Deborah Smith

“At the end of every day, we are all here to achieve the same goal, and that’s providing our clients with the best in class and most seamless immigration journey possible.”

Deborah is a partner in BAL’s Boston office. She prides herself on delivering the highest level of client service that includes compassion, empathy and personal touch. She is a visionary and thought leader known for offering strategic planning and practical solutions to every challenge presented by the ever-evolving immigration landscape. Deb partners with all levels of human resources, talent acquisition, in-house counsel and executive stakeholders to develop and implement policies, assist with onboarding and conduct management and talent trainings. Deb has worked in immigration and nationality law for more than two decades, focusing on all aspects of corporate and family-based applications, ranging from nonimmigrant and immigrant visa petitions to naturalization applications and everything in between.

Prior to joining BAL, Deb served in various leadership positions that span over 18 years at Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Deb is recognized for her ability to successfully manage high-volume immigration portfolios for several multinational organizations, across a range of industries, including financial services, biomedical technology, healthcare, car rental services and education technology.

Deb is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and has served as a faculty member and speaker for the organization. She has also spoken about the political asylum process to students at Lesley College. She is accredited for creating and leading an attorney mentorship program as well as serving as a mentor and trainer for all new hires for over a decade.

Deb is an advocate for community service and helping those in need. For a number of years, Deb served as the team captain for the Best Buddies organization and team lead for the Stop the Traffic 5K Run/Walk. Deb is intimately involved in and has served on the board for Karen’s Closet, an organization that aims to provide children in need with the basic essentials and tools necessary to support and enhance their academic success.