The expert employment immigration lawyers at Myers Thompson help companies both large and small to legally and efficiently secure the best talent from around the world. Having worked together for more than a decade at Popham Haik, Sam Myers and Elizabeth Thompson broke off to found the firm in 1996. The firm is recognized as a go-to resource in the United States for reliable advice and consistent case management amid the tangle of regulations and timelines that dictate corporate immigration law.
Whether a corporation is nationally based with foreign operations, a foreign corporation doing business in the United States, or a company operating strictly within the United States but utilizing foreign workers, the attorneys at Myers Thompson are well-equipped to guide employers through the intricacies of U.S. immigration law. They advise clients across a virtually limitless array of industries from health care and pharmaceuticals to information technology and manufacturing.
Thompson explained that whatever the industry, their goals are twofold: “Our first goal is to get an employee into the United States on a temporary work authorization, taking the facts of each case and fitting them into the best choice of visa for their circumstances. Once the employee is here, our goal is to keep them legal, and coming and going as circumstances require.”
Myers added, “There can be a conflict of interest between the employer and employee, so we make it clear that we represent the employer. Because these strategies sometimes take years to evolve, it is vital that we stay on top of evolutions in the law and its processes. It requires our constant attention, and we have a database that assists us in doing that. We understand that seamless execution and management of complex strategies are critical to the ongoing success of our clients’ businesses.”
Myers and Thompson have crafted a solid partnership anchored in their commitment to professional excellence and tempered by their humanity. The values they share with their team of five attorneys and nine support staff and case managers result in a collaborative environment with low employee turnover. Clients have come to rely upon the predictability and consistency of the Myers Thompson team, where attorneys and staff work with precision to see them through lengthy and complex matters. Flat fees for some services also help clients to budget costs.
“Sometimes strategies go on for years,” Thompson said. “That’s why we’re the size we are. We’ve positioned ourselves so that our attorneys are involved in every matter all the time. Nothing happens here that is not run through one of us. We give our clients both personal touch and accountability. They can pick up the phone and contact any one of us, and we can tell them what is going on.”
Attorney Jennifer Mojica was a case manager for the firm before obtaining her law degree and joining the practice in 2006. “We are extraordinarily accessible lawyers,” Mojica said. “We make it a point to be in close contact with clients, by setting up strategy sessions through weekly calls or online conferences, so they know we’re constantly engaged.”
Attorney John Medeiros has been with Myers Thompson since its inception, when he began as the firm’s practice group administrator. After 25 years of scrupulous client care, Medeiros obtained his law degree and became a partner in 2015. “One of the most important aspects of what we do here is managing the expectations of everyone involved, including the employer contact in the company’s HR or legal departments, the managers of the employee, the employee, and even the employee’s family. Nobody likes surprises, and in this area of law the regulations and governing entities don’t always play nicely with each other. Part of our role is to make sense of how these entities relate to each other, and then to communicate that to our clients and their employees. We must determine the best strategy and then explain it in a way that makes sense to everyone involved.”
There are many areas where policy does not meet the practical demands of business. The attorneys at Myers Thompson are respected authorities in employment immigration law who regularly advocate for their clients at the highest levels of government. They have had a hand in shaping policies that enhance the ability of U.S. companies to compete globally. Each year, the firm hosts a seminar to not only inform clients, but also to hear their ideas and concerns and share those with policymakers.
Myers helped former Senator Kent Conrad write the legislation that became the Conrad Waiver Program, which allows health professionals to obtain green cards to serve populations in shortage areas. “It was a very gratifying thing we participated in,” Myers said. “Since that bill passed, thousands of doctors have provided essential services to communities that otherwise would not have had a doctor.”
Thompson assisted former Senator David Durenberger with drafting the immigration provisions for what ultimately became the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement, the precursor to NAFTA.
While the political system that dictates immigration policy is complicated, Myers stated that “some great provisions have been proposed, and there are a lot of efforts to make laws that are more employer friendly. We will continue to have a role in these issues.”
The people at Myers Thompson are committed to serving community interests through legislative and pro bono legal work, as well as through service to other causes they are passionate about. Whether they are mentoring other attorneys, supporting Big Brothers and Big Sisters, participating in animal rescue, or supporting arts and education, the Myers Thompson attorneys are doing their part. “We strive to be well-rounded and encourage individuals in our firm to give back in areas that are important to them,” Thompson said.
Myers Thompson also prides itself on its diversity. Four staff members are foreign born, and among the languages spoken are English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Portuguese. As a result, the people at Myers Thompson are able to understand issues and challenges employers face in managing an increasingly diverse work force. “Our firm has become a symbol of how good the reality can be,” Myers said. “Our diversity adds substantively to the depth of richness within our firm and the perspective that we can offer to clients. It makes us a vibrant and creative team.”
“We are really good at helping our clients and their employees navigate this very complex maze called immigration law,” Medeiros said. “Together with our case management team and our clients, everybody has a role in the process. It helps people know they are part of a team, working together to accomplish the same goal.”
The people at Myers Thompson are also patriots, who are “proud of how we help the United States by helping businesses operating in our country to be competitive both nationally and internationally,” Thompson said.
Mojica summed up, “We take pride in not only keeping our clients compliant with the law, but also in working with them tirelessly to bring into the United States extraordinarily talented, one-of-a-kind individuals who can contribute to our economy and add to the patchwork quilt that is the United States.”
