Spotlight Member Firm: Younossi Law (San Francisco, CA)
By Susan Koval, Nemeth Law, P.C., Detroit, Michigan
For over a decade, Younossi Law has been helping companies bring the best talent to the United States and achieve their goals in business immigration matters. Younossi Law has extensive experience with clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 multinationals and specializes exclusively in corporate immigration related matter.
1. When was the firm founded and who are the firm’s founders?
Helena S. Younossi founded the firm and has extensive experience helping companies — from startups to Fortune 500 multinationals — with their U.S. business immigration matters, including employee work authorizations, I-9 IRCA Compliance, M&A, LCA Compliance, Immigration Program and Policy development, as well as Consular and Global work visa coordination. She also represents individuals and families in their immigration related needs.
2. We understand that Ms. Younossi has received many accolades for her professional accomplishments. Please describe a few.
She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in “The Best Lawyers in America” each year since 2010, “Northern California Super Lawyers” each year since 2010 and “San Francisco’s Best Lawyer” each year since 2012. She was selected as a ‘2013 Top Rated Lawyer’ by Martindale-Hubbell and listed among “Women Leaders in the Law” in The American Lawyer Magazine, January 2013 issue. She is a three-time recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for her pro-bono work. And her proudest accomplishment yet: She completed Ironman Canada in 2004.
3. Is it true that Ms. Younossi is in high demand as a speaker?
Helena’s interest in legal ethics dating back to her law school days, combined with her almost 25 years of experience in business immigration make her a sought after speaker. She has been invited to speak on immigration and legal ethics by organizations such as the American Bar Association (ABA), the Public Law Institute (PLI), the California State Bar, the Sixth Annual Statewide Ethics Symposium, and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, to name a few. Her work has included membership in the State Bar Executive Committee of the International Law Section, the AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association) National Ethics and Practice Management Committee, service as the AILA NorCal Ethics Liaison and as Vice Chair of the BASF Ethics Committee. She serves on the Board of Advisors for the AILA National Ethics Compendium, the purpose of which is to compile the first-ever comprehensive publication of an analysis of the ABA Model rules’ application to the practice of immigration law.
4. Who are the firm’s current leaders and how would you describe the firm’s culture and personality?
While Ms. Younossi is the firm’s founder and leader, the firm functions as a team of highly experienced attorneys who each contribute their expertise to the internal workings of the firm. The firm has a history of attracting large firm attorneys who seek work life balance which at Younossi Law is considered sacred. The firm prides itself on making work life balance a top priority in a field where such a balance is extraordinarily hard to achieve.
5. What makes the Younossi team so special?
At Younossi Law we have a team that enjoys their work, and takes ownership and pride in what they do. Furthermore, unlike most business immigration firms, Younossi Law is top heavy, meaning we have more attorneys than paralegals in our team, which gives clients immediate access to the highest level of expertise, and the rest of the team comfort in the fact that attorneys are available to answer questions and assist with urgencies immediately. Younossi Law is also known for its keen attention to client compliance issues and working diligently to ensure client processes and systems are such that liabilities are limited, and eliminated. Younossi Law is special because of its big-firm expertise and infrastructure, and its personalized responsiveness.
6. What are the firm’s significant areas of practice?
We are a full-service corporate immigration law firm. All we do is handle corporate immigration related issues, including helping companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 multinationals employee work authorizations, I-9 IRCA Compliance, M&A, LCA Compliance, Immigration Program and Policy development, benchmarking, as well as Consular and Global work visa coordination. We also handle limited family based immigration matters.
7. How did your firm become interested/involved in NAMWOLF? Why did you join?
Because of our client profile of well recognized corporate names, and our focused expertise in business immigration matters, and the fact that Younossi Law is woman owned, we were urged by a client to join NAMWOLF. Once we discovered NAMWOLF, it seems clear that we belonged to an organization such as NAMWOLF, whose membership admission is rigorous, and whose members are extraordinary attorneys who do not shy away from spending much time and effort in furthering the common goal of providing opportunities to showcase, educate, connect, network and promote women and minority owned firms.
8. Why is diversity important to your firm?
We believe diversity strengthens the social fabric of society. As a business immigration firm, we see evidence of that in our daily work and are proud to be part of making the U.S. a more diverse place. The firm itself is comprised of attorneys and support staff from all over the world, with our language skills spanning a number of continents. Our experiences enhance and our work is grounded in the belief that diversity gives us all a richer life and enhanced opportunities.
9. What has been your involvement with NAMWOLF? For how long?
Younossi Law became a member minutes before the 2015 annual meeting. We are making new friends and are discovering all the wonderful committees, conferences, and expertise that NAMWOLF exposes us to. It has been a true delight.