Crash Course: Immigration Law for Entrepreneurs

Tags: Entrepreneurship

Please join the SFC Entrepreneurship Initiative from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in Room 204 for our first Crash Course designed to help entrepreneurs navigate immigration laws.

The evening will canvass issues that every entrepreneur should know about immigration law. In particular, this Crash Course will provide a basic overview regarding how immigration law can impact entrepreneurs and start-up businesses. The session will also focus on immigration’s new initiatives to make immigration law more responsive to the needs of entrepreneurs and start-up companies.

The session will share a number of concrete best practices that should be carefully considered, including:

  • Maintaining the nationality of a company for E-2 purposes
  • Making sure there are not too many “chefs” for L-1 purposes
  • Avoiding the pitfall of creating too lofty a position for H-1B petitions and how to ensure there is sufficient “control”
  • How to prove a start-up has sufficient “substance” for visa purposes
  • Successful strategies for obtaining green cards for entrepreneurs

The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion, a question-and-answer session, and an opportunity for networking.

Confirmed participants include:

Emily J. Curray, Managing Partner, Stern & Curray LLC
Emily Curray completed her law degree at the University of Colorado and has been practicing immigration law since 1996. She represents clients in all areas of business immigration, helping employers and their employees obtain proper temporary visa status and permanent residence. She also advises clients in complying with I-9 rules and other complex immigration laws. Emily represents a wide variety of employers, including multinational corporations, universities, research institutions, small businesses and entrepreneurial investors. Prior to earning her law degree, Emily earned an M.S. in Nutrition Science, an asset to Stern & Curray in representing universities, research institutions, biotech firms and individual scientists. While her practice primarily focuses on business immigration, she also handles family immigration matters.

Kenneth H. Stern, Partner, Stern & Curray LLC
Mr. Stern is a past chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Colorado Chapter and has chaired or served on many national committees. Mr. Stern argued the case of Colorado v. Nunez before the United States Supreme Court, and the case of People v. Pozo before the Colorado Supreme Court. In 1993, the national AILA organization awarded Mr. Stern the Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law, and in 2002 he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Colorado Chapter of AILA. In 2005, he was named “Best of the Bar” in immigration law by the Denver Business Journal. Mr. Stern has been included in the publication: Best Lawyers in America since its inception, and has been listed in 5280 Magazine as one of Denver’s top lawyers in the field of immigration law. Mr. Stern has been repeatedly named a “Colorado Super Lawyer.” Mr. Stern is also involved in consulting and executive coaching through the Linx Group LLC.

Brad Hendrick, Member, Caplan and Earnest LLC
Mr. Hendrick has been practicing immigration law since 2002 and joined Caplan & Earnest in 2009 after spending several years with a boutique immigration practice in Denver. He also served as the Legal Services Coordinator and Staff Attorney for the Rocky Mountain Survivors Center where he launched the organization’s pro bono asylum project. Mr. Hendrick counsels individuals and corporations on all types of immigration matters. His practice focuses on immigration law, specifically in assisting corporations with visas and immigration compliance, and assisting foreign nationals and professionals in obtaining employment visas, permanent residence, and U.S. citizenship. He practices in all areas of immigration and has focused on employment-based immigration with an emphasis on emerging organizations and investors. His areas of specialty include immigration compliance and the specific immigration issues related to the energy, technology, and the health-care industries. He earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Michigan in 1996 and earned a law degree and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado in 2002.


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