About the RoleThe firm's Managing Attorney position will support and lead companies through the process of securing work visas and green cards for foreign national employees. Meltzer Hellrung's clients span from individual entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies and venture-backed unicorns.
This position is fundamentally responsible for helping clients make strategic decisions in hiring employees, determining what visas to apply for, and the best way to secure those benefits. They will collaborate with other attorneys and paralegals to prepare and review petitions to the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, and the Department of State.
The job is fast paced, and a Managing Attorney may work on many different client matters per day. A significant part of the job is responding to communication from clients by email and phone.
For this particular role, the attorney will largely focus on serving mid-volume SME clients, dealing directly with Human Resources, People Operations, General Counsel, and/or C-level executives. Location: Offered in Chicago and remotely
Availability: Immediate, Full-Time
New hires located outside of Chicago are expected to report to the Chicago office for one week upon starting for in-person training. In addition, remote employees are expected to come to Chicago once per quarter for firm events. The firm will cover the cost of travel.
Responsibilities:- Evaluate cases and assist in providing case strategies and/or solutions to issues
- Guide clients and employees through immigration processes
- Conduct regular phone calls with client accounts regarding legal updates, immigration process updates, company immigration policy, and best practices
- Review petitions and responses to governmental inquiries for US immigration benefits prepared by paralegals and junior attorneys
- Review petitions for global immigration benefits prepared by paralegals and external counsel partners
- Respond to client and foreign national communication
- Maintain relationships with points of contact throughout their careers
- Provides support and leadership to assigned team(s), including supervising junior attorneys and paralegals
- Provide coverage for attorneys on vacation and leave of absence
- May liaise with other attorneys or departments in the firm on projects and initiatives
- Perform legal research and prepare legal memoranda and/or legal briefs when necessary
Experience Required:- Licensed attorney in the United States
- Minimum 7 years of experience in a high-volume business immigration environment
- Must have demonstrated expertise in all major employment-based work visa types, including H-1B, H-1B1, E-1, E-2, E-3, TN, L-1, O-1, J-1, and B-1
- Must have demonstrated expertise with all stages of the PERM-based green card process, including PERM, I-140, and Adjustment of Status, as well as EB-1A, EB-1B, EB-1C, and EB-2 NIW green cards
- Experience independently managing client account relationships
- Experience managing and mentoring account staff including paralegals and legal assistants
- Demonstrated ability and experience in generating and retaining clients is strongly desired.
- A small book of business is strongly desired.
Benefits: Found at https://www.meltzerhellrung.com/careers/
Salary Range: $165,000-$205,000 (total potential compensation including base annual salary plus performance bonus). Commensurate with experience and background.
