Harter Secrest & Emery LLP Attorneys and Counselors

Immigration law has always played a vital role in the country’s growth and economy. Today, more than ever, employers seeking to remain competitive in the global marketplace need to attract and retain the best and brightest talent available. This recruiting effort often includes individuals from foreign countries.

For more than 30 years, our legal professionals have been instrumental in setting up active, successful immigration programs for clients of all sizes. During the past three years, we have submitted an annual average of 1,500 filings to the various government agencies involved in our work.

Our primary goal is to effectuate the transfer of foreign nationals to the U.S. with appropriate work authorizations. We work both on facilitating their temporary (and usually more immediate) transfer into the U.S. and in securing their permanent residence.

Our role in serving both the short- and long-term needs of clients is multi-faceted, and often involves issues relating to mergers, acquisitions and divestitures of companies. Due to the dedication and experience of our practitioners, we are on the cutting edge of critical issues facing immigrants.

Maggie Catillaz, as a current member of the Board of Governors and former President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), has represented AILA as chair of liaison committees interacting with the highest-ranking decision-makers in the USCIS, the Department of State and the Department of Labor. Maggie’s expertise has been recognized nationally and internationally, having been named for her work in immigration in Best Lawyers in the U.S., International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, and The Chambers Group.

Frank Novak has served as Chair of the Upstate Chapter of AILA, is presently Chair of the AILA Health Care Professionals Committee and previously served on the AILA-Vermont Service Center Liaison Committee, responsible for addressing policy and practice concerns on behalf of practitioners throughout the U.S.