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Dallas (Jan. 6, 2023) — BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, promoted five of its attorneys to Partner this month: Shehryar Chaudhry, Haesung Kim, Amy Lighter, Stephanie Pimentel and Michael Sela.
Shehryar Chaudhry provides strategic counsel to companies from BAL’s San Francisco office, managing immigration programs for companies in the technology sector and providing guidance on compliance, program management and corporate restructuring.
“As an immigrant myself, I get a lot of joy out of working with corporate clients in shaping their immigration program and in helping their foreign national employees,” Shehryar said. “It’s a win-win, and I’m honored to step into a new leadership role at a firm that values those relationships.”
In the firm’s Tysons, Virginia, office, Haesung Kim has extensive experience representing Fortune 500 companies on all aspects of employment and family-based immigration matters. Her practice focuses on managing PERM labor certification and green card processes for large corporations.
Amy Lighter, who practices in the firm’s Santa Clara, California, office, works with companies to craft immigration solutions that facilitate the mobility of executives, managers and specialized workers, with a particular interest in securing extraordinary ability visas for leading scientists and researchers.
“I have lived abroad as a ‘trailing spouse’ without work authorization and have walked in my clients’ shoes,” said Amy, who has a background in science and technology. “I’m excited for my new role at BAL — a tech-forward firm that empowers my passion for leveraging technology to improve the quality and delivery of legal services.”
Practicing at BAL’s headquarters in Dallas, Stephanie Pimentel represents companies across diverse industries, including pharmaceutical, IT and consulting. She manages immigration programs for large multinational corporations as well as startups, and previously served as Liaison to Customs and Border Protection at Boston’s Logan Airport through the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Michael Sela, who practices in BAL’s San Francisco office, has expertise in all facets of business immigration matters having represented clients of all sizes in industries such as healthcare, entertainment and technology. Michael advises global companies and their employees on both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas processes.
“Our new partners represent BAL’s continuing pursuit of the exceptional for our clients, DE&I in our firm and innovation in our industry,” explains BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “This year, we are resetting our own benchmark for high-quality, people-centered services powered by technology, and these elite professionals will help us meet those goals and our clients achieve success.”
About BAL BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable businesses to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, people-centered client services and leading technology innovation. In 2018, BAL entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance with Deloitte U.K. to create the world’s first global immigration service delivery model. BAL’s proprietary Cobalt® digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services and Legalweek‘s Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.
BAL has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including the #1 Law Firm for Women by the National Law Journal four years in a row (2019-2022), #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), and #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot for three years running (2020-2022). BAL won in seven of Comparably’s Best Company categories, including Diversity, Women, Career Growth, and Perks & Benefits. The Dallas Business Journal named BAL one of only a handful of the 2022 Best Places to Work based exclusively on employee feedback. US News & World Report–Best Lawyers named BAL the 2023 Immigration Law Firm of the Year.
Media Contact: Emily Albrecht Senior Director — Marketing & Communications ealbrecht@bal.com 469-559-0174
Dallas (Dec. 28, 2022) — Industry trailblazer BAL took home 24 top honors for law, technology, DE&I and workplace culture this year, besting its previous record. BAL capped off 2022 with a future accolade: 2023 Law Firm of the Year by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®, the second time in four years BAL has earned the distinction.
Our legal expertise continued to win top ranking by all the major legal publications, including Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal and Best Lawyers in America. In the 2022 Lawdragon rankings, which recognize fewer than 80 immigration attorneys nationwide, BAL was the most cited firm for corporate immigration, with 17 of our attorneys earning the elite recognition.
BAL also leads in the legal tech space with our proprietary case management system Cobalt® earning multiple awards and solidifying BAL’s reputation as both a tech leader and innovator in 2022. BAL’s Technology Department won a Best in Biz award, and Chief Technology Officer Chanille Juneau was named a Legal Innovator by Texas Lawyer. BAL was also a finalist for multiple legal tech awards, including Legalweek’s Most Innovative Operations Team of the Year, the California Legal Awards’ Vanguard Award, TechTitans and the CODiE award for Best Legal Solution by the Software and Information Industry Association.
BAL’s DE&I and advancement of women earned the firm the #1 spot on The National Law Journal’s Women’s Scorecard the past four years in a row (2019-2022) and on Law 360’s Diversity Snapshot for three years running (2020-2022). BAL took home Comparably’s employee-reviews based awards for Best Company for Women and Best Company for Diversity 2022.
Finally, BAL’s celebrated workplace culture swept numerous awards, including #7 on the Dallas Business Journal’s Best Places to Work, and #44 in the country alongside some of the most beloved American brands for Best Company for Perks & Benefits by Comparably. In 2022, BAL won in seven of Comparably’s Best Company categories, including Career Growth, Compensation and HR Team, based solely on employee ratings.
“I want to thank all of our clients for their partnership and trust in 2022—these relationships are the foundation for our continued success,” said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “And to the 1,500 members of the BAL family who operate coast-to-coast as a seamless team, your pursuit of the exceptional is the engine that delivers for our clients and represents a model for the industry.”
Jeremy was named 2022 Outstanding Director by the Dallas Business Journal for leading the innovation, expansion and success of BAL. Jeremy has overseen the firm’s continued growth, opening a new BAL office every year for the past six years, including the newest office in Los Angeles for sports and entertainment clients. He recruited several of the country’s top immigration experts to BAL as the firm added over 600 new employees, 60% of whom were diversity hires. Jeremy also introduced key perks and benefits, including unlimited vacation; championed the continuing development of BAL’s award-winning technologies; and added another 100,000 square feet of space to the firm’s state-of-the-art Richardson headquarters.
About BAL BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable businesses to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, people-centered client services and leading technology innovation. In 2018, BAL entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance with Deloitte U.K. to create the world’s first global immigration service delivery model.
See website for details: https://www.bal.com
DALLAS, Nov. 3, 2022 — Trailblazing immigration firm BAL has been named the 2023 Law Firm of the Year in Immigration Law by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers. BAL outranked every other immigration law firm in the nation for this esteemed award, given to only one law firm per year. This is the second time BAL has earned this distinction in the past four years.
“We are incredibly honored by this recognition, and it inspires us to keep getting better by growing and innovating our practice,” said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “I couldn’t be prouder of the 1,500 employees who make a positive difference for our clients every day. Their dedication makes this firm what it is today.”
BAL’s top spot was based on client feedback and peer reviews from the country’s top practicing attorneys. “Best Law Firms” are recognized for their professional excellence, stellar ratings from peers and clients, and a unique combination of legal expertise and quality of service.
One client praised BAL for “hav[ing] the resources and expertise of a large firm, with the benefit of a dedicated core small team of attorneys that we partner with on a daily basis.”
Another client said BAL “provides insights and legal guidance that exceeds other immigration law firms and which is critical to business planning and strategy.”
“I can rest easy knowing my immigration program is running smoothly,” said another client quoted by Best Lawyers. “We’ve collaborated closely to create processes that make things easier and reduce risk. Our company’s program is a well-oiled machine with BAL managing it.”
As immigration became increasingly complex over the past few years, BAL rose to the challenge, helping some of the biggest companies in the world acquire the talent they needed and assisting countless individuals on their immigration journeys. Offering enhanced immigration services and responding to the demand for a people-centered, tech-forward client experience, BAL expanded its nationwide practice, adding offices in Santa Clara, Austin and Denver, and nearly doubling the size of its headquarters in Dallas. The firm also launched BAL Community, a first-ever membership platform for in-house HR, immigration and mobility professionals to collaborate and gain critical industry insights to be successful.
“In my two decades at BAL, we have not only grown exponentially but we remain more passionate than ever about delivering solutions for our clients and helping people,” said BAL Partner Frieda Garcia. “We continue to attract top-notch professionals who are committed to our mission and our collaborative team culture that empowers us to be the best for the people we serve.”
In addition to awarding BAL the Law Firm of the Year recognition, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers ranked six BAL offices — Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. — in the elite Metropolitan Tier 1 category.
About “Best Law Firms” 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 reviews from leading attorneys in the field, and reviews of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance.
Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. For 40 years, Best Lawyers has identified the lawyers who are best qualified to represent clients in need of legal services. Best Lawyers awards are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe.
Dallas, Oct. 18, 2022 – BAL, the award-winning global immigration law firm, has launched BAL Community, an interactive platform and community space for corporate HR professionals. BAL Community empowers in-house immigration, mobility and talent acquisition professionals to benchmark, share best practices and collaborate with peers and industry leaders.
“One thing we hear over and over from the business community, particularly those with small and midsize programs, is that they need better tools to meet the diverse demands of running an in-house immigration program,” said Jeremy Fudge, BAL’s Managing Partner. “We created BAL Community with the input of the country’s top in-house experts to be an invaluable resource for every type of immigration program.”
In-house immigration professionals are challenged with juggling multiple responsibilities, including staying abreast of industry standards, analyzing data, communicating with various stakeholder groups, and tracking day-to-day policy developments.
“In-house immigration professionals need modern tools to succeed in their jobs,” Jeremy added. “BAL Community is the only professional network dedicated to providing immigration professionals the intelligence, insights and access they need to serve their businesses.”
Membership in BAL Community includes:
• Weekly benchmarking on topics driven by in-house professionals. • Analysis of best practices for corporate immigration programs. • Exclusive events with government and industry leaders. • Small focus group sessions to engage with peers on complex program issues. • Opportunities to provide feedback to government agencies.
In-house professionals who contributed to the development of BAL Community emphasized the need for brevity and clarity. Taking this input to heart, we designed BAL Community to fit within the busy schedules of in-house immigration professionals.
“BAL is a leader in our industry because of our oneBAL culture of teamwork and information-sharing that ensures every client benefits from all of the firm’s resources, expertise and knowledge,” said Frieda Garcia, a Partner who serves on the firm’s management committee. “We are excited to bring that same culture to BAL Community, allowing in-house professionals to connect with and learn from the best in the industry.”
Last year, BAL launched Advisor, the industry’s most comprehensive multimedia platform that delivers real-time immigration content and analysis to foreign nationals. Advisor has become an essential tool for companies to cascade information to their employees. While Advisor will continue to provide content for foreign nationals, BAL Community is dedicated to producing curated content for in-house professionals.
To learn more about BAL Community and to join, please visit: https://community.bal.com/
About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable businesses to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, people-centered client services, and leading technology innovation. In 2018, BAL entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance with Deloitte U.K. to create the world’s first global immigration service delivery model.
BAL’s proprietary Cobalt® digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services, and Legalweek’s Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including the #1 Law Firm for Women by the National Law Journal four years in a row (2019-2022), #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), and #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot for the three years running (2020-2022). BAL won The Best Company for Diversity, the Best HR Team, and the Best Company for Career Growth by Comparably, based solely on employee ratings. The Dallas Business Journal named BAL one of only a handful of the 2022 Best Places to Work based exclusively on employee feedback.
DALLAS, Oct. 3, 2022 – Award-winning immigration law firm BAL is expanding its practice with the addition of celebrated immigration attorney and national expert Ashley Foret Dees, who will join the firm as a partner.
Ashley is the leading expert on H-2A and H-2B temporary work visas. She currently practices at the immigration firm she founded in Lake Charles, LA and will transition to BAL’s Houston office in 2023. “I’m thrilled to be joining a team of truly elite professionals practicing at the height of our field and to be at the cutting edge of immigration legal services,” she said. “BAL has the best tech tools in the industry, an unwavering commitment to client experience, and a dynamic team-minded environment that I can’t wait to join.”
Ashley is a member and former H-2 Visa Chair on the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Department of Labor Liaison Committee. She regularly speaks at the AILA Annual Conference and Mid-South Chapter on H-2 visa topics, and has served on the AILA National Pro Bono Committee. She is also the founder of the Louisiana State Bar Immigration Law Section, which she chairs.
“We’re excited to welcome Ashley to BAL,” said Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “She has the strongest H-2 visa practice in the country and not only brings a decade plus of experience, she also shares our passion for exceptional client service, our people-centered values, and our trailblazing mindset. As with every area we engage, we anticipate revolutionizing this practice area and setting the standard for all others.”
“As BAL continues to be the go-to firm for every aspect of corporate immigration, Ashley’s expertise in the growing area of H-2 work visas will add a significant benefit to our current and future clients, who need every option to fill skills gaps in this competitive global talent market,” said BAL Partner Rob Caballero who oversees the firm’s Houston office.
BAL’s proprietary Cobalt® digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services, and Legalweek‘s Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and Who’s Who Legal. BAL has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including the #1 Law Firm for Women by the National Law Journal four years in a row (2019-2022), #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), and #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot for the three years running (2020-2022). BAL won The Best Company for Diversity, the Best HR Team, and the Best Company for Career Growth by Comparably, based solely on employee ratings. The Dallas Business Journal named BAL one of only a handful of the 2022 Best Places to Work based exclusively on employee feedback.
Sept. 12, 2022 – BAL Partner Frieda Garcia has been honored with a 2022 Women, Influence & Power in Law Award by Corporate Counsel. Frieda was honored in the Thought Leadership category, an area where she has excelled throughout her two decades at BAL. Frieda heads the firm’s management committee and is key in influencing the direction of all legal and operational functions at BAL.
Frieda has been instrumental in shaping BAL’s innovative culture through her leadership and ability to create inclusive environments. The empathy and compassion with which she approaches her work has its roots in her own immigration experience. Frieda’s compelling story, from her childhood in war-torn El Salvador to her top leadership role at BAL, inspires the next generation of lawyers.
“I’m honored to accept this award and for the career guidance I received early on from BAL named partners, David Berry, Jeff Appleman and Warren Leiden.,” Frieda said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward by providing mentorship to younger attorneys, discussing everything from law firm management to how working parents can succeed in the corporate world while feeling accomplished as parents.”
Frieda’s unique approach to leadership has nurtured an organizational model that incentivizes collaboration and teamwork instead of competition—a rare feat in the legal industry.
“Frieda has helped shape our ‘oneBAL’ culture that empowers us to collaborate across offices to grow and thrive,” said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “I’m thrilled that she is being honored for the incalculable ways she has led and inspired the 1,500 team members at BAL.”
Though Frieda has reached a career position with considerable influence, she encourages younger attorneys to dream bigger sooner. “I wish I had realized how much potential there is to grow and be a person of influence – no matter your title or role,” Frieda said. “The secret, at least at BAL, is to encourage innovation and fresh ideas from every corner of the firm and empower every individual to raise their hand if they have an idea to make things better.”
The awards dinner reception will take place Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, 7 p.m. at the JW Marriott, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C.
About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) BAL, one of the world’s leading corporate immigration law firms, is the Most Diverse Law Firm in America (2020 and 2021) and the Best Law Firm for Women (2019 and 2020). BAL’s Cobalt® digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product and the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services. The firm won Legalweek’s Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of the Year in 2021. BAL is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable clients to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, top-notch information security and leading technology innovation. The firm entered into a strategic alliance with Deloitte UK to create the world’s first global immigration service delivery model. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and Who’s Who Legal.
Dallas, Sept. 6, 2022 – Trailblazing global immigration firm BAL has been named one of the Best Places to Work by the Dallas Business Journal. The DBJ honored BAL as one of only 30 companies among 300 nominated Dallas employers to score the highest on an employee survey administered by a third party.
BAL received the honor in the DBJ’s “extra large” size category, for companies with 500 or more employees. BAL’s Richardson headquarters and Center of Excellence serves as home base for 886 of BAL’s 1,500 employees and provides the administrative hub for the firm’s coast-to-coast offices.
“We have achieved incredible results for thousands of companies and their employees because of the amazing team members that make up BAL,” said Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “The only way to attract and retain game-changing talent is by building a workplace that encourages teamwork, a growth mindset, and innovation. Our team recognizes all the ways in which BAL is a truly special place and ensure our oneBAL culture is lived out every day.”
BAL employees appreciate the firm’s laid-back, nontraditional culture and access to leadership. The firm inspires employees to grow professionally through mentorship and leadership development opportunities while providing the flexibility needed to balance demands outside of work. Much-appreciated employee benefits include unlimited vacation, hybrid work schedules, and affinity groups to share common challenges and triumphs.
“The pandemic and renewed focus on equity taught us all valuable lessons, personally and professionally. It changed how we all live and what Americans expect in their workplace ,” said BAL Partner Frieda Garcia. “In order for us to take care of our clients, we must take care of our employees. The past few years brought unprecedented external pressure upon us, but our ability to quickly adapt and change the ways in which we support our staff allowed us to continue to have a culture that collaborates, works hard and has fun as we provide exceptional service to our clients.”
BAL will be recognized at an awards lunch on Oct. 20 at 11:00 a.m. CT at the Renaissance Legacy West Hotel and in the DBJ’s Oct. 28 issue.
BAL’s proprietary Cobalt® digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services, and Legalweek‘s Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and Who’s Who Legal. BAL has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including the #1 Law Firm for Women on the National Law Journal’s Women in Law Scorecard the past four years in a row (2019-2022), #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), and #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot for three years running (2020-2022). In 2022, BAL won the “Best Company for Diversity,” the “Best HR Team” and the “Best Company for Career Growth” by Comparably, based solely on employee ratings. See website for details: https://www.bal.com
Leading immigration firm BAL’s Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge is named to an elite list of top employee-approved CEOs by Texas CEO Magazine.
“I’m honored to be selected for this recognition by Texas CEO,” said Jeremy. “It is especially gratifying to know that we’re not only succeeding in growth and other traditional metrics, but that our people – our greatest source of success — rate their BAL experience so highly.”
Texas CEO Magazine partnered with Comparably, a company that collects employee reviews for firms across the U.S., to find the most highly approved CEOs. Jeremy is among 22 CEOs rated “A+” by their employees, representing the top 5% of employee-rated CEOs of large companies in Texas.
The magazine recognized Jeremy for helming BAL’s aggressive nationwide growth in the middle of the pandemic—the firm has opened a new office every year for the past five years, most recently in Santa Clara, Calif., Denver and soon Los Angeles—and for leading the company to other key milestones, including strategic lateral hires and eminence in legal technology.
Along with these huge strides in dominating corporate immigration, Jeremy managed to keep a growing workforce engaged and innovating at a time when many companies experienced labor shortages. “My leadership philosophy is time-tested and true: be a servant leader,” Jeremy said, “Genuinely love your people and look for meaningful ways to serve them.”
This service mentality inspired Jeremy and the firm’s leadership to shape an empathetic workplace culture at BAL, offering perks such as unlimited vacation and hybrid work options. Employees appreciate Jeremy’s open-door policy, with one reviewer saying, “Jeremy Fudge is always willing to discuss your ideas with you to see if he can implement them or change policies that aren’t working.”
Learning and growing from conversations with his employees reflects Jeremy’s broader approach to life. When pointing to the best leadership advice he ever received, Jeremy responded, “Read widely and keep learning.” The approval rating by the firm’s 1,500 employees enthusiastically endorses this philosophy.
About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) Established in 1980, BAL powers human achievement through immigration expertise, people-centered client services and innovative technology. BAL, with 13 offices across the United States and global coverage in more than 185 countries around the world, operates as a single entity through its oneBAL culture — a uniquely holistic approach, intentionally structured as one team, one brand, one P&L, one standard of excellence and one unifying technology. This united approach enables the firm to deliver the highest level of knowledge, insights and resources from across the entire organization.
DALLAS, Aug. 29, 2022 – When it comes to gender equality, immigration powerhouse Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) is once again named an industry leader by Law360 in its 2022 Glass Ceiling Report on Women in Law.
BAL ranks #2 among all law firms of its size, and bested all other firms in its class with the highest percentages of female partners (60.9%), female nonequity partners (71.4%), and other female attorneys (71%). The influential rankings once again lauded BAL as a “Ceiling Smasher” for its high percentage of female equity partners (44.4%).
BAL scored a robust 14.2 points above the industry benchmark, one of only three firms in its category to top the benchmark.
“BAL is an incredible place for women to succeed at every level,” said Frieda Garcia, the firm’s highest ranking female Partner. “I recognized BAL was different when I joined more than 20 years ago and was given leadership opportunities right away. Today, opportunities have grown and expanded even further for women throughout BAL, and it is my passion to help more working moms succeed in the corporate world and feel accomplished as parents.”
While empowering women in the workplace, BAL also provides flexible work policies—from unlimited vacation time to hybrid work options—that enable employees to pursue their passions outside the office and balance family responsibilities.
“We put a lot of thought into our policies to make it possible for women to excel in their careers while pursuing meaningful endeavors in their lives and as leaders in their communities,” says Chief Operating Officer Leslie C. Rohrbacker. “At BAL, we pursue the exceptional in everything we do, and we thrive as a firm because of the passionate women who strive to make a positive impact on the world.”
About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firms, is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable businesses to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, people-centered client services, and leading technology innovation. In 2018, BAL entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance with Deloitte U.K. to create the world’s first global immigration service delivery model.
Dallas, August 22, 2022 – Fifteen BAL attorneys were named to the prestigious Lawdragon® 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers ranking, with the firm achieving more accolades than all other corporate immigration firms.
In the newly released 2022 Lawdragon rankings, which recognizes only 79 top immigration attorneys in the country, BAL is the most cited firm for corporate immigration, representing 19% of the ranked attorneys. These BAL Partners are singled out by Lawdragon: Rob Caballero, Kelli Duehning, Jeremy Fudge, Frieda Garcia, Delya Ghosh, Kortney Gibson, Jeff Joseph, Lynden Melmed, Edward Rios, Petra Tang, Carla Tarazi, and Susan Wehrer. Additionally, Jeff Appleman and David Berry, partners emeriti, are inducted into the Immigration Hall of Fame.
BAL has solidified its reputation as the go-to immigration firm for companies seeking a business advantage in acquiring and retaining the best talent in the world. With coast-to-coast offices and a dedicated Government Strategies team in Washington, D.C., BAL elevates immigration strategy while navigating compliance issues for many of the biggest companies in the world, as well as mid-sized entities and start-ups.
“Our clients deserve teams that deliver unprecedented results in record time thanks to our oneBAL collaborative culture and groundbreaking in-house legal technology,” says BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “We deliver this elite service thanks to the efforts of the leaders that Lawdragon recognized and the 1,400 BAL employees who dedicate themselves to exceptional client service.”
The firm’s employee-centered culture inspires leaders—reflected in the significant uptick in the number of attorneys recognized by Lawdragon this year – and attracts the best legal talent to our unconventional environment. From unlimited vacation to firmwide community service days, BAL offers perks that allow attorneys to thrive both inside and outside the office.
“We’ve excelled in a challenging job market and continue to attract top talent, because people recognize that there’s something different going on here,” says BAL’s Chief Operating Officer Leslie C. Rohrbacker. “Our incredibly diverse staff, our majority-female ranks, and our fun-loving culture set us apart from traditional law firms. Add in industry-leading legal tech that frees us to focus on what really matters, and you have a special place that just keeps getting better.”