US IMMIGRATION

Rosanna Berardi restricts her legal practice to the field of immigration law. She has a unique combination of government, university and corporate experience.

Ms. Berardi’s is uniquely qualified to provide immigration information, counsel, and advice. Her background consists of spending a number of years with the INS on the front line as an Immigration Inspector at the Peace Bridge as well as an Assistant District Counsel for their New York City litigation office. Ms. Berardi also served as Immigration Counsel for SUNY Buffalo and subsequently, in private practice with a large commercial law firm.

Ms. Berardi’s immigration career began in 1993. She attended the legacy INS Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, and then worked as an Immigration Inspector at the Peace Bridge while attending law school at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Ms. Berardi was then promoted to the position of Legal Intern at the legacy INS’s District Office, where she performed legal research and prepared legal memoranda on various immigration issues.

Upon graduation from law school in 1997, she was hired by the INS as an Assistant District Counsel for their New York City litigation office. In this position, Ms. Berardi prepared and litigated over 400 political asylum, criminal alien, suspension of deportation and removal proceedings. She also prepared lay and expert witnesses for trials and advised the agency’s sub-offices on the status and nature of new and pending litigation.

Through her work as Immigration Counsel for the State University of New York at Buffalo, Ms. Berardi prepared and submitted all employment-based immigration petitions including J-1, H-1B, O-1 and TN nonimmigrant petitions as well as Outstanding Researcher/Professor and Special Handling immigrant petitions. She was the legal point-of-contact for all of the University’s immigration needs. Ms. Berardi also counseled the foreign students of the university and presented immigration seminars and workshops.

Ms. Berardi gained extensive experience working with multi-national companies in connection with B-1, H-1B, L-1, TN and O-1 transfers to the U.S. and the permanent employment of such transfers at a large, corporate law firm in Buffalo, New York. She also represented Canadian corporations expanding or relocating to the U.S. Ms. Berardi was a frequent speaker at SUNY personnel conferences, client seminars and corporate seminars.

Education:
- Juris Doctor, State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, Buffalo, NY, 1997
- Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, Canisius College, Buffalo, NY, 1994

Memberships & Affiliations:
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Customs & Border Protection liaison committee - Chairperson
- Citizenship & Immigration Services liaison committee.

Bar Admissions:
- Admitted to practice in New York
- Member of the Bars of New Jersey and District of Columbia.