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DALLAS, June 21, 2022 – Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) is pleased to announced that three of its attorneys have been elected to leadership positions at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. AILA is the primary industry group that supports U.S. immigration attorneys and law firms of all sizes.
BAL Partner Jeff Joseph will serve as Second Vice President for the 2022-23 term and BAL Partner Maggie Murphy has been re-elected to AILA’s Board of Governors for a three-year term. Additionally, BAL Senior Associate Tiffany Martinez, of the firm’s San Francisco office, has been elected Chair of AILA’s Northern California chapter and as such will also serve on the Board of Governors for one year.
Jeff leads the firm’s Denver office and has over two decades of experience in immigration law, including an impressive litigation record. With deep roots in the Denver area, Jeff is well-known for his leadership in the immigration legal community, serving as a past Chair of the Colorado Chapter, as a past elected director on the AILA National Board of Governors, and on numerous national committees, most recently serving as AILA’s Treasurer last term.
“I’m thrilled to serve as Second Vice President and I’m ready to go to work for all our members by ensuring that we better utilize technology and reinvent how we prepare for changes so we can continue fighting for immigrants as we face new challenges in this complex environment,” Jeff said.
Maggie leads BAL’s Austin office and has been a member of AILA for over 18 years serving on various membership and conference planning committees, as former Chair of the Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma Chapter, and as the Board liaison to the Department of Labor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office operations committees this past year. She will serve her second term as an elected director of AILA’s Board of Governors.
“I’m honored to serve this organization and to continue helping AILA members get access to resources that empower them to serve their clients, foster their own well-being, and grow their practices,” said Maggie.
“These attorneys are elite practitioners who will lend their considerable talents to AILA,” said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “Just as it is our mission as a firm to make a positive difference in people’s lives, Jeff, Maggie and Tiffany will make a positive difference for AILA members, their professional lives and the businesses and people they serve.”
Media Contact:
Emily Albrecht Senior Director — Marketing & Communications ealbrecht@bal.com 469-290-9158
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. BAL’s 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. 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 has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), Law360’s Diversity Snapshot (2020 and 2021), and the #1 Law Firm for Women according to the National Law Journal (2019, 2020 and 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. See website for details: https://www.bal.com
DALLAS (June 9, 2022) – Leading immigration firm BAL ranks in the highest Tier 1 category among all immigration law firms nationwide, according to the newly released rankings by The Legal 500.
BAL “remains a market leader” in immigration and “continues to advise leading names in the industry, including global blue-chip clients on complex business immigration matters,” declared The Legal 500, a pre-eminent publication that conducts comprehensive research of law firms worldwide.
“We are thrilled to be recognized as a top ranked firm once again,” said Jeremy Fudge, Managing Partner. “Every day, our nationwide team works through ever-evolving immigration obstacles to make a positive difference in lives all over the world. It’s personally and professionally meaningful for us to make such an impact, and we appreciate our clients who took the time to voice their appreciation to The Legal 500.”
BAL clients who were interviewed by The Legal 500 hailed the firm as “a leader in collaboration and technology innovation to address and meet new interpretations of regulatory requirements, more so than any other immigration law firm.”
Clients were particularly impressed with BAL legal team members “providing current, accurate and critical regulatory activity risks and advocacy support,” and credited BAL for achieving “approval rates for filings [that] are very high.”
Recent immigration challenges have proven the success of the firm’s “oneBAL” philosophy that incentivizes all BAL offices to work together as one unit to maintain agility and responsiveness to workload surges. Clients recognized the benefits of this structure and BAL’s collaborative spirit, saying, “They are always open to exploring new ways to partner together, maintain compliance, improve our program, and improve the immigration experience for our foreign national employees.”
Nine BAL attorneys are recognized for their standout contributions. Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge continues his honored position in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame. BAL Partner Lynden Melmed, who oversees the firm’s Government Strategies Team in the Washington D.C. office, was named a Leading Lawyer, with clients commenting, “The BAL government affairs team is exceptional. They proactively inform us of news developments that could impact our immigration program, and strategies to navigate any changes or challenges.”
Several BAL Partners ranked as Key Lawyers, including Frieda Garcia in San Francisco, Maggie Murphy in Austin, Delya Ghosh in San Francisco and Roberto Caballero, who heads the Houston, Austin and New York offices. Partner Nassim Mahzoon in Santa Clara was lauded as a “critical, valued thought partner.” Partner Kortney Gibson, who leads the Dallas Center of Excellence, is named a Next Generation Partner and called “the key name for non-immigrant visa applications.” The Legal 500 noted that BAL “further bolstered its practice” by hiring COO Leslie Rohrbacker, recognized as a Key Lawyer. Senior Associate Tiffany Martinez in San Francisco is recognized as a Rising Star.
A client summed up BAL’s extraordinary approach to corporate immigration: “What makes Berry Appleman & Leiden unique in the legal market is their collaborative approach and their firmwide pursuit of the exceptional.”
About The Legal 500
For 34 years, The Legal 500 has analyzed the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive annual research program providing the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in over 150 jurisdictions. The rankings are based on a series of criteria, including feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, but simply put, we highlight the practice area teams who are providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel.
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. BAL’s 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. 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 has ranked #1 on multiple industry rankings for diversity, equity and inclusion, including #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), Law360’s Diversity Snapshot (2020 and 2021), and the #1 Law Firm for Women according to the National Law Journal (2019, 2020 and 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. See website for details: https://www.bal.com.
DALLAS (June 2, 2022) – Immigration titan Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) is once again a top-ranked firm in the newly released Chambers USA Guide 2022.
Chambers rated BAL a Band 1 firm, saying, “The firm provides perfect client service and is superior in the field.”
In addition to earning the highest ranking for BAL’s USA Nationwide practice, the firm’s offices in California, Massachusetts, Texas, and Virginia earned Band 1 recognition, and its New York office is also cited by the esteemed Chambers rankings.
“We’re honored to be recognized by such an eminent publication,” said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “The Chambers rankings are particularly meaningful because they are based on client feedback—so this recognition is a testament to the exceptional relationships we have with clients all over the world. This is why we have the highest NPS score in the industry. We’re thrilled to be making such a positive difference in people’s lives.”
Jeremy is singled out as an Eminent Practitioner among the nine BAL attorneys who are ranked.
Clients interviewed by Chambers researchers hail BAL as a “strong firm which stands out in terms of the lawyers, client service and technology.” One impressed client notes, “The attorneys are extremely responsive and detailed, providing both a consultative and realistic approach,” and another client said, “The firm hires the brightest and best attorneys and takes client relationships seriously.”
Chambers praises BAL’s Texas office for its “expertise in the state’s dominant sectors, including energy and technology,” calls the California office a “commanding corporate immigration boutique composed of a high-caliber team of attorneys,” and says the Massachusetts office “excels at both US and global immigration for a client base that includes some of Massachusetts’ most high-profile businesses and employers.”
Referring to BAL’s Washington D.C. office, Chambers calls BAL an “industry leader in helping clients around the world understand, navigate, and shape immigration law and policy.” Partner Lynden Melmed, who leads the firm’s Government Strategies team and ranks in both the USA Nationwide category and D.C. region, is described as “a tremendous lawyer” and “excellent at strategy.”
Partners Edward Rios, who manages the firm’s Boston office, and Josiah Curtis, are both ranked in Chambers’ Massachusetts guide, where they are commended for working to “provide solid advice and resolution for unique and complex situations.”
Jeff Joseph, a Partner in the firm’s Colorado office is cited for his “longstanding expertise in the immigration space,” and is particularly noted for his accomplishments in litigating immigration matters.
Partner Maggie Murphy, in the Austin office, is recognized for leading compliance audits and a wide variety of visa filings, while Senior Counsel Poonam Gupta, in the New York office, is described as “thorough, understanding and empathetic.”
BAL’s Tysons, Va., office is recognized in Chambers’ inaugural Virginia immigration guide, with clients praising Partner Liane Cooney for being “extremely knowledgeable” and Partner Michelle Funk for being “unmatched in her knowledge of immigration law.”
About Chambers and Partners
Since 1990, Chambers and Partners has published an annual guide ranking the best lawyers on the basis of technical expertise, business acumen, prompt delivery and value for money. A team of over 200 researchers conducts thousands of interviews to produce the rankings. Lawyers cannot buy their way into Chambers rankings; as a result, its annual directories are considered among the most accurate and reliable.
Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) is once again ranked as one of the most diverse law firms in the country, ranking #1 among all firms for our percentage of Asian attorneys and #2 for Hispanic attorney representation, according to The American Lawyer’s 2022 Diversity Scorecard.
“We take pride in steering the legal industry toward greater diversity, and we’re thrilled to lead in the representation of Asian and Hispanic attorneys,” said BAL Partner Frieda Garcia, who manages the firm’s West Coast operations. “Our diverse legal team enables us to better serve clients from every corner of the globe. We look forward to continuing to grow our DE&I initiatives to provide even more leadership opportunities for legal professionals of color.”
More than half, 55%, of BAL’s 169 attorneys identify as people of color, and diversity is integral to the firm’s leadership—52% of attorneys in supervisory roles are minorities and 38% of the firm’s equity partners are minorities.
“We have always known that it’s our diverse cultures and experiences that make BAL such a phenomenal place to work,” said Jeremy Fudge, BAL’s Managing Partner. “We want to welcome more minority partners and promote diverse rising stars, which will expand all of our perspectives. We are redoubling our efforts in minority recruiting with specific and unique programs to increase and sustain opportunities for African American and Black lawyers. It’s an ongoing effort and we’re in this for the long haul – in the coming years, we fully expect to lead the industry in every DE&I metric.”
BAL’s ranking reflects the firm’s intentional efforts to create an inclusive workplace culture—leadership renewed its commitment to those efforts following the national racial reckoning in the summer of 2020. Through more than 40 DE&I initiatives such as creating a DE&I board, adding affinity groups, engaging in firmwide focus groups, and increasing minority and HBCU recruiting efforts, BAL has cultivated a culture where diverse employees feel welcomed and empowered to pursue career and personal growth.
BAL won The Best Company for Diversity in 2021 by Comparably, based solely on employee ratings. Minority employees at BAL give the firm an “A+” in rating their team, manager and compensation.
“When we recruit diverse employees, we ensure that our firm is greater than the sum of its very talented parts,” said Partner Rob Caballero, who manages BAL’s Houston and Austin operations. “Drawing from our unique backgrounds, we learn from and inspire each other as we make a positive difference in people’s lives around the world.”
Dallas, May 11, 2022 – Innovative immigration firm BAL took home the Texas Consilium’s Business Excellence Award for the best mid-sized company in all of Texas, the most prestigious award for business excellence in the state. The mid-sized category comprises Texas companies with $100 million to $1 billion in revenue.
BAL was honored Monday night with the trophy at an awards gala that recognized the foremost Texas organizations and business leaders who are excelling in their efforts and expanding the vision of what is possible.
“This award recognizing excellence is a huge honor, and reflects the accomplishments of our amazing BAL family,” said Jeremy Fudge, Managing Partner of BAL. “Our secret sauce is our culture and our common spirit of pursuing the exceptional in everything we do, and it’s our incredible people who make BAL such a successful organization and a truly unique and special place to work.”
An award-winning immigration firm, BAL exemplifies the Texas Consilium’s model of a “continuous improvement journey.” BAL is not only the world’s leading immigration law firm – the trailblazing firm continues to expand and challenge traditional boundaries, by leveraging its expertise in areas like technology, customer service, corporate training, and operational excellence.
With its headquarters in Richardson, Texas, BAL has rapidly expanded its nationwide footprint, recently opening offices in Austin, Chicago, and Denver. “We have an innovative spirit that is constantly pushing onward,” said Fudge. “And the strength of our firm is the unique talent of each team member. We all bring different strengths, backgrounds, education, and skills. I tell employees, ‘That unique combination you have—only you can contribute that in the whole world.’”
Hear BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge discuss the “oneBAL” culture, why BAL is unlike other law firms, and our nontraditional organizational structure in this interview with the Texas Consilium: https://vimeo.com/410781360
About the Texas Consilium The Texas Consilium is a collective of highly-seasoned, world class business advisors who serve Texas companies and the local economy by helping improve their businesses. The annual Texas Consilium Awards were established to recognize leading Texas businesses that inspire others to improve and pursue their own journey of excellence.
About Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL) BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, ranks #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot (2020 and 2021), and the #1 Law Firm for Women according to the National Law Journal (2019, 2020 and 2021). BAL’s 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 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. See website for details: https://www.bal.com
Media Contact: Emily Albrecht Senior Director — Marketing & Communications ealbrecht@bal.com 469-559-0174
DALLAS, May 5, 2022 – Immigration powerhouse BAL is a finalist for the 2022 SIIA CODiE Award in the Best Legal Solution category for the firm’s proprietary case-management technology, Cobalt®. CODiE finalists represent the best products, technologies and services in software, information and business technology. Winners will be announced next month.
The 2022 CODiE Award judges called Cobalt a “great solution for a growing problem” and said the software has “very strong and customizable reporting capabilities.”
“We’re honored that the judges have recognized Cobalt and its most recent upgrades that provide peak performance to our business clients and their employees,” said BAL Chief Technology Officer Chanille Juneau. “Cobalt consistently enables us to fulfil our promise of making the immigration journey smoother for clients who depend on our legal teams to submit immigration petitions as flawlessly and efficiently as possible.”
BAL’s proprietary software Cobalt® is a dynamic case management system that offers lightning-speed performance with minimal downtime thanks to our Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) upgrade and a new proprietary reporting tool, DataPro, that streamlines essential business intelligence for both the firm and our clients.
IaC allows BAL’s products team to code Cobalt’s infrastructure, guaranteeing stability and scalability, while also providing consistency, speed and disaster recovery reliability. Efficiencies gained from IaC enabled our team to create DataPro, a first-in-class tool that provides accurate, fast and customizable reporting functions to help clients keep track of key metrics on their global workforce.
Additional upgrades enable Cobalt to handle millions of user searches and document uploads, essential capacities in the document-heavy practice of corporate immigration law.
“We have invested in developing this technology to best serve our clients’ evolving needs in volume, usability and efficiency,” said Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. “It’s truly unique in this industry to have an in-house products team working hand-in-hand with our legal teams to solve immigration challenges by creating world-class technological tools.”
The CODiE Awards, the long-running, premier awards program for the software and information industries are produced by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software, education, media and digital content industries. BAL was picked as one of 137 finalists across 43 business categories. CODiE Award winners will be announced during the virtual award celebration on June 8- 9.
Kasey S. Pipes
817.542.3870
kasey@corleypipes.com
BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm, ranks #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot (2020 and 2021), and the #1 Law Firm for Women according to the National Law Journal (2019, 2020 and 2021). BAL’s 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 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. See website for details: https://www.bal.com
BAL has won the Best Place to Work accolade for the Dallas Metropolitan Area 2022 by Comparably, one of only 15 companies selected for the honor. The award-winning corporate immigration firm scored an “A+” for culture and ranked seventh on Comparably’s vaunted list.
Comparably also ranked BAL a “Best Company for Diversity” and a “Best Company for Women” for 2021 and a “Best HR Team” for 2022. BAL’s Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge ranked in the top 5% of CEOs of similarly-sized DFW companies.
“This recognition is especially rewarding because it comes from our own employees,” said Jeremy. “They are the ones who deliver world-changing service to our clients, who create our unique culture and make this truly the best place to work.”
The Comparably ranking is based entirely on anonymous employee feedback spanning nearly 20 core culture metrics, giving job-seekers transparent insight into the companies possessing exceptional workplace cultures. Since launching in 2016, Comparably has accumulated 10 million ratings on 60,000 U.S. companies.
“During the extraordinary conditions of the past two years, BAL leadership has focused on what we can do to support our employees—not only their important work for our clients, but their wellness and their professional and personal aspirations,” said COO Leslie C. Rohrbacker. “We’ve intentionally added a strong framework of supports – from unlimited vacation to firm-wide downtime for development and individual pursuits, to affinity groups – and we’re thrilled these programs and benefits are having a positive impact on the lives of our employees.”
BAL has fostered a people-centered culture from its founding. The law firm’s oneBAL philosophy embraces work-sharing across nationwide offices, operating as a single profit center. This spirit of collaboration and support impacts more than BAL’s diverse team – clients benefit from shared expert knowledge across the entire firm.
“At BAL, it’s always been of upmost importance that we lead with care and compassion, while making sure that we carve out time for fun,” said Partner Frieda Garcia. “It’s very special to work at a place where we focus on building each other up instead of competing with each other, so that we enjoy working together as we make a positive difference in the world.”
BAL ranks #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot (2020 and 2021), and the #1 Law Firm for Women according to the National Law Journal (2019, 2020 and 2021). BAL’s 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 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. See website for details: https://www.bal.com
DALLAS (Feb. 28, 2022) – Jeremy Fudge, Managing Partner of the award-winning immigration law firm BAL, has been named a 2022 Outstanding Director by the Dallas Business Journal. Jeremy is recognized for his excellence in governance and his role in the success, growth and development of BAL.
“I’m honored by this recognition from our leading local business publication,” Jeremy said. “I’m proud to help lead the amazing people at BAL as we continue to attract the top professionals in the industry, pave new ways of serving clients through our proprietary tech tools, and provide platinum-level service to our clients.”
Jeremy has overseen tremendous expansion of the firm, nationally and in the Dallas area. In just the past two years, the firm has hired over 600 employees, including 60% diversity hires. The firm’s Center of Excellence and national headquarters in Richardson grew by 18.5 percent in 2021, and is set to add another 100,000 square feet of space this summer. BAL has opened a new office every year for the past five years, including two during the pandemic (Denver and Austin), and the firm continues to expand into new markets.
As Managing Partner, Jeremy embodies the firm’s people-centric approach, not only in his unique management style, but also in his relentless support of industry-leading technology innovations and investment in people. These twin priorities enable BAL to offer exceptional client services to some of the largest multinational companies around the world, while attracting and retaining top legal talent at BAL, even in these challenging times.
Under Jeremy’s management and leadership, BAL has weathered the pandemic as well as the ensuing Great Resignation. Jeremy personally recruited several of the top immigration professionals in the country to BAL in 2021. The firm also added unlimited vacation as a benefit, developed a proprietary tool to measure and balance workloads, and automated document processing that liberates employees from mundane tasks—initiatives that make BAL the destination for the industry’s top talent.
“Jeremy embodies the firm’s mission to make a positive difference in people’s lives, whether he’s serving our corporate clients, their employees, or his own colleagues and every BAL employee,” said Partner Kortney Gibson, who oversees the Center of Excellence in Richardson.
Jeremy takes his coaching and pursuit of the exceptional beyond his professional role. A competitive runner and marathoner, he most recently coached 14 BAL attorneys and staff from couch to completion of the 2021 BMW Dallas Marathon.
A member of the Texas bar, Jeremy earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from The University of Texas School of Law and his Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, in Journalism and Political Science from Baylor University.
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 (Feb. 21, 2022) – Immigration powerhouse Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) is once again a top-ranked firm in Chambers and Partners’ new 2022 Global: Multi-Jurisdictional Guide. This is the eighth year in a row that Chambers has awarded BAL a place in its prestigious annual global ranking.
BAL is ranked a Band 1 firm in the U.S. business immigration category, and is highly-ranked for its global work. Denver Partner Jeff Joseph and Washington, D.C. Partner and head of the firm’s Government Strategies Team Lynden Melmed are Ranked Lawyers. Founding Partner David Berry and Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge are both cited as Notable Practitioners.
Chambers notes the firm’s “expertise across a broad spectrum of services, from application support and immigration program management to strategic advice on compliance and government relations.”
Chambers quotes BAL clients as well. One impressed client notes: “They partner with us like an extension of our team, making the immigration process seamless for our business.”
Another client said: “They proactively inform us of new developments that could impact our immigration program, and strategies to navigate any changes or challenges.”
BAL and its leaders have a sustained presence in the Chambers Guides.
“We appreciate that Chambers recognizes the firm’s elite expertise in global mobility and immigration strategy,” said Partner Rob Caballero. “Our focus is always on exceptional service to our clients and their employees, and our people-centered approach to navigating clients through the immigration journey while creating a vibrant workplace that attracts high-caliber legal talent. These are the secrets to our success.”
About Chambers Global Since 1990, Chambers and Partners has published an annual guide ranking the world’s best lawyers on the basis of technical expertise, business acumen, prompt delivery and value for money. A team of over 200 researchers conducts thousands of interviews worldwide to produce the rankings. Lawyers cannot buy their way into Chambers rankings; as a result, its annual directories are considered among the most accurate and reliable.
About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) BAL, one of the world’s leading corporate immigration law firms, is the Best Lawyers® “Law Firm of the Year” in U.S. Immigration Law for 2019, 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 U.K. 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. See website for details: https://www.bal.com.
DALLAS, Jan. 25, 2022 – In a momentous announcement, Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) congratulates Founding Partner David Berry on his retirement and transition to Partner Emeritus of the firm.
For 41 years, David has been a preeminent attorney and visionary in immigration at BAL, helping to grow the firm from a two-attorney practice to an award-winning global powerhouse.
“David has been a mentor, leader, partner and friend. He’s been a role model to all who have been fortunate enough to work with him. We wish him all the best in his next chapter,” said Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge.
“We will miss David’s daily presence, but his legacy endures in the mission and values of the firm he helped build,” said Frieda Garcia, a Partner who began her career at BAL over 20 years ago.
David founded the firm in San Francisco in 1980 with fellow solo immigration attorney, Jeff Appleman. Warren Leiden joined as a name partner in 1996. Over the years, the firm flourished along with the global economy and now serves corporate clients in nearly every country in the world.
“It’s been an amazing four decades filled with so many fond memories. I’m proud to have been part of an area of law that has had – and continues to have – a profound impact on individual lives and the face of our country,” David said. He looks forward to spending more time with his family, hiking and biking in the mountains, and serving as a board member for organizations focused on healing the world.
David leaves the firm in capable hands, with Jeremy at the helm for the past nine years, backed by one of the most diverse groups of partners in the legal industry. By passing the torch to this next generation of leaders, the firm will continue to have a positive impact on millions of lives around the world: BAL represents the future of immigration, with an aggressive growth trajectory and new U.S. office openings planned, while its industry-leading proprietary technological tools continue to delight clients and attract top immigration professionals to its thriving practice.
About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) BAL, the world’s leading corporate immigration law firm and the Best Lawyers® “Law Firm of the Year” in U.S. Immigration Law for 2019, ranks #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot (2020 and 2021), and the #1 Law Firm for Women according to the National Law Journal (2019, 2020 and 2021). BAL’s 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 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. See website for details: https://www.bal.com