William Tao & Associates

William Tao & Associates
Name	William Tao & Associates
Founded	1970s
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Practice areas	Immigration law; civil litigation; corporate law; family law
Key people	William Tao; partners; managing attorneys

William Tao & Associates is a San Francisco–based law firm known for immigration and family law representation in California and nationally. The firm has handled matters intersecting with landmark cases, administrative agencies, and nonprofit organizations, providing counsel to individuals, corporations, and community groups. Its work has engaged with courts, tribunals, and policy debates involving immigration policy, civil rights, and regulatory compliance.

History

The firm traces origins to the wave of Asian American legal advocacy that followed the civil rights era and the post‑1965 immigration reforms influenced by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the Bakke case, and litigation trends exemplified by firms litigating alongside groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Forum. Early practice intersected with cases adjudicated in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and administrative proceedings at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Board of Immigration Appeals. Over decades the firm adapted to policy shifts during administrations of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, engaging with regulatory changes promulgated by the Department of Homeland Security and federal courts including the Supreme Court of the United States.

Services and Practice Areas

The firm’s portfolio includes immigration litigation, removal defense before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, petitions to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, family‑based petitions under statutes influenced by precedents such as Loving v. Virginia, employment‑based filings tied to regulations from the Department of Labor, and naturalization and citizenship matters referencing the standards applied in cases like Perez v. Brownell. William Tao & Associates has represented clients in transactional matters touching on corporate structures such as those overseen by the California Secretary of State, landlord‑tenant disputes heard in the San Francisco Superior Court, and administrative appeals before boards similar to the California Court of Appeal. The firm also advises clients on compliance with federal statutes enforced by agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and regulatory regimes shaped by litigation involving the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

Notable Cases and Clients

The firm has appeared in matters that intersect with notable litigation strategies used in cases before judges associated with the United States District Court for the Central District of California and litigators connected to organizations such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Representative matters include removal defense for clients with ties to events like litigated asylum claims reminiscent of precedent decisions from the Board of Immigration Appeals, family‑based petitions contested in hearings analogous to those in the San Francisco Superior Court, and employment disputes that reflect doctrines developed in cases argued before the Ninth Circuit. The firm has also advised nonprofits and community organizations comparable to the Asian Law Caucus, Chinese American Citizens Alliance, and immigrant advocacy groups that litigate with partners such as the National Lawyers Guild.

Organizational Structure and Key Personnel

The firm functions with partners, associate attorneys, paralegals, and administrative staff, interfacing with law clerks trained at institutions like University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Stanford Law School, and University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Leadership roles have included managing partners and senior counsel who collaborate with externs from clinics associated with the University of San Francisco School of Law and advocacy networks such as the Legal Aid Society and the Public Counsel. The office maintains relationships with local bar entities including the Bar Association of San Francisco and national organizations such as the American Bar Association.

Awards and Recognition

The firm and its attorneys have received recognition from regional and national entities similar to honors bestowed by the State Bar of California, pro bono awards from coalitions like the Legal Services Corporation, and citations in community press akin to coverage by the San Francisco Chronicle. Attorneys have been invited to panels alongside representatives from institutions such as the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area and honored at events hosted by centers affiliated with universities like University of California, Berkeley.

Community Involvement and Pro Bono Work

William Tao & Associates has engaged in pro bono representation for asylum seekers, family reunification cases, and citizenship clinics in coordination with organizations such as the Asian Law Alliance, Catholic Charities USA, and local community centers resembling the Chinese Progressive Association. The firm’s outreach has included participation in legal clinics at venues like the San Francisco Public Library, collaboration with student clinics from Golden Gate University School of Law, and support for initiatives organized by advocacy groups including the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Defense Committee and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.

Category:Law firms based in San Francisco Category:Immigration law firms