Lynden Melmed

“My family immigrated to the U.S. when I was a young child, and I grew up watching my parents welcome and help other immigrants settle into our community. I feel privileged to continue that tradition by advising individuals, companies and policymakers on such an important topic.”

Lynden is a Partner and oversees BAL’s Government Strategies team from its Washington, D.C., office.

Before joining BAL, Lynden served as chief counsel of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency’s highest ranking legal position. As chief counsel, he managed a legal program of approximately 130 attorneys and was a key advisor to senior leadership within USCIS, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the White House and other federal agencies on all aspects of immigration law. He previously served as special counsel to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who at that time was chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, and played a leading role in drafting and managing the comprehensive immigration legislation that passed the U.S. Senate in 2006.

Lynden is uniquely positioned to help clients navigate politically sensitive immigration matters due to his expertise and strong bipartisan connections in Washington. He serves as counsel to several prominent business trade associations, has testified before the U.S. Senate’s Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and has a proven record of success in helping clients develop, draft and achieve policy solutions.

He is the trusted attorney that companies turn to when they require assistance with audits and investigations. He has served as immigration counsel in connection with several of the largest immigration investigations ever pursued by the federal government.

Lynden serves on the Board of the Migration Policy Institute, which provides analysis, development and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at local, national and international levels. He also serves as a leader on the Council on National Security and Immigration, a group of American national security leaders who believe immigration reforms are imperative to bolster and maintain the United States’ global leadership position in the 21st century.