Sameer Khedekar

Education:

B.A., University of California, San Diego J.D.,
Santa Clara University School of Law

Rankings:

• Chambers USA Guide: “America’s Leading Business Lawyers”
• Lawdragon Top 40 Up & Coming Lawyers, 2016
• HR Executive: “Most Powerful Employment Lawyers – Up and Comers” 
• International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers
• International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers
• Super Lawyers, Northern California Rising Stars 

Immigration law experience:

Sameer oversees a wide variety of immigration matters for Fortune 500 companies, startups, and entrepreneurs. Understanding that different companies operate under different models, Sameer specializes in providing highly-tailored legal advice and immigration policy guidance to his clients. Sameer leads the firm’s Global Team, continually demonstrating how to provide a single point of contact for companies with U.S. inbound and outbound and non-U.S. immigration. He also helps employers customize workflows and reporting tools.  Sameer has successfully appeared on behalf of his clients before USCIS in naturalization and adjustment of status proceedings and before the Immigration Court in removal proceedings. Sameer has published articles and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. Recent highlights include:

• “Industry Trends in Action,” Pacific Northwest Relocation Council, April 2015
• “Employee Engagement Communications Strategies,” San Francisco Global Executive Briefing, Global Business News, January 2015
• “Immigration Compliance: What Travel Professionals Need to Know!”, Global Business Travel Association, August 2014
• “Immigration in 2014: Strap on Your Seat Belts” HRWest Magazine, January 2014
• “Establishing New Office Intra-company Transfer Ls and the Path to Permanent Residence (EB-1C)” AILA Midyear/Winter Conference, January 2014
• “Our Immigration Rules: Why Entrepreneurs Stand a Chance,” SiliconIndia.com, November 2013
• “Short Term Assignments and Extended Business Travel,” Southern California Relocation Council, November 2013
• “Top Five Tips and Tools for Global Immigration Compliance,” Who’s Who Legal2013
• “Professional Business Plan to Avoid RFEs,” AILA Podcast, July 2012
• “Advanced Topics in I-9 and E-Verify,” ILW.com, November 2012
• “Streamlining Global Immigration & Travel,” Western Immigration Networking Group (WINGs), February 2010

What is your connection with immigration?

My mother left the U.S. and went back to India to give birth to me! As a result, I lived much of my life as permanent resident in the U.S., and spent many early mornings standing in line at the INS office, trying to correct various misspellings of my name on the green card. When I became an immigration attorney, I applied for my own U.S. citizenship.

What is a fun fact about you?

I was an extra in a martial-arts movie (starring Ernie Hudson, the fourth Ghostbuster) that went straight to DVD. Since I was in the credits, I have my own IMDB page!