Berry Appleman & Leiden

Berry Appleman & Leiden
Name	Berry Appleman & Leiden
Founded	1993
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Offices	Global
Practice areas	Immigration law
Key people	William Berry, Mark Appleman, Paul Leiden

Berry Appleman & Leiden is an international law firm specializing in immigration and global mobility legal services, providing counsel to multinational corporations, technology companies, universities, and non‑profit organizations. The firm operates in multiple jurisdictions and engages with regulatory bodies, corporate clients, and academic institutions to manage visa, compliance, and relocation matters across borders.

History

Established in 1993 by founders William Berry, Mark Appleman, and Paul Leiden, the firm emerged amid regulatory developments following the Immigration Act of 1990 and the rise of Silicon Valley technology firms such as Apple Inc., Intel Corporation, Hewlett-Packard seeking skilled talent. During the late 1990s and early 2000s the firm expanded services in response to policy changes from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, rulings by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and legislative debates in the United States Congress over H‑1B visas. The 2001 September 11 attacks and ensuing changes by the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation prompted enhanced compliance offerings, while global talent mobility trends involving European Union states, India, China, and Canada drove international office openings. In the 2010s and 2020s the firm adapted to case law from the United States Supreme Court, guidance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and corporate demand from firms like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook (now Meta Platforms, Inc.) for cross‑border immigration strategies.

Services and Practice Areas

The firm provides corporate immigration, global mobility, visa petitioning, compliance audits, and advisory services tailored to clients such as Cisco Systems, Amazon (company), and Tesla, Inc., coordinating with agencies including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the UK Visas and Immigration, and the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Practice areas include employment‑based visas, family‑based petitions, investor visas like the EB‑5 Immigrant Investor Program, appellate advocacy before the Board of Immigration Appeals, and litigation in federal courts including the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The firm also advises academic institutions such as Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of California, Berkeley on J‑1 exchange visitor matters, U.S. consular processing, and regulatory compliance tied to legislation like the Immigration and Nationality Act. Cross‑border services encompass work with multinational employers, liaison with consulates such as the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, and coordination for corporate mobility programs involving regions like the European Single Market and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Global Presence and Offices

With headquarters in San Francisco, the firm maintains offices and affiliates across major hubs including New York City, London, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, Dublin, Bangkok, Dubai, and São Paulo. Regional teams interact with immigration authorities in jurisdictions such as the German Bundestag's administrative offices, the French Republic's consular services, and national institutions in Mexico City, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Strategic partnerships with boutique firms and legal networks like the International Bar Association and multinational corporations facilitate representation before bodies including the European Court of Justice, the High Court of Australia, and administrative agencies in Germany and Japan.

Notable Cases and Clients

The firm has represented major technology employers and universities in high‑profile compliance matters and visa petition strategies for companies like Oracle Corporation, Salesforce, Airbnb, and Uber Technologies, Inc., and academic clients including Harvard University and Yale University. It has been involved in advocacy related to H‑1B lottery processes affecting companies such as Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, collaborated on litigation strategies relevant to rulings involving TechNet member firms, and provided counsel in matters intersecting with decisions by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and administrative determinations made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The firm’s work touches multinational relocation programs for executives from conglomerates like General Electric and Siemens, and compliance projects for healthcare employers including Kaiser Permanente.

Corporate Structure and Leadership

Structured as a partnership with a global management team, leadership has included founding partners and practice chairs who coordinate regional offices and functional groups, interacting with industry organizations such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association and corporate clients including Bloomberg L.P. and McKinsey & Company. Senior attorneys often have backgrounds involving clerkships with federal judges, admissions to state bars such as the State Bar of California, and speaking roles at conferences hosted by institutions like Pepperdine University School of Law and Columbia Law School. Governance includes compliance, risk, and technology teams aligning with standards promoted by bodies like the International Organization for Standardization.

Awards and Recognition

The firm has received industry recognition from legal directories and organizations such as Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, and U.S. News & World Report for immigration practice excellence, and attorneys have been listed among notable practitioners by publications including The American Lawyer and Law360. Professional honors reflect engagement with associations such as the National Association of Corporate Directors and speaking invitations at forums hosted by Brookings Institution and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Category:Law firms