Matthew Morse has been practicing employment-based immigration law for over 20 years. He has experience with many areas of Green Card processing including PERM labor applications, immigrant visa petitions, and Adjustment of Status applications. He has experience with naturalization issues and applications, family-based immigration matters and many nonimmigrant visa categories, including the B, E, F, H, K, L, O, R, and TN categories, as well as consular processing matters. He has strong knowledge of federal immigration statutes and regulations. “Keeping clients informed of changes in the law, and what those changes might mean for their immigration objectives is crucial,” he says. “Companies need to know that we are giving them the most current information, and guidance in a timely manner, so that adjustments to their talent mobility strategies may be made accordingly.” As a Partner at FGI, Matthew’s experience also includes case processing for PERM labor applications, Multi-National Managers and Executives, Extraordinary Ability Aliens, National Interest Waivers, and various nonimmigrant case processing for the H-1B, L-1, O-1, E-2, E-3, TN, and B-1 categories. In addition, he has extensive experience in advising clients on how mergers, acquisitions, and corporate reorganizations may impact both immigrant and nonimmigrant case processing. He makes recommendations to clients as to how to handle such corporation restructurings as they relate to various immigration matters and/or successor-in-interest petition filings. Matthew has published numerous articles in Immigration Daily (ILW.com) and International Law Office (internationallawoffice.com), as well as Lexology and Mondaq, and has been a speaker for immigration webinars offered by ILW and the Knowledge Group. He is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Matthew has held internships with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. He also practiced in the areas of gaming law, real property law, and contract law. His interest in immigration law developed out of these experiences and out of a desire to help businesses and individuals navigate federal immigration laws. “I see my role as making this process as clear and manageable as possible for our clients. It is important to listen to the client and interact with them in a meaningful way.”

Michelle Burns sees immigration law as bringing together two of her abiding passions – innovation and all things international. Moreover, she enjoys working with her clients to provide the strategic guidance and advice needed for them to navigate the complexities of immigration law with ease and confidence. Practicing immigration law gives Michelle the satisfaction of knowing “that each individual I help is getting the opportunity to live and work in a new country and fulfill their long-term goals. At FGI, Michelle handles all aspects of nonimmigrant and immigrant case processing for her clients in the IT, engineering, automotive, medical, and banking domains. She is well versed in the requirements for employment-based nonimmigrant classifications including: H-1B, H-1B1, E-2, E-3, L-1, O-1, and TN. Michelle also routinely advises clients on the PERM Labor Certifications, immigrant petition filings for individuals under the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 classifications as well as Adjustment of Status (AOS) and Consular Processing applications. Michelle is well versed in providing clients on strategies to manage risk while maximizing results, and works with clients to create solutions that allow for the “timely and efficient processing of each individual petition so that my clients can meet their business needs and remain in compliance with the laws.” She earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Grand Valley State University and her J.D. from the Wayne State University Law School. She has been admitted both to the Michigan State Bar and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. She has also developed her international experience through travel (China, UK, Germany) and through supplementary coursework in private international law at the Hague, Netherlands, and in international arbitration in Cologne, Germany. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), an Ambassador to the American Immigration Council, Wayne State University Law School Alumni Association, and the Wayne Lawyers Network. In addition, she loves art, photography, learning about new technologies, social media, and being with her friends and family.

As an attorney for FGI, Michael Morton specializes in employment immigration law including both nonimmigrant (H-1B, L-1A/B, TN, etc.) and immigrant filings (PERM, immigrant petitions, Adjustment of Status, etc.) He brings to his position a solid commitment to mastering the ever-changing complexities of immigration law and to working with clients to realize their global talent mobility objectives. “As attorneys,” he says, “we must be knowledgeable about our area of the law, strategic in our approach, and empathetic and attentive to the needs of our clients.” Michael incorporates the skills he developed in his former career as a high school teacher into his current practice, carefully explaining immigration law to his clients and showing how it applies to their specific situations. His teaching experience and family history have also given him a strong appreciation for the contributions that immigrants have made to American society. “I am very cognizant of my ancestry and the stories of my family who came over to the United States,” he says, “and I am inspired to help others who are seeking opportunity in the U.S.” He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Western Michigan University and his J.D. from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Michael is licensed in the State of Michigan and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

Ashley Batzer’s commitment to immigration law is driven by her desire to make a difference in the lives of her clients. As she states, “I have always enjoyed helping others and immigration law is a great way to assist people with their dreams and goals.” In her practice, Ashley treats each client as unique and tailors her guidance to meet their specific objectives. “The more flexible an attorney can be in her or his methods,” she avers, “the more people you can help.” As an attorney at Fakhoury Global Immigration, Ashley works primarily with IT clients on H-1B and EB-1C visa petitioning. She enjoys helping her clients to navigate the complex landscape of immigration law in order to achieve their talent mobility objectives and to ensure that they remain in compliance. Ashley earned her J.D. at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University. She also earned her undergraduate degrees in Paralegal Studies and Legal Studies from Kaplan University. In her spare time, Ashley enjoys reading, kayaking, playing video games, fishing, and walking her dogs. She is also interested in homesteading and off-grid living.

Merrill Gordon is an honest, aggressive, tough attorney with more than 35 years of experience in fighting for clients in divorce and family court proceedings along with all manners of civil actions, including personal catastrophic injuries, wrongful death claims, auto accidents, drunk driving representation, insurance coverage disputes, dog bites , slip-and-fall cases, medical malpractice and civil litigation matters. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire How did you build a successful practice? By always being responsive to clients needs and effectively communicating with clients What should clients look for in a lawyer? Some one who is tough, aggressive and puts their needs first, it is also important to look for someone who can effectively coomunicate with them How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? It is very important to have someone who knows the court, judges and court system well so that effective representation can be provided What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? I always provide information about the family law process and an evaluation of the facts of the clients particular case and my thoughts on a proposed plan of action What information do you need in a free phone consultation? Any information the client wishes to share although the more information that I have the more targeted my response can be What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I am a sole practionar who can give all of my clients individual attention. I work extensively with divorce, custody, support and other family law cases so that my personal service to my clients us unmatched What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Helping clients navigate a difficult period of their life and seeing that they maintain personal relationships with their children and remain healthy financially following the conclusion of their case What are your other interests in addition to law? Bicycle riding, cross country skiing, hiking, and all forms of outdoor activity Are you involved in your community? I am involved in both my Temple and other community activities

Linda Kim worked as an immigration lawyer and as in-house counsel for a consulting firm before joining FGI’s office in Fremont, California. Working as an in-house counsel gave her important insights into how corporations develop and pursue their talent mobility objectives, and how they balance corporate responsibility with the law. “You need both,” she says, “to be successful in your application of immigration law to achieve in business.” For Linda, immigration law is “a great opportunity to help people and make a difference in their lives.” She specializes in H-1B and PERM cases for many of FGI’s high-tech and IT clients. She takes pride in her ability to help clients navigate the petitioning process and achieve their immigration goals. “I believe an attorney should provide an honest and knowledgeable assessment of the law,” she avers, “to best meet their clients’ business needs.” A member of AILA, Linda completed a B.A. degree from the University of California, Davis, and her J.D. from the School of Law at Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. She also enjoys travel (China, Japan, Singapore, Mexico), running, cooking, and fine cuisine.

Andrew R. Kravis, Esq. is an attorney licensed to practice in Michigan, New York and New Jersey. He is the CEO of Kravis & Wurgaft, P.C., a full service boutique law firm he founded in 2013. He is a graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law and received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from The University of Southern California. Andrew’s law practice focuses on corporate, real estate, non-profit, litigation and intellectual property law.

Iris Rubin is a practicing lawyer in the state of Michigan. Attorney Rubin received her J.D. from the University of Detroit in 1982.

Mr. Balberman graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Economics in 1978 and was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1983 after attending the University of Detroit School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan, in both state and federal courts

Bill is a member and partner at Boyer Law Group. He has over 20 years experience of fighting for the rights of his clients and litigation experience and primarily concentrates his practice in the areas of personal injury, automobile and motorcycle accidents, insurance disputes, including automobile, home, medical and disability insurance, medical malpractice, construction site accidents, wrongful death, and civil litigation. Bill has collected millions of dollars for his clients and has been identified as obtaining some of the largest verdicts in the State of Michigan by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.