Scott focuses his practice on employment-based immigration and immigration-related compliance for a broad range of clients, ranging from Fortune 100 companies, universities and national research organizations, cultural and health care institutions to senior executives, professionals, entrepreneurs and investors, including EB-5.
Scott has served as a Partner in Fragomen’s Chicago office, founding and Managing Partner of the Troy office, Managing Partner of the Middle East and North Africa practice (based in Dubai) and Senior Counsel.
Education
Chicago-Kent College of Law | J.D.
Illinois Institute of Technology | B.S., honors
Awards
Listed in the International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers
Listed in Best Lawyers in America
Listed in Leading Illinois Attorneys
Listed in Super Lawyers
Named a “Best Lawyer” in DBusiness Magazine
Named a “Best Lawyer” in Crain’s Detroit Business
AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Recipient of the Employee Relocation Council Distinguished Service Award
Recipient of the David Horner Award, presented by the Michigan Association of International Educators
Recipient of the initial “Cooper Award,” an annual award given by Michigan Association of International Educators for excellence in the field of international exchange services
Recipient of Michigan State University’s “Globie” award for contributions to international exchange
Fulbright scholar
Professional Accomplishments / Memberships
Bar Admissions: Wisconsin, Illinois (inactive)
Court Admission: U.S. Supreme Court, District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Throughout his career, Scott has held the following roles and offices:
- Member, Board of Governors, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
- Executive Committee Member, Greater Chicago Chapter, AILA
- Chair, Michigan Chapter, AILA
- Member, AILA-USCIS Nebraska Service Center Liaison Committee
- Member, AILA Workforce Verification and Compliance Committee
- Chair, Immigration and Nationality Law Committee, Chicago Bar Association
- Chair, Michigan Association of International Educators
- Member, Board of Directors, Association for International Practical Training
Managed the impact of a divestiture for a global automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) on its multinational foreign national workforce in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America
Assisted a major medical equipment manufacturer in developing immigration policies and services while reducing costs
Worked with border officials to transfer 100 telecommunications infrastructure specialists into the U.S. on an expedited basis to restore cable and telephone services to a region impacted by severe weather
Audited and developed recommendations for a renowned public university on its immigration-related services and compliance policies, leading to improved services for its international scholars
Assisted a major foundation in establishing itself as a research organization and thereby exempt from the H-1B worker cap
Advised Nobel Prize winners, Fields Medal scholars and CEOs on complex visa matters
Obtained waivers of the two-year foreign residence requirement for physicians and scholars for several major educational and research institutions
Publications and Lectures
Scott has authored and edited publications and been an invited speaker to many organizations including:
- American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- American Society of Employers
- Chicago Bar Association
- College and University Personnel Association
- Council for Global Immigration
- Employee Relocation Council
- Society for Human Resources Management
- Michigan and Illinois Institutes for Continuing Legal Education
- NAFSA: Association of International Educators
- National Association of College and University Attorneys
- Practising Law Institute
Scott has also taught at the IIT/Chicago-Kent, University of Detroit Mercy and University of Wisconsin-Madison schools of law and has served as a faculty member for the Illinois and Michigan Institutes for Continuing Legal Education.
Below are select speaking engagements and publications:
Speaker, “Training Visas in a Pandemic and Post-45 Era.” SHRM, 24 March 2021.
Speaker, “Student and Exchange Visitors.” Practising Law Institute, New York, NY, 4 December 2019.
Panelist, “J-1 Visas in the Academic and Private Sectors.” SHRM Global Mobility and Immigration Compliance Symposium, Washington, DC, 3 November 2019.
Panelist, “Navigating the Complexities of Worksite Enforcement: I-9 Compliance and Investigations.” Annual Conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Orlando, FL, 21 June 2019.
Panelist, “Advising in the Anti-Immigration Age: Updates on the Policies Affecting F and J Visas.” Annual Conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Washington, DC, 31 May 2019.
Panelist, “Making Sense of Unlawful Presence in Advising Practice.” Annual Conference of the Wisconsin Association of International Educators, Madison, WI, 12 April 2019.
Discussion Leader, “USCIS I-9 Workshop.” American Immigration Lawyers Association 2018 Employer Compliance and Worksite Enforcement Conference, Boston, MA, 10 August 2018.
Lead Author, “Exchange Visitors,” Immigration Briefings, 1983.
Editor, NAFSA Manual on Federal Regulations Affecting Foreign Students and Scholars, 1994.
His work has received coverage in local, national and international news media, including CNN and National Public Radio.