won seven of Comparably’s Best Company categories in 2022, including for Career Growth, Perks & Benefits, Women and Diversity. The Dallas Business Journal named BAL one of only a handful of the 2022 Best Places to Work based exclusively on employee feedback. U.S. News & World Report–Best Lawyers named BAL the 2023 Immigration Law Firm of the Year.
DALLAS (Jan. 26, 2023) — Pacesetting global immigration firm BAL was lauded last night by the mayor of the city of Richardson, Texas, in the annual State of the City address. The environmentally minded law firm set a record by providing the largest group of volunteers to partake in the city’s Community and Corporate Environmental Cleanup program.
Applauding BAL for its “tremendous showing of community spirit,” three-term Mayor Paul Voelker, who has overseen the cleanup since 2017, invited BAL Partner Kortney Gibson to attend his address in person and stand for official recognition by the audience.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the mayor and the city for our volunteer work,” said Kortney, who manages BAL’s local operations and Center of Excellence. “We pride ourselves on extending our time and efforts and compassion into initiatives that support the environment and our local community.”
In July, 500 BAL team members from the firm’s Richardson headquarters gathered at the nearby Spring Creek Nature Area preserve to clean up sections of heavily wooded terrain. The earth-conscious BAL team was the largest cadre of volunteers to partner with the city’s Environmental Cleanup program outside of the city’s annual Trash Bash initiative. The city facilitates the cleanup initiative to maintain the popular 100-acre nature destination, which is nestled within a thriving urban environment.
BAL Partner Stephanie Pimentel coordinated the volunteer effort as part of the annual firm-wide volunteer “Service Day,” in which teams from BAL’s 14 offices around the country volunteer for a project of their choosing to help their local communities.
“Coordinating the Service Day was one of the highlights of my year,” said Stephanie, who also attended the mayor’s address. “Joining with 500 colleagues to beautify the nature area and preserve our local environment was an inspiring reminder that the work BAL does to make a positive difference in people’s lives doesn’t stop with our clients and teams, but extends beyond the front door to the communities we are a part of.”
Dallas (Jan. 6, 2023) — BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, promoted five of its attorneys to Partner this month: Shehryar Chaudhry, Haesung Kim, Amy Lighter, Stephanie Pimentel and Michael Sela.
Shehryar Chaudhry provides strategic counsel to companies from BAL’s San Francisco office, managing immigration programs for companies in the technology sector and providing guidance on compliance, program management and corporate restructuring.
“As an immigrant myself, I get a lot of joy out of working with corporate clients in shaping their immigration program and in helping their foreign national employees,” Shehryar said. “It’s a win-win, and I’m honored to step into a new leadership role at a firm that values those relationships.”
In the firm’s Tysons, Virginia, office, Haesung Kim has extensive experience representing Fortune 500 companies on all aspects of employment and family-based immigration matters. Her practice focuses on managing PERM labor certification and green card processes for large corporations.
Amy Lighter, who practices in the firm’s Santa Clara, California, office, works with companies to craft immigration solutions that facilitate the mobility of executives, managers and specialized workers, with a particular interest in securing extraordinary ability visas for leading scientists and researchers.
“I have lived abroad as a ‘trailing spouse’ without work authorization and have walked in my clients’ shoes,” said Amy, who has a background in science and technology. “I’m excited for my new role at BAL — a tech-forward firm that empowers my passion for leveraging technology to improve the quality and delivery of legal services.”
Practicing at BAL’s headquarters in Dallas, Stephanie Pimentel represents companies across diverse industries, including pharmaceutical, IT and consulting. She manages immigration programs for large multinational corporations as well as startups, and previously served as Liaison to Customs and Border Protection at Boston’s Logan Airport through the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Michael Sela, who practices in BAL’s San Francisco office, has expertise in all facets of business immigration matters having represented clients of all sizes in industries such as healthcare, entertainment and technology. Michael advises global companies and their employees on both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas processes.
“Our new partners represent BAL’s continuing pursuit of the exceptional for our clients, DE&I in our firm and innovation in our industry,” explains BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “This year, we are resetting our own benchmark for high-quality, people-centered services powered by technology, and these elite professionals will help us meet those goals and our clients achieve success.”
Dallas (Dec. 28, 2022) — Industry trailblazer BAL took home 24 top honors for law, technology, DE&I and workplace culture this year, besting its previous record. BAL capped off 2022 with a future accolade: 2023 Law Firm of the Year by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®, the second time in four years BAL has earned the distinction.
Our legal expertise continued to win top ranking by all the major legal publications, including Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal and Best Lawyers in America. In the 2022 Lawdragon rankings, which recognize fewer than 80 immigration attorneys nationwide, BAL was the most cited firm for corporate immigration, with 17 of our attorneys earning the elite recognition.
BAL also leads in the legal tech space with our proprietary case management system Cobalt® earning multiple awards and solidifying BAL’s reputation as both a tech leader and innovator in 2022. BAL’s Technology Department won a Best in Biz award, and Chief Technology Officer Chanille Juneau was named a Legal Innovator by Texas Lawyer. BAL was also a finalist for multiple legal tech awards, including Legalweek’s Most Innovative Operations Team of the Year, the California Legal Awards’ Vanguard Award, TechTitans and the CODiE award for Best Legal Solution by the Software and Information Industry Association.
BAL’s DE&I and advancement of women earned the firm the #1 spot on The National Law Journal’s Women’s Scorecard the past four years in a row (2019-2022) and on Law 360’s Diversity Snapshot for three years running (2020-2022). BAL took home Comparably’s employee-reviews based awards for Best Company for Women and Best Company for Diversity 2022.
Finally, BAL’s celebrated workplace culture swept numerous awards, including #7 on the Dallas Business Journal’s Best Places to Work, and #44 in the country alongside some of the most beloved American brands for Best Company for Perks & Benefits by Comparably. In 2022, BAL won in seven of Comparably’s Best Company categories, including Career Growth, Compensation and HR Team, based solely on employee ratings.
“I want to thank all of our clients for their partnership and trust in 2022—these relationships are the foundation for our continued success,” said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “And to the 1,500 members of the BAL family who operate coast-to-coast as a seamless team, your pursuit of the exceptional is the engine that delivers for our clients and represents a model for the industry.”
Jeremy was named 2022 Outstanding Director by the Dallas Business Journal for leading the innovation, expansion and success of BAL. Jeremy has overseen the firm’s continued growth, opening a new BAL office every year for the past six years, including the newest office in Los Angeles for sports and entertainment clients. He recruited several of the country’s top immigration experts to BAL as the firm added over 600 new employees, 60% of whom were diversity hires. Jeremy also introduced key perks and benefits, including unlimited vacation; championed the continuing development of BAL’s award-winning technologies; and added another 100,000 square feet of space to the firm’s state-of-the-art Richardson headquarters.
See website for details: https://www.bal.com
DALLAS, Nov. 3, 2022 — Trailblazing immigration firm BAL has been named the 2023 Law Firm of the Year in Immigration Law by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers. BAL outranked every other immigration law firm in the nation for this esteemed award, given to only one law firm per year. This is the second time BAL has earned this distinction in the past four years.
“We are incredibly honored by this recognition, and it inspires us to keep getting better by growing and innovating our practice,” said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “I couldn’t be prouder of the 1,500 employees who make a positive difference for our clients every day. Their dedication makes this firm what it is today.”
BAL’s top spot was based on client feedback and peer reviews from the country’s top practicing attorneys. “Best Law Firms” are recognized for their professional excellence, stellar ratings from peers and clients, and a unique combination of legal expertise and quality of service.
One client praised BAL for “hav[ing] the resources and expertise of a large firm, with the benefit of a dedicated core small team of attorneys that we partner with on a daily basis.”
Another client said BAL “provides insights and legal guidance that exceeds other immigration law firms and which is critical to business planning and strategy.”
“I can rest easy knowing my immigration program is running smoothly,” said another client quoted by Best Lawyers. “We’ve collaborated closely to create processes that make things easier and reduce risk. Our company’s program is a well-oiled machine with BAL managing it.”
As immigration became increasingly complex over the past few years, BAL rose to the challenge, helping some of the biggest companies in the world acquire the talent they needed and assisting countless individuals on their immigration journeys. Offering enhanced immigration services and responding to the demand for a people-centered, tech-forward client experience, BAL expanded its nationwide practice, adding offices in Santa Clara, Austin and Denver, and nearly doubling the size of its headquarters in Dallas. The firm also launched BAL Community, a first-ever membership platform for in-house HR, immigration and mobility professionals to collaborate and gain critical industry insights to be successful.
“In my two decades at BAL, we have not only grown exponentially but we remain more passionate than ever about delivering solutions for our clients and helping people,” said BAL Partner Frieda Garcia. “We continue to attract top-notch professionals who are committed to our mission and our collaborative team culture that empowers us to be the best for the people we serve.”
In addition to awarding BAL the Law Firm of the Year recognition, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers ranked six BAL offices — Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. — in the elite Metropolitan Tier 1 category.
About “Best Law Firms” The U.S. News-Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer reviews from leading attorneys in the field, and reviews of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance.
Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. For 40 years, Best Lawyers has identified the lawyers who are best qualified to represent clients in need of legal services. Best Lawyers awards are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe.
Dallas, Oct. 18, 2022 – BAL, the award-winning global immigration law firm, has launched BAL Community, an interactive platform and community space for corporate HR professionals. BAL Community empowers in-house immigration, mobility and talent acquisition professionals to benchmark, share best practices and collaborate with peers and industry leaders.
“One thing we hear over and over from the business community, particularly those with small and midsize programs, is that they need better tools to meet the diverse demands of running an in-house immigration program,” said Jeremy Fudge, BAL’s Managing Partner. “We created BAL Community with the input of the country’s top in-house experts to be an invaluable resource for every type of immigration program.”
In-house immigration professionals are challenged with juggling multiple responsibilities, including staying abreast of industry standards, analyzing data, communicating with various stakeholder groups, and tracking day-to-day policy developments.
“In-house immigration professionals need modern tools to succeed in their jobs,” Jeremy added. “BAL Community is the only professional network dedicated to providing immigration professionals the intelligence, insights and access they need to serve their businesses.”
Membership in BAL Community includes:
• Weekly benchmarking on topics driven by in-house professionals. • Analysis of best practices for corporate immigration programs. • Exclusive events with government and industry leaders. • Small focus group sessions to engage with peers on complex program issues. • Opportunities to provide feedback to government agencies.
In-house professionals who contributed to the development of BAL Community emphasized the need for brevity and clarity. Taking this input to heart, we designed BAL Community to fit within the busy schedules of in-house immigration professionals.
“BAL is a leader in our industry because of our oneBAL culture of teamwork and information-sharing that ensures every client benefits from all of the firm’s resources, expertise and knowledge,” said Frieda Garcia, a Partner who serves on the firm’s management committee. “We are excited to bring that same culture to BAL Community, allowing in-house professionals to connect with and learn from the best in the industry.”
Last year, BAL launched Advisor, the industry’s most comprehensive multimedia platform that delivers real-time immigration content and analysis to foreign nationals. Advisor has become an essential tool for companies to cascade information to their employees. While Advisor will continue to provide content for foreign nationals, BAL Community is dedicated to producing curated content for in-house professionals.
To learn more about BAL Community and to join, please visit: https://community.bal.com/
About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable businesses to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, people-centered client services, and leading technology innovation. In 2018, BAL entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance with Deloitte U.K. to create the world’s first global immigration service delivery model.
BAL’s proprietary Cobalt® digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services, and Legalweek’s Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including the #1 Law Firm for Women by the National Law Journal four years in a row (2019-2022), #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), and #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot for the three years running (2020-2022). BAL won The Best Company for Diversity, the Best HR Team, and the Best Company for Career Growth by Comparably, based solely on employee ratings. The Dallas Business Journal named BAL one of only a handful of the 2022 Best Places to Work based exclusively on employee feedback.