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Cobalt® provides global businesses with a premier destination for strategic end-to-end case management
SAN FRANCISCO, February 6, 2018 – Today Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL) LLP, one of the world’s largest immigration law firms, launched its next-generation Cobalt® digital immigration services platform. The new Cobalt features the industry’s first mobile immigration application, enabling anytime, anywhere case management across Android and iOS devices. In addition, the secure, cloud-based platform is ISO/IEC 27001 certified, features an intuitive, user-friendly interface and delivers a faster application speed that will accelerate the global immigration process for BAL’s portfolio of corporate clients.
“In an increasingly complex global economy, an effective immigration strategy is a competitive necessity for every company that does business internationally,” said Jeremy Fudge, BAL Managing Partner. “With Cobalt, today’s global mobility leaders can transform their global immigration processes to meet the challenges and opportunities of a digital age while giving their employees a more streamlined, differentiated experience.”
With its breakthrough app, user-friendly interface and top-notch information security, Cobalt makes it easier for BAL’s corporate clients to do their jobs, run their businesses and give their employees a great experience. Specific benefits include:
“For years, we’ve been at the immigration forefront, driving technologies that keep our clients ahead in a fast-changing world. It’s ingrained in our company’s culture to apply a technology and innovation lens to everything we do – and at every level – with an eye toward what’s next. With a product roadmap that embraces the latest, including Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and automation, this release is part of our agenda to bring clients inventive technology solutions designed to advance global immigration,” commented Fudge.
Also today, BAL released a new vision paper on the role of innovation in an increasingly complex global immigration environment. The paper outlines actions that today’s business and legal experts can take to stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape. The full paper, “Innovation in Global Immigration Law: Where Expertise, Technology and the Human Experience Meet,” is available for download here.
About BAL BAL is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and clients more successful. Established in 1980, the firm provides comprehensive services from 18 offices across six continents. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers, The Legal 500, and Who’s Who Legal. Non-U.S. offices are operated by affiliated entities in those countries.
Media Contact: Emily Albrecht Senior Director — Marketing & Communications ealbrecht@bal.com 469-559-0174
We are pleased to announce that L. Ruth Clark has been named a partner at Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. Ms. Clark joined BAL in 2010 and practices from the Houston office, where she concentrates on all U.S. employment-based corporate immigration matters, with a specialization in I-9 and compliance legal services. She currently oversees some of BAL’s most high-profile clients and is a key leader in support of the firm’s compliance practice. Ms. Clark is a subject matter expert in her field and is a frequent speaker at local and national continuing legal education courses, in addition to industry-related seminars and conferences.
Ms. Clark is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She earned her Juris Doctorate at the University of Houston Law Center and her Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of Texas. She is admitted to the State Bar of Texas.
We are pleased to announce that Stephanie Wolf has been named a partner at Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. Ms. Wolf joined BAL in 2007 and concentrates on U.S. business immigration matters. She counsels clients with respect to key changes in immigration law and she has helped clients re-strategize their immigration programs as government scrutiny and enforcement have increased. She regularly advises clients on petitions for O-1 individuals of Extraordinary Ability, L-1 Multinational Managers and Specialized Knowledge intracompany transfers, H-1B Specialty Occupation and TN workers. She also provides strategic guidance on STEM OPT requirements, E-Verify and I-9 compliance, and the immigration implications of mergers and acquisitions, and has presented at industry-related seminars on a variety of business immigration and compliance topics. Ms. Wolf is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and has served on the USCIS California Service Center Liaison Committee.
She earned her Juris Doctorate at the University of San Francisco School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Vermont.
Firm to move 300 local employees to larger location
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – December 11, 2017 – Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL), a leading global corporate immigration law firm with offices around the world, has moved to a new and expanded location at 555 Mission Street. BAL was established in San Francisco in 1980 and has strong ties to the technology industry.
The office will house about 300 BAL attorneys, paralegals and staff from the firm’s current Financial District location. The office is one of the firm’s largest worldwide.
“San Francisco remains an optimal location for BAL and is a key component of our dynamic growth strategy,” said Carol Mays, BAL’s COO. “Many of our clients in the Bay Area are multinational industry leaders in the tech sector. Expanding our presence enables us to continue supporting the business operations of leading companies around the globe for years to come, while delivering the highest level of service.”
BAL has locations in key international markets Dubai, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Maputo (Mozambique), Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney, and in major U.S. financial and commercial centers Dallas/Richardson, Austin, Boston, Houston, McLean (Virginia), San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Washington, D.C.
BAL offers a data-driven, globally seamless approach to its work, in order to maximize its practice and deliver greater efficiencies, resulting in a better client experience. Among the firm’s key points of differentiation are leadership in technology, artificial intelligence, automation and machine learning, and a consistent focus on cybersecurity knowledge and best practices. The firm also offers an industry-leading knowledge management team and services; an unrelenting commitment to customer service; a service delivery model and internal structure that are unique in the industry; and strong consultative and strategic advisory services at a programmatic level.
November 6 – U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers has once again ranked Berry Appleman & Leiden as a Tier 1 “Best Law Firm.” BAL is also ranked as a “Best Law Firm” in the metropolitan areas of Boston, Mass., Houston, Texas, San Francisco, Calif., Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C.
The U.S. News – Best Lawyers rankings of the “Best Law Firms” are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. To be eligible for a ranking in a particular practice area and metro region, a law firm must have at least one lawyer who is currently recognized in Best Lawyers in that particular practice and metro area. Clients are asked to provide feedback on firm practice groups, addressing expertise, responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility and whether they would refer another client to the firm.
This September, the publication named eight Berry Appleman & Leiden attorneys as the “Best Lawyers in America.” They are:
September 14, 2017 – Best Lawyers recognized eight Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP lawyers as “The Best Lawyers in America” for 2018. The BAL attorneys listed by Best Lawyers are:
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based on a peer review process designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
For 2017, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers ranked BAL as a “Best Law Firm” nationally as well as in the metropolitan areas of Houston, Texas, and San Francisco, Calif. Firms included on the 2017 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be eligible for a ranking as a “Best Law Firm”, a law firm must have at least one lawyer listed on “The Best Lawyers in America” list for that particular location and specialty.
Copyright © 2017 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.
August 29, 2017 – Law360 named Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL) one of the best firms for both women and minority attorneys. The ranking distinguishes firms that consistently demonstrate above-average hiring and promoting of both women and minorities. BAL is one of the eight firms with 20-149 lawyers recognized by Law360, highlighting BAL’s consistent rankings on Law360’s annual Diversity Snapshot and Glass Ceiling Report.
In 2017, Law360 ranked BAL third in its peer group for the Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys in the 2017 Glass Ceiling Report and second in its peer group for the Best Law Firms for Minority Attorneys in the 2017 Diversity Snapshot. When looking at firm leadership, specifically, Law360 recognized BAL as a 2017 Ceiling Smasher with 43.9 percent of BAL’s equity partners identifying as female. Minority equity partners make up 28.6 percent of BAL’s leadership and BAL ranks sixth for the Best Law Firms for Minority Partners on Law360.
As Law360 reports, few firms maintain above-average diversity at all levels when looking at race, ethnicity and gender, often excelling in one aspect of diversity while lagging on another. BAL consistently ranks high for diversity representation at all levels – from associates to equity partners.
“We are proud to be recognized for our racial, ethnic and gender diversity in the workplace,” said Carla Tarazi, one of the firm’s equity partners. “BAL believes that encouraging those from different backgrounds and perspectives to succeed creates a stronger and more effective firm and, ultimately, it encourages everyone in our firm to succeed as individuals and as part of a team.”
Law 360 surveyed more than 300 U.S. firms, or vereins with a U.S. component, about their overall and minority headcount numbers as of Dec. 31, 2016. Only U.S.-based attorneys were included in the survey, and firms must have at least 20 U.S.-based attorneys to participate.
For the second consecutive year, Law360 has named BAL as one of the nation’s Best US Law Firms for Minority Attorneys in its annual Diversity Snapshot.
According to Law360, BAL is one of the top 21 firms making headway and enjoying the benefits of a more diverse attorney workforce. At BAL, minority attorneys make up at least 40 percent of non-partners and at least 26 percent of partners. By contrast, Law360’s 2017 Diversity Snapshot shows that racial and ethnic minorities make up just over 15 percent of the attorneys employed by U.S. law firms, a number that inched up incrementally over the previous year. Among the more than 300 law firms surveyed, minorities make up about 20 percent of non-partners and almost 9 percent of partners.
Law360 surveyed more than 300 US firms, or vereins with a U.S. component, about their overall and minority headcount numbers as of Dec. 31, 2016. Only U.S.-based attorneys were included in the survey, and firms had to have at least 20 U.S.-based attorneys to participate.
Law360 again distinguished BAL as one of the nation’s best law firms for female attorneys, including partners, in its 2017 Glass Ceiling Report.
BAL is one of the top 20 firms advancing equality at the top, and once again earned the designation of Law360 Ceiling Smasher with one of the largest percentages of female equity partners. As a top 20 firm, BAL is noted for making strides towards greater gender equality in its partnership. Forty-two percent of BAL’s equity partners are female, 70 percent of the non-equity partnership are female, and 60 percent of the non-partners are female. In contrast, the report shows that among the law firms surveyed, just under 45 percent of non-partners and 23 percent of partners identified as female — despite women making up over 40 percent overall.
“My recent promotion to equity partnership at BAL affirms BAL’s commitment to gender equality, not just at the management level, but as a bedrock of our culture,” stated Kortney Gibson, equity partner in the Dallas office.
Law360 surveyed more than 300 U.S. firms, or vereins with a U.S. component, about their female headcount as of Dec. 31, 2016. Only U.S.-based attorneys were included in the survey, and firms had to have at least 20 U.S.-based attorneys to participate.
SAN FRANCISCO — Berry Appleman & Leiden, one of the country’s largest corporate immigration law firms, today announced that its Chief Information Officer, Vince DiMascio, has been selected as the 2017 Bay Area CIO of the Year for a private company. The prestigious award is presented annually by the Silicon Valley Business Journal and the San Francisco Business Times.
“We are proud that Vince has been honored as the CIO of the Year,” said Berry Appleman & Leiden Managing Partner, Jeremy Fudge. “We have made IT a top priority at our firm and Vince has done a tremendous job leading the way. He’s a big reason why so many clients trust us with their business—they know we have the most advanced and most secure IT operation anywhere.”
DiMascio serves as the Global Chief Information Officer at Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. He is responsible for technology strategy worldwide. As CIO, DiMascio leads technology innovation and product development, data analytics, front office technology, IT for business operations, digital, infrastructure and security.
“I am honored to receive this award,” DiMascio said. “It recognizes our team’s determination to develop and deliver innovative technologies that are unparalleled in our industry. This is of paramount value to us, as the world’s most sophisticated immigration programs depend on BAL’s unwavering dedication to security and constant technological advancement.” He added, “It’s a privilege to be a part of this team’s success.”
Prior to joining BAL, DiMascio spent over eleven years at PwC in a variety of positions, including as the firm’s legal technology and e-discovery leader.
Berry Appleman & Leiden is a global immigration firm that helps corporate clients around the world meet immigration challenges. The firm has 18 offices around the world.