Greenberg Traurig Expands Global Immigration Practice With Prominent Atlanta Attorneys

ATLANTA, Oct. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP welcomes four new attorneys to its Business Immigration & Compliance practice as the firm grows its Atlanta office to further address the market's global capabilities. Attorney Ian Macdonald, previously Co-Chair of Littler Mendelson's Global Mobility & Immigration Practice Group, joins as a shareholder. Scott Decker, Emily Liss and Avani Patel join as associates. The new team also includes a group of 12 paralegals and professional staff, making Greenberg Traurig's Immigration practice one of the largest in Georgia, as well as in the United States.

"Atlanta's growth as a hub for international business activity is exciting and unstoppable," said Ernest LaMont Greer, a Vice President at Greenberg Traurig and Managing Shareholder of its Atlanta office. "The addition of this group is just another example of our ability to move quickly to address opportunities to enhance what we offer clients and the marketplace."

"Ian's client base and reputation are evidence of the trust clients have in his experience," said Ted Blum, who serves as Managing Shareholder of the Atlanta Office and Chair of the firm's Atlanta Corporate and Securities Practice. "We are fortunate he is now putting his trust in Greenberg Traurig's global platform."

Macdonald focuses his practice on immigration-related employment and labor issues, as well as international law. His wide-ranging experience includes anti-discrimination rules to reduce or eliminate risk of employment litigation, employer sanction cases and I-9 compliance. Macdonald regularly assists clients with establishing risk-based performance standards (RBPS) and Department of Homeland Security protocol, providing risk assessment assistance to corporations subject to Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) and assisting clients with ITAR/Export Control compliance within the immigration context. He earned his B.A. from The New School and his J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law. Previously he had worked for the United Nations, various non-governmental think tanks and corporate law firms in the world's main business centers of London, New York, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.

"We are pleased to continue to grow our Immigration practice in Atlanta," said Laura F. Reiff, Co-Chair of the firm's Business Immigration and Compliance Group. "These additions strengthen our market-leading business immigration team and add to our global platform, offering our clients a wide variety of experience in various business compliance and immigration issues."

"We are thrilled to have Ian and his group join our internationally recognized team of immigration professionals," said Martha Schoonover, Co-Chair of the firm's Business Immigration and Compliance Group. "His stellar reputation and recognition as an extraordinary immigration attorney enhance our practice immensely." 

Decker focuses his practice on immigration-related employment law, counseling national and international employers on compliance, immigration policy and strategy. He is experienced conducting audits to assess I-9 compliance and representing employers before the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Decker earned his B.A., from SUNY Geneseo and his J.D. from Cornell University Law School.

Liss focuses her practice on business immigration, representing domestic and multinational employers before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of State. She regularly works with human resources managers and executive decision makers from strategy to execution and administration of corporate immigration registration, temporary assignments and permanent transfers, domestically and abroad. Liss earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia and her J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law.

Patel focuses her practice on family and business immigration law. She represents individual and corporate clients before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Patel earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University and her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law.

"These attorneys are a tremendous addition to not only the Immigration group, but the firm as a whole," said Matthew Gorson, Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig. "The breadth of experience, skills and diversity they offer allow Greenberg Traurig to continue to offer our clients global solutions in an ever-changing marketplace."

About Greenberg Traurig's Business Immigration and Compliance Group

Greenberg Traurig's Business Immigration and Compliance Group is a full-service business immigration practice representing businesses, organizations, and individuals from around the world on a wide range of immigration-related matters. The group has achieved international recognition for legal advocacy, results-oriented service, and responsiveness to its clients.

Greenberg Traurig's Immigration Compliance blog (www.immigrationcomplianceblog.com) addresses the latest developments affecting employers, including the E-Verify program, Form I-9 compliance, Department of Labor issues (H-1B, H-2B and LCA), identity fraud in the workplace, electronic Forms I-9s, EB-5 investor regional center compliance, and ICE worksite enforcement audits.

GTs EB-5 Insights blog (www.eb5insights.com addresses the broad range of challenges and opportunities presented by the EB-5 program, including the immigration, tax and securities compliance issues integral to creating and maintaining successful Regional Centers and projects.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 1750 attorneys serving clients from 36 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Greenberg Traurig is among the Top 10 law firms on The National Law Journal's 2013 NLJ 350, an annual ranking of the largest firms in the U.S. For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.

Contact: Elaine Walker
(305) 579-0832
walkere@gtlaw.com

SOURCE Greenberg Traurig