PRESS RELEASE
Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper Adds Immigration Law Group
Former Rosner, Ortman & Moss Partners to join Cleveland firm
CLEVELAND (June 12, 2017) – The Cleveland law firm of Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper LLC (NGC) is adding a full-service Immigration Law Group to its growing business and corporate practice. The entire legal team from Rosner, Ortman & Moss Partners, a well-regarded boutique immigration law firm, is joining NGC, bringing 50 years’ experience focused exclusively on immigration law and a national clientele with a worldwide portfolio.
Veteran immigration lawyers Karen Gabriel Moss and Bradley L. Ortman will launch the Immigration Law Group June 16. Moss and Ortman represent a diverse, international client base, ranging from Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, individuals, hospitals, universities and even NBA teams.
Attorneys from NGC and the Rosner firm, also based in Cleveland, have worked with each other over time, and discovered they shared common values, a focus on innovative legal strategies and a vision for serving clients holistically within a unified firm.
Given the current focus on immigration and the continued pace of globalization of the economy, the move is timely for NGC, which provides legal services and counsel to business owners and executives, professionals and governmental entities, said James H. Grove, chair of NGC’s management committee.
“Now more than ever, businesses and other organizations need immigration guidance and services that are not generally available either in-house or from their outside law firms,” said Grove. “With the formation of our immigration law practice group, we will have expert capacity to help our clients navigate immigration challenges in employment and other issues.”
Many immigration lawyers handle mostly individual cases such as marriages to U.S. citizens, political asylum and deportations. The NGC Immigration Law Group will work in those areas, but deal with employment-based immigration. Services provided will include employer compliance (I-9) issues, permanent residence (green card) applications and the full gamut of work visas, as well as transfers of U.S. employees abroad.
Moss and Ortman were co-managing partners at Rosner, which was routinely named one of the best immigration law firms in America by U.S. News & World Report for the past decade. They believe NGC is a good fit for their practice because the firm occupies a similar niche: business law lawyers who are client-focused and know how to achieve positive results while keeping legal fees down.
“We’re all problem solvers who know the terrain, understand how businesses operate, and give our clients a level of confidence in complicated matters,” said Moss. “Joining Nicola will create a full-service firm well positioned in a constantly evolving, globalized economy where the search for talent knows no borders, and families commonly have connections across borders, oceans, and continents.”
Ortman stressed that he and Moss’ current client base will experience the same service and a seamless transition as the move to Nicola unfolds. Their entire legal support staff will join them, ensuring no loss of capacity and continued relationships with the same team of lawyers and paralegals. “We will continue our focus on service, results, and value for our clients and look forward to providing the same to Nicola’s existing and growing portfolio,” Ortman said. He also affirmed that the move will not increase rates for clients.
Ortman has practiced in all areas of immigration law with firms in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. He currently serves as the Ohio liaison to U.S. Customs & Border Protection for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). He has extensive experience with employment-based immigration for employers of all sizes covering a variety of industries, including telecommunications, medical and advanced technology, and he has spoken locally, regionally and nationally on immigration law topics. He is proficient in Spanish and is a board member of the Greater Cleveland International Lawyers Group. He has been named a Rising Star and Best Lawyer in immigration law.
Moss was named “Immigration Lawyer of the Year” in 2016 by Best Lawyers, and consistently has been selected by her peers as one of The Best Lawyers in the field. She has been a speaker on employment-based immigration for the Federal Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, Cuyahoga Bar Association and AILA regional seminars, as well as at business conferences. Moss has taught Immigration and Nationality Law at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. In the past, she served as a Liaison for the Department of Labor for AILA’s Ohio Chapter.
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