A potential client arrived in our new Salt Lake City, Utah office last week looking for guidance on a petition that was to be filed on her behalf by her son. She mentioned that she had seen another immigration attorney in the area but felt pressured into signing a contract before she felt comfortable in her understanding of the law, the petition process and the strength of her case.
We educated her on what it meant to have 245i protection, and that because she was the beneficiary of a petition filed prior to April 30, 2001, she was eligible to become a permanent resident through her son without returning to her country of origin. After answering her questions regarding the process and how much time it would take, she eagerly signed a contract with us to assist her in becoming a permanent resident, noting how comfortable she felt working with us and that she was anxious to refer her friends and family to our office.
The public’s response to the firm’s new office has been very strong and at times overwhelming. The state of Utah has very few law firms that practice immigration law exclusively, let alone well, and the community has been anxious to discuss their issues with a firm that has the experience and reputation that Wilner & their issues with a firm that has the experience and reputation that Wilner & O’Reilly has in the world of immigration law. With the economy struggling and law firms downsizing or closing altogether, Wilner & O’Reilly has continued to grow with offices now in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange County, and Salt Lake City. While the demand for additional W&O offices in domestic and international locations continues to grow, our next stop remains to be determined. Wherever it may be, one thing remains constant: provision of the highest quality legal services in immigration law. We do not tolerate the average. Rather, we pursue excellence in all we do.
Sean Carpenter is the lead attorney at the Salt Lake City office. He graduated from Arizona State University College of Law Magna Cum Laude and has worked with Wilner & O’Reilly for several years. Prior to becoming a lawyer with W&O, Mr. Carpenter worked as a clerk at the immigration courts in Eloy, Arizona and Phoenix, Arizona assisting judges in the decision-making process and drafting final Phoenix, Arizona assisting judges in the decision-making process and drafting final
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Richard M. Wilner is a principal in the firm of Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC. He is Board Certified as a Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law by the State Bar of California’s Bureau of Legal Specialization. He is a former Commissioner for the State Bar’s Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission. Mr. Wilner may be reached directly via email at [email protected] or by telephone at 714-919-8880
