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San Francisco, CA — Berry Appleman & Leiden, one of the world’s leading corporate immigration law firms, today announced that Paul Rynerson and Jessica Mullins-Ta are being promoted to Partner.
“Paul and Jessica are two outstanding lawyers doing great work for their clients,” said BAL Managing Partner, Jeremy Fudge. “Paul excels at offering strategic immigration advice to his clients and Jessica thrives in consulting with clients to create solutions to their workforce needs. We look forward to both attorneys continuing their great work as Partners.”
Paul Rynerson previously served as a Senior Associate in the Dallas office of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. His practice focuses on employment-based immigration matters, including immigrant visa matters covering all aspects of the permanent residency process, nonimmigrant visa matters, I-9 and other compliance issues. Rynerson is an expert in managing PERM programs for large technology clients of the firm and also has experience in the finance, energy, non-profit, and manufacturing industries.
Jessica Mullins-Ta previously served as a Senior Associate in the Dallas office of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP, handling a wide array of cases for corporate clients. She serves clients in obtaining nonimmigrant visas, both in the US and abroad, and represents employers of all sizes with labor certification cases. Mullins-Ta also represents clients obtaining permanent residence as International Managers, Outstanding Ability, Researchers, and National Interest Waivers. Her experience includes working with a wide array of corporate clients, including public and private universities, publicly traded international companies, religious organizations, and privately owned companies.
Throughout her career, Mullins-Ta has been a sought-after speaker on corporate immigration, including most recently:
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Media Contact: Emily Albrecht Senior Director — Marketing & Communications ealbrecht@bal.com 469-559-0174
U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have ranked Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP as a national “Best Law Firm” for a second year running. BAL is also ranked in 2017 as a “Best Law Firm” 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 persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.
The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings 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 additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. To be eligible for a ranking, a law firm must have at least one lawyer listed in the 22nd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America© list for that particular location and specialty.
The 2017 “Best Law Firms” rankings can be seen in their entirety by visiting bestlawfirms.usnews.com.
For the eighth year in a row, BAL ranked as a “Band 1” firm in the Nationwide category and in California and Texas in the newly released 2016 Chambers USA Guide, an annual ranking of the best law firms based on independent research and interviews with lawyers and clients worldwide.
Nationally, BAL is a “powerful force in corporate and business immigration,” able to handle a range of highly complex matters, according to the rankings. BAL’s California office was praised for its global and domestic expertise in the full range of immigration matters, notably excelling on behalf of Silicon Valley-based technology clients. BAL in Texas was recognized for an impressive client roster, covering industries such as energy, technology and entertainment and is noted for its global capabilities.
Individual BAL lawyers also received kudos. Founding Partner David Berry was noted for his work advising international and U.S. clients on compliance issues and the immigration implications of mergers and acquisitions, among other matters. Attorney Partner Lynden Melmed was also singled out for his “invaluable” experience in government legislation and described as “reasoned, balanced and very well respected.”
Described as “bright and talented,” Attorney Partner Susan Wehrer in California was noted for her skill in handling matters related to mergers and acquisitions and I-9 compliance, while “great lawyer,” Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge was ranked as an Eminent Practitioner in Texas and was recognized for his expertise in the full gamut of immigration issues across industries.
Chambers USA quoted clients who described BAL as providing a “fantastic service level” and being “right up there with the other big players in the U.S. immigration space.”
Another client said of BAL: “The best team. They are there when I need them, and think outside of the box when we need them to. It’s a great partnership.”
About Chambers USA
Since 1990, Chambers has published an annual guide ranking the world’s best lawyers based on technical expertise, business acumen, prompt delivery, and value for money. A team of over 140 researchers conducts thousands of interviews worldwide to produce the rankings. Lawyers cannot buy their way into Chamber’s rankings; as a result, its annual directories are considered among the most accurate and reliable.
– Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
About Chambers USA Since 1990, Chambers has published an annual guide ranking the world’s best lawyers based on technical expertise, business acumen, prompt delivery, and value for money. A team of over 140 researchers conducts thousands of interviews worldwide to produce the rankings. Lawyers cannot buy their way into Chamber’s rankings; as a result, its annual directories are considered among the most accurate and reliable.
BAL ranks second in the top 100 U.S. law firms for minority attorneys, according to Law360’s 2016 Diversity Snapshot.
Law360 states that at BAL and the other top four firms, at least 30 percent of nonpartners are minorities, and at least 20 percent of partners are minorities. According to Law360, the firms on the list have made some headway in shaking up a stubbornly bleak picture of diversity in the legal industry. The rankings indicate that many firms continue to struggle to recruit and retain minority attorneys, despite the fact that the percentage of minorities attending elite law schools hovers around 30 percent, according to data compiled by the American Bar Association.
Carol Mays, Chief Operating Officer at BAL, stated: “We have a successful strategy for hiring the best talent across the globe and strongly believe many different backgrounds and perspectives provide better solutions and make us stronger as a firm.”
Law360 surveyed over 300 U.S. firms about their overall and minority headcount numbers as of Dec. 31, 2015. Only U.S.-based attorneys were included in the survey. Firms are ranked based on three factors: the percentage of partners, both equity and nonequity, who self-identify as minorities; the percentage of nonpartners who self-identify as minorities; and the number of attorneys at the firm who self-identify as minorities.
Berry Appleman & Leiden’s Latin America Managing Director, Daniela Lima, was awarded the 2016 ERC Distinguished Service Award at the recent Americas Mobility Conference in Houston, Texas. Distinguished Service Awards are granted annually to professionals who have demonstrated commitment to the service of global mobility and the Worldwide ERC through committee or task force participation, speaking on or moderating educational panels, authoring articles for Mobility magazine or serving in a leadership capacity. Worldwide ERC is the workforce mobility association for professionals who oversee, manage, or support U.S. domestic and international employee transfer. The organization was founded in 1964 to help members overcome the challenges of workforce mobility, and has grown today to nearly 10,000 service industry members around the world.
Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP is pleased to announce that Michelle Funk has been promoted to a Partner of the firm. Ms. Funk is based in the northern Virginia office, where she assists businesses in establishing and managing global immigration programs. “Michelle is a talented and well-respected attorney within the firm and the immigration community,” said Jeremy Fudge, Managing Partner. “She is the consummate team player who will strengthen our global platform.”
Ms. Funk graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and is active within the American Immigration Lawyers Association, currently serving on the Department of Labor Liaison Committee and previously serving as Chair of the Washington D.C. Chapter.
Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) announced today that Hadi Allawi has been hired as Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Allawi is a recognized MENA expert specializing in business strategy, intelligence and geopolitical risk analysis across multiple industries. Prior to joining BAL, Allawi led the MENA desk of a London-based specialist advisory firm assisting major multinational companies with operations in the region.
Allawi brings considerable expertise to BAL’s MENA London-based practice. He will continue to expand and manage a team of experienced professionals who are dedicated to immigration matters in the region.
“I am honoured to join the BAL team and support the firm’s continued growth to ensure we deliver exceptional service to our clients,” said Allawi. “I look forward to leveraging my ten years of experience in the region to make BAL the leading provider of immigration services in the Middle East.”
BAL Managing Director Emily King, who had previously led the firm’s strategy in the Middle East, stated: “The Middle East is of great interest to many of our clients. Hadi brings considerable on-the-ground-knowledge to our matters in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and elsewhere in the region. He knows the challenges in the region and how to overcome them.”
Jeremy Fudge, BAL Managing Partner, stated: “Hadi joins a strong team with a unique service offering for MENA and his expertise will give a truly strategic benefit to our clients in this region.”
Law360 ranks BAL as one of the nation’s best law firms for female attorneys and partners in the recent Glass Ceiling report. The publication calls BAL a Ceiling Smasher and ranks the firm number three in the 100 Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys and number two in the 25 Best Law Firms for Female Partners.
“We are honored to be acknowledged as pace setters who recognize diversity in the workplace. BAL strives to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to excel,” stated Frieda Garcia, one of the firm’s equity partners.
Law360 surveyed over 300 U.S. firms, or vereins with a U.S. component, about their overall and female headcount as of December 31, 2015. Only U.S.-based attorneys were included in the survey.