Tahir Mella, Attorney

Mr. Tahir Mella, himself an immigrant to the United States, is Senior Member of the Law Firm. He was born in Manila, Philippines on June 18, 1966, and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of the Philippines in 1987, where he also served for one year as Secretary-General to the University Student Council. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Ateneo de Manila School of Law in 1991, and served as Associate Editor of the Ateneo Law Journal. Mr Mella was admitted to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in 1992. Thereafter, he practiced shortly as Junior Associate at Mella, Posadas, Mauricio & Associates, a Law Firm established by his father, Atty. Ynocencio De Castro Mella. Mr. Mella continued his law studies at the Rutgers Law School in Camden, Rutgers University in 1992, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1993. Mr. Mella then performed pro bono work for the American Immigration Lawyers Association from 1993 to 1994. From 1994 to 1996, Mr. Mella worked as an Associate at the Law Offices of Jay Bagia, and from 1996 to 2001, he worked as Head of the Immigration Department at the Law Offices of Larry Pitt & Associates, P.C. In 2001, Mr. Mella opened up his own law practice.

Mr. Mella is now also admitted to the District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Ninth Circuits , and the United States Supreme Court. His other professional memberships include the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Philadelphia and American Bar Associations, and the Delaware Valley Asian-American Bar Association.

Mr. Mella's secondary languages include Spanish and three Filipino dialects - Tagalog, Bicolano, and Cebuano.

Mr. Mella has been a licensed private pilot since 2001, and is active in equestrian sports. His other hobbies include painting (acrylic, water color, and oil on canvass), composing music, and marksmanship. Mr. Mella especially enjoys writing, and his professional publications include: "In the Matter of Alien Immigration," Interpreter Releases, Federal Publications, 2000 (Also published in the Philadelphia Lawyer, PBA, 1999); and "Stock Market Unification," Ateneo Law Journal, ADMU, 1991. You may also obtain a copy of his illustrated children's book "Casyrole -- Ten Legendary Tales" by visiting www.Casyrole.com