Mitch is the Managing Partner of the firm’s Southern California offices, including Irvine, Los Angeles and San Diego.
His practice is quite diverse in that it is comprised of individual high net worth foreign nationals, start up, mid-size, and large multinational companies with regard to all of their work visa/immigration matters.
Mitch’s clients are equally diverse across industry sectors including manufacturing, pharmaceutical, technology, construction, real estate development, entertainment and more.
Mitch previously served as a member of the firm’s national Executive Committee.
He is a California State Bar certified specialist in immigration and nationality law.
Mitch also teaches a regular module on business and investment (including EB-5) immigration law at the University of California Irvine Law School.
Education
Southwestern University School of Law | J.D., 1985
Hofstra University | B.A., 1982
Awards
Certified as a Specialist in Immigration & Nationality Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
Former Vice Chair of State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization; Immigration Section
Recipient of the UC Irvine Law School first annual Pro Bono Community Advocate Award for work done with students involved with IRAP (Iraqi Refugee Assistance Program)
Acknowledged on numerous occasions by such publications as Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition, Best Lawyers and various legal Who’s Who publications
Recognized as one of the Top 50 Lawyers in Orange County
Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2011 to 2022
Listed in Chambers USA, 2021
Listed among “Best Mentor: Law Firm” finalists, American Lawyer Industry Awards, 2020
Listed as “Lawyer of the Year,” Immigration Law - Orange County, California, Best Lawyers in America, 2020, 2022
Listed among “Top 25 Immigration Attorneys,” EB5 Investors Magazine, 2018-2019
Professional Accomplishments / Memberships
Bar Admissions: California
Court Admissions
Court Admissions: U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Memberships
Longtime member of American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Southern California Chapter Chair 1999/2000
Past Business Immigration Advocacy Chair, American Immigration Lawyers Association Southern California
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Immigration Section
Orange County Bar Association, Immigration Section, Past Treasurer
Riverside County Bar Association
San Bernardino Bar Association
OC TechAlliance (formerly American Electronics Association), Board member and Chair of its International Committee
BABC (British American Business Council), Board member of Orange County Council
Manage teams overseeing corporate clients’ immigration programs
Counsel clients on immigration related due diligence in connection with corporate restructurings and M&A transactions
Advise management and employees on the immigration consequences of personnel actions including reductions in force, hiring freezes, mandatory leaves of absence, etc.
Draft and review customized immigration policies as part of a broader mobility program
Assist families, individuals and investors (EB-5) in their US immigration needs
Publications and Lectures
Published over 200 articles on various topics of US immigration.
Annual editor of immigration chapter of the State Bar of California’s CEB “Advising California Employers and Employees” treatise.
Co-Author, “STEP 1: EB-5 Requirements.” EB5 Investors’ EB-5 Guide, 16 March 2021.
Quoted, “Court strikes down Trump admin's H-1B restrictions.” Times of India, 2 December 2020.
Speaker, “Korea USA EB-5 Webinar.” ILW.com, Web, 8 July 2020.
Speaker, 2020 Virtual EB-5 & Uglobal Immigration Expo, Web, 28-29 May 2020.
Speaker, "Immigration Law: Employment-Based Immigration Visa Options." University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 7 February 2020.
Quoted, “US set to tighten work norms for international students.” The Times of India, 21 November 2019.
Quoted, “US plans to tighten norms for employee transfers.” The Times of India, 21 November 2019.
Quoted, “Reprieve for controversial US immigration visa programme fails to ease investors’ woes.” South China Morning Post, 2 October 2019.
Author, “Major Changes for the 2021 Fiscal Year New H-1B Filing Process.” Orange County Business Review, 16 September 2019.
Quoted, “New EB-5 Rule Likely To Discourage Investors.” Law360, 23 July 2019.
Quoted, “Foreign investors seeking green cards to pay far more under new EB-5 visa rule.” The Mercury News, 23 July 2019.
Quoted, “Revised US visa forms to ask most applicants to furnish 5-year social media history.” Times of India, 2 June 2019.
Quoted, “Donald Trump cracks down on overstay by visa holders.” Times of India, 26 April 2019.
Speaker, “USA: EB-5 Program” and “Insights to the world of investment immigration - Global trends, hotspots, challenges, regulations, changes expected.” CNBC TV18 Global Investment Immigration Summit 2019, Mumbai, India, 19 March 2019.
Quoted, “Chinese Investors Sue U.S., Say Visa Program Hurts Jobs.” Bloomberg Law, 1 Aug. 2018.
Co-Author, “The Best Job Candidate is a Foreign National? What to Consider.” OC Lawyer Magazine, September 2017: 44-48. Print and web.
Speaker, “India: EB5’s New Frontier.” Panel presentation, EB5 Investors: 2017 San Francisco EB-5 & Investment Immigration Convention, San Francisco, CA, July 2017.
Author, “Creative Green Card Application Options for Your Key Foreign National Population.” Employment Resources & Solutions, Orange County Business Journal, March 7, 2016: B34. Print and Web.
Co-Author, “Pleas and Consequences.” Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, November 2014: 18-22. Print.
Article in OCBA “Lawyer” magazine, “Immigration Law for the Non Immigration Lawyer.”
Featured Speaker: OCBA Immigration Law Section - various times discussing various PERM related topics.
Wrote chapter on appeals in the 2008-2009 edition of ILW’s popular book, “The PERM Book.”
Discussion Leader/Presenter for AILA national audio seminar on “experience with the same employer” concerning PERM applications.
Discussion Leader/Presenter for AILA webinar on layoffs in the context of PERM applications.
Panelist: LACBA (Los Angeles County Bar Association) various PERM and labor certification training programs.
Discussion Leader/Presenter for ILW (Immigration Law Weekly) 3 part seminar series on PERM labor certifications for immigration attorneys, 2006.
Featured Speaker: OCBA Orange County Bar Association-Employment Law Section: “Immigration Law for the Non Immigration Lawyer.”
AILA: Spoke at several national conferences on various topics of employment based immigration.
AILA Southern California Chapter: regular speaker on various topics of employment based immigration and law practice management.
Regular speaker at universities and law schools regarding various topics of immigration law.
Lectures extensively to seminar groups including human resource and legal professionals.
Regular speaker on global mobility programs put on by TechAmerica, PIHRA, SHRM, Employer’s Group, SBA.