Lisa Spiegel

• Prepares and files hundreds of PERM applications for a consulting-based company whose staff may be assigned to various working sites throughout the U.S.
• Obtained lawful permanent residency status for two young immigrants, overcoming prior removal orders and establishing they were eligible for relief under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA).
• Obtained the approval of an O-1 visa, reserved for individuals with extraordinary ability, for a Canadian citizen to accept a high level executive position with Aramark.
• Won appeal using novel argument for multinational manager/executive immigrant visa petition. Demonstrating the actual “life” of a Company involved in the early stages of a pharmaceutical/drug product line, notably how the company must be operational for at least one or more years prior to production and the signing of any contract for the new product. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services originally denied the petition because they presumed the company had not been doing business for the one year required for an immigrant visa based solely on the date a $12 million contract with the U.S. government had been signed to assist in the fight against chemical warfare and not the date on which the company had begun its operations.

Duane Morris’ Immigration Practice Group serves a diverse group of clients including multinational and Fortune 500 publicly-traded corporations, medium-sized privately-held companies, and smaller sized start-up ventures. Our attorneys have experience in a wide range of industries, including: information technology, biotechnology, security, telecommunications, manufacturing, retail, market research, banking, shipping, healthcare, entertainment and food and beverage. In addition, we represent numerous universities, embassies, religious organizations, and other non-profit entities, as well as individuals, with immigration needs. We also handle immigration-related litigation and government compliance matters.

On the U.S. side, our attorneys provide clients with a full range of immigration and naturalization legal services which are carefully crafted to reflect each client’s goals and objectives.

Our practice has grown to include representation of our multinational clients in global visa, work and residence permit applications, as well as compliance audits in countries on a worldwide basis. This is a rapidly expanding and changing area of law, as countries struggle to protect domestic work forces while addressing the needs of international business. At Duane Morris, we provide a seamless home-host model that involves an in-house team working in conjunction with local expert counsel.

Through a comprehensive knowledge of the legal, political and business context in which immigration and naturalization concerns arise, the Immigration Practice Group assists clients to operate successfully in a world in which capital and business opportunities have no borders. Our team’s thorough understanding of the bureaucratic intricacies and our frequent interaction with decision makers at the Departments of Homeland Security, Labor and State in the United States as well as these agencies counterparts around the world, provide a solid foundation upon which we provide effective representation to our clients. Our immigration attorneys also work with members of the firm’s trade, customs, international, tax, corporate, business reorganization, healthcare and litigation groups when issues arise which require the skills of lawyers practicing in a variety of disciplines to provide clients with a full range of legal services.

Duane Morris LLP, a law firm with more than 800 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally, is asked by a broad array of clients to provide innovative solutions to today’s legal and business challenges.

> More than 800 lawyers in offices in the U.S., UK and Asia
> 128 Partners have chosen to join Duane Morris in the past 5 years
> Firm has nearly tripled in past 19 years
> Over 25% of client business conducted through multiple offices and practices

Evolving from a partnership of prominent lawyers in Philadelphia a century ago, Duane Morris’ modern organization stretches from the U.S. to Europe and the Middle East, and now across Asia. Throughout this global expansion, Duane Morris has remained committed to preserving its collegial, collaborative culture that has attracted many talented attorneys. The firm’s leadership, and outside observers like the Harvard Business School, believe this culture is truly unique among large law firms, and helps account for the firm continuing to prosper throughout changing economic and industry conditions.