Experience:

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
December 2020 - present
Morristown, NJ

Paralegal providing comprehensive immigration law services to businesses and individuals.

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
January 1993 - July 2019
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Senior Paralegal with Michael Best & Friedrich's Labor and Employment Relations Practice Group. 

• Worked closely with employers at small and large companies, multinational organizations of all sizes and higher education institutions to provide advanced-level corporate immigration law services to visa beneficiaries. Working with lead attorney, supervised junior paralegals on projects.
• Prepared visa petitions and corporate registrations under all visa classifications, including the H-1B, L-1A, L-1B and Blanket L visa programs; the E-1/E-2 Treaty Trader/Investor programs; the E-3 visa program for Australia and Chile; the J-1 exchange visitor program, the TN (NAFTA/USMCA) category; F-1 students; O-1 petitions.  Assisted beneficiaries with consular processing and communicated directly with global U.S. consulates as needed.
• Developed and implemented strategies for effective and efficient permanent residence processing under the U.S. Department of Labor's PERM program; prepared immigrant preference petitions and adjustment of status applications, including family-based cases, and communicated directly with the National Visa Center and the global U.S. consulates as required.
• Reviewed complex financial documentation, including audited financial statements, annual reports, membership agreements, purchase agreements and other corporate documents, to determine ownership and financial status and to set case strategy.
• Assisted employers with questions regarding I-9 employment verification, questions regarding foreign student employment, and participation in the E-verify program.
• Assisted employers with international (outbound) migration, including business and work visas for individuals to enter Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, China, India, Brazil and the European Union.  Liaised with external foreign counsel as needed.

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

B.A. Philosophy, 1986

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Master’s degree program in Library and Information Science, 1986 - 1991

Education

• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (M.S., 1991)

• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (B.A., 1986)