Becoming an immigration attorney was a natural choice for Nicole. Having moved back and forth from the United States to Italy as a child, she relates intimately with the immigrant experience. As a result, she has always been drawn to helping others, fascinated by different languages and learning about different cultures around the world. Nicole began her career in the role of Judicial Law Clerk in the New York, New Jersey, and Arizona Immigration Courts through the Attorney General’s Honor Program, helping immigration judges draft decisions. This role gave her great insight into the judicial process and has proven beneficial to her clients. Subsequently, she worked in small and large boutique immigration firms, and volunteered at a nonprofit organization serving abused immigrant women. Nicole provides professional and compassionate representation in all aspects of removal defense, family-based, and employment-based immigration matters. She has assisted businesses in obtaining H-1B (temporary worker), L-1A (intra-company transferee), and O-1 (extraordinary ability). She has also worked with religious organizations to obtain R-1 (religious worker) non-immigrant visas for their ministers, nuns and other occupations such as choir directors. She has also assisted individuals seeking to create their own companies in the United States to obtain E-2 (investor) nonimmigrant visa. As for Permanent Residence employment cases, she has won cases for businesses seeking to hire professional employees through the Labor Certification (PERM) process, for religious organizations requiring permanent Religious Workers, as well as foreign nationals who self-petitioned based on Extraordinary Ability and Exceptional Ability where their services benefit the United States through a National Interest Waiver. In removal defense cases, Nicole has successfully represented clients in cancellation of removal, asylum, termination of proceedings and prosecutorial discretion. She is particularly passionate about asylum cases, as she believes in fighting for those who have been persecuted, whether for political or religious beliefs, race, nationality or sexual orientation. In addition to representing clients during their removal proceedings at the Immigration Court, Nicole has won numerous cases on appeal before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Appeals Office, and U.S. Courts of Appeals. In family-based cases, Nicole helps U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents through the process to petition on behalf of their foreign national relatives to either adjust status in the United States through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or to obtain Immigrant Visas through U.S. Embassies and U.S. Consulates. She also represents abused men, women and children in self-petitions for green cards under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). For clients who have been found ineligible for green cards based on a fraud or misrepresentation, unlawful presence, or criminal history, Nicole provides representation in waivers of inadmissibility, demonstrating that their inability to obtain a green card would result in extreme hardship to their U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident spouses or parents. Where the USCIS has unreasonably delayed processing regarding immigration petitions and applications, Nicole has succeeded in obtaining final adjudication on such cases through litigation in U.S. District Courts. In addition to tirelessly advocating for her clients, Nicole is a sought-after public speaker on immigration issues.

I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami where I clerked for the Hon. Edward Moore of the 11th Circuit Court and interned with the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. I have been practicing law in New York for almost 30 years. I am a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Bronx Bar Association, and I am a member of the Bronx 18B panel which appoints private attorneys to represent indigent individuals charged with crimes in the Bronx. I am admitted to practice in all of the Courts of the State of New York as well as the Southern and Eastern District Courts. I have represented clients in immigration matters in the Federal Immigration Court and before the USCIS in several different States. I represent attorneys in disciplinary proceedings before the Office of Character and Fitness, and I volunteer as a Judge at mock trials and moot court competitions at NYU Law School, Cardozo Law School, and NY Law School. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. Working with a same-sex couple where we are on the verge of obtaining permanent residence status for the beneficiary through the Immigration court. Prio counsel didn’t take the time to listen to the clients to really establish the bona fides of the relationship Got a criminal matter dismissed on behalf of a client whose spouse had lied about him in order to obtain government benefits. The client was facing incarceration and was devastated both by the loss of the relationship, the nature of the charges and of course the consequences. We proved that the charges had been fabricated, without subjecting the client to the financial and emotional burden of a trial. How did you build a successful practice? Listening to my clients and working with them. Understanding that the client needs to be part of the process. Providing cost-effective, successful results. What should clients look for in a lawyer? Someone who has the time to handle their case. Someone who will give them an honest assessment of their matter in advance. Someone who is personable and with whom they can establish a relationship of trust. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? Knowing your venue and your possible Jury pool can be essential in certain types of cases, especially in personal injury matters. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? Depending on the type of case that answer will vary greatly. A short conversation can generally point the client in the right direction and put them at ease whether or not they retain my firm. Things like the type of bankruptcy, whether they should be speaking to law enforcement, or whether they have a case at all. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? That answer will vary greatly. Generally, the nature of the case, when, where and how they the matter arose, and then the broad particulars of the matter. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I believe that it is my level of empathy and my ability to visualize situations and present creative solutions that sets me apart. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Achieving a successful result for a client where the consequences would otherwise be truly life-changing. Things like saving someone from deportation, or jail, or crushing debt gives me a feeling that is almost indescribable. Its why I continue to practice law. What are your other interests in addition to law? My family of course. I also enjoy staying fit and outdoor activities hiking and cycling. Are you involved in your community? Besides being on the board of a local county bar association, and being on the Bronx 18b panel for appointments to criminal cases, I am a member of the NY Bar Association, and I am affiliated with the National Action Network, and STARR, (Strategic Trans Alliance for Radical Reform.

Gerald Karikari is admitted to practice law in the state of New York, as well as in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Mr. Karikari emigrated from Ghana, West Africa, as a young child. As such, the plight of immigrants is something Mr. Karikari is deeply concerned about. In addition, Mr. Karikari is passionate about community affairs. Mr. Karikari is also a Property Manager and Director of various real estate businesses such as Woods and Ruff Global LLC, outfitting him with an extensive depth of knowledge in all things real estate management. He serves on numerous executive boards such as the Rosedale Jets Football Association, Success Consultancy Group, and Merrick Academy Charter School. Our office staff members speak multiple languages other than English such as Twi, Ga Mandarin, Fuzhou, Spanish, French, Mandingo, Burbur, Malentu, Punjabi, Hindu and Urdu. Many other languages can be accommodated upon request.

An Internationally Renowned Law Firm Based in New York. We handle immigration cases in the United States and all over the world.