I am a solo practitioner and thus treat each client as if he/she were my only one. This means that I do the work on your case, rather than some anonymous associate or legal assistant. With me as your attorney, you know who you are dealing with at all times and that you are getting the expertise and consistent level of service you expect when you initially decide to retain an attorney.
I limit my practice to certain areas in order to maintain my level of expertise. As with any profession, it is impossible to be good at all things. For that reason my practice consists principally of E (Treaty Trader and Investor) and L (Intracompany Transferee) Visas, Priority Worker Green Cards (e.g., those which do not require the costly and time consuming labor certification process), and Immediate Relative family petitions (e.g., when an alien marries a U.S. citizen). I do not take asylum or refugee cases, nor am I a proponent of the H-1B (Professional Worker) Visa. I am, however, well-versed in consular matters, and call and visit consulates often; this is not a claim many immigration attorneys can make. I am happy to travel anywhere in the world on behalf of a client when the need arises.
Although I deal with many nationalities, the preponderance of my client base consists of German companies (both large and small) and individuals. This has given me an intimate familiarity with the German educational system and the typical German corporate structure, knowledge which I put to my clients’ advantage. While I do not speak German, my extensive experience with German clients and the U.S. consulates in Germany are additional assets which few immigration attorneys possess.
Money counts, and fees need to be openly discussed with clients in advance of any work being performed. I perform most of my work on a flat, per case basis, rather than on a “per hour” basis. This is better for my client, because there are no surprises; he/she knows ahead of time that the case will cost $x plus disbursements. It is better for me, because I get to be a lawyer rather than a keeper of time charts. In a typical case I consult with the client (for free), then give an estimate of the chances of success, how long it will take, and what it will cost. While a few cases can only be handled on a per hour charge, the vast majority of mine are performed at a fee which is fixed at the start. In this important respect the legal profession is like any other business: the customer needs to be able to stay within his budget.