Madison Office
33 East Main Street Suite 900
Madison,
Wisconsin
53703
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Professional Experience
Grant Sovern practices in the area of immigration law and is chair of Quarles & Brady’s national immigration practice. His area of concentration is employment immigration for employers and employees, specifically non-immigrant visas such as the H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN and immigrant visas (permanent residence) through employment means such as outstanding researcher, extraordinary ability, and labor certification. He counsels companies on developing, maintaining, and defending immigration compliance programs. Grant’s experience includes :
- Representing pharmaceutical/biotech and high-tech companies to implement overall immigration policies and procedures.
- Counseling health care systems, hospitals, and physicians to navigate the immigration regulations related to waivers of the J-1 home residency requirement through the Conrad state programs, H-1B visas, O-1 visas, and permanent resident (green card) options.
- Assisting employers and employees with PERM Labor Certification filings to obtain permanent residence.
- Developing I-9 compliance and enforcement programs for companies.
- Representing scientists and others in pursuing J-1 waivers through the no-objection process and U.S. interested government agencies.
Teaching. Grant is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he teaches immigration law.
Education and Honors
- University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 1996)
- Tufts University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1989)
Degree: International Relations and History.
- Institut d'Etudes Politiques (1987)
Bar Admissions
Wisconsin,
2005
Massachusetts,
1996
Professional Recognition
- Named the Best Lawyers’ 2012 Madison Immigration Law Lawyer of the Year.
- Awarded the John and John Quincy Adams Pro Bono Publico Award for outstanding work in the area of asylum law for pro bono clients by Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (2005).
- Selected to list of Massachusetts Lawyer Weekly’s Massachusetts Best Lawyers Under 40 years old (2005).
- Mintz Levin Pro Bono Award (1999).
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® (2008-present: Immigration Law).
- Listed in Chambers USA® (2010-present: Labor & Employment)
Professional and Civic Activities
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (Member of Interagency Taskforce and E-Verify Legislative Taskforce; Chair of National Liaison Committee to the U.S. Social Security Administration).
- Second Harvest of Southern Wisconsin (Board Member).
- Quarles & Brady Diversity Committee (Representative).
Grant has served the U.S. Department of State and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as an International Elections Supervisor in Bosnia and Hercegovina, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, West Africa, and pro bono attorney working with asylum-seekers in the U.S.
Languages
French
Zarma
Selected Presentations/Publications
- Presenter, “Employer Compliance: Immigration, the Form I-9, and E-Verify,” Quarles & Brady L&E Seminar, January 24, 2012.
- Presenter, “Workplace Enforcement and Immigration,” Federal Bar Association - Chicago Chapter, October 26, 2011.
- Quoted, “Biz Beat: Report shows 'high-skilled' immigrants dominate in Madison,” Madison.com, June 9, 2011.
- “E-Verify, IMAGE, and SSNVS,” Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter’s Fifth Annual Conference,
November 9, 2010.
- Invited speaker along with a U.S. Representative, “Immigration & The Law,” Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce’s Emerging Trends in Business Series, November 2, 2010.
- Quoted, “Universal E-Verify requirement only a matter of time?,” IB Madison, October 26, 2010.
- Panelist, Employment-based Nonimmigrant Visas, American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2010.
- Expert Commentary on Immigration Law, Today: Beyond Beijing, China Radio International, May 11, 2010.
- Presenter, “Current Issues in the U.S. Immigration Reform Debate,” University of Wisconsin School of Journalism, May 6, 2010.
- Co-author, “H-1B Visa Petitions are Still Available,” Quarles & Brady Alert, April 2010.
- Co-author, “Utah Joins In E-Verify Requirement,” Quarles & Brady Alert, April 2010.
- Quoted, “Legal maze of immigration hard to navigate,” The Cap Times, March 5, 2010.
- Co-author, “Employer Immigration Compliance,” Quarles & Brady Update, March 2010.
- Co-author (with Maria Frenn Kallmeyer), “Employer immigration compliance: The top 10 employer mistakes on the Form I-9 and easy solutions,” The Illinois Manufacturer, Winter 2010.
- Co-author, “Window for Filing H-1B Visa Petitions Fast Approaching,” Quarles & Brady Alert, February 2010.
- Co-author, “U.S. Immigration Service Adds New Requirements,” Quarles & Brady Update, February 2010.
- Co-author, “E-Verify: The Top 10 Mistakes Companies Make,” Quarles & Brady Update, January 2010.
- Speaker, “Immigration Compliance in the Workplace,” Sterling Employment Law Update Seminar, February 18, 2009.
- Co-author, “The Fiscal Year 2010 H-1B Cap Has Been Reached,” Quarles & Brady Alert, December 2009.
- Co-author, “U.S. ICE Announces 1,000 New Audits of Employers Nationwide,” Quarles & Brady Alert, Nov. 2009.
- Co-author, “Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery Now Open for Fiscal Year 2011,” Quarles & Brady Update, Oct. 2009.
- Co-author, “Department of Homeland Security Issues Revised Form I-9,” Quarles & Brady Alert, August 2009.
- Co-author, “Federal Government Expands Enforcement of Immigration,” Quarles & Brady Update, August 2009.
- Co-author, “H-1B Visas Are Still Available,” Quarles & Brady Alert, April 2009.
- Co-author, “All Employers Required To Use New Form I-9,” Quarles & Brady Alert, February 2009.
- Co-author, “E-Verify Requirement for Federal Contractors Postponed AGAIN,” Quarles & Brady Alert, January 2009.
- Presenter, “HR Toolbox: Hot Topics Legal Update (Immigration and FMLA),” Greater Madison Area Society for Human Resources Management, February 19, 2008.
- Speaker, “Immigration Changes for Employers: E-Verify, New I-9, No-Match Letters, and Workplace Raids,” Labor and Employment Seminar, February 17, 2008.
- Speaker, “Employer Compliance: Immigration, the Form I-9, and E-Verify,” Labor and Employment Seminar, July 28, 2009.
- Co-author, “Important Changes to the Visa Waiver Program,” Quarles & Brady Alert, December 2008.
- Co-author, “TN Period of Admission Extended to Three-Year Increments,” Quarles & Brady Alert, October 2008.
- Co-author, “Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery Now Open For Fiscal Year 2010,” Quarles & Brady Update, October 2008.
- Co-author, “Proposed Regulations Would Require Certain Federal Contractors to Use E-Verify,” Quarles & Brady Alert, July 2008.
- Co-author, “Immigration Service Attempts to Resurrect Social Security No-Match Regulation,” Quarles & Brady Alert, March 2008.
- Quoted, “Don't Forget Your Passport: Travelers Now Must Plan Ahead if Visiting Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean,” Wisconsin State Journal, February 14, 2007.
- Co-author, “New Form I-9 Released,” Quarles & Brady Alert, November 2007.
- Co-author, “Waiting For Permanent Residency Status,” Quarles & Brady Update, November 2007.
- Co-author, “Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery Now Open For Fiscal Year 2009,” Quarles & Brady Update, Sept. 2007.
- Co-author, “Labor & Employment Practical Guide to Employment Relations,” Quarles & Brady, September 2007.
- Co-author, “The USCIS Reversing its Unprecedented July 2nd Announcement,” Quarles & Brady Alert, July 2007.
- Author, “Misconceptions dominate the immigration debate,” WTN News, May 1, 2007.
- Author, “New Immigration Rules Could Cut Access to Needed Workers,” Capital Region Business Journal, July 2007.
- Quoted, “‘No match’ letters get second delay,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 2, 2007.
- Quoted, “Wisconsin’s Immigrants: From Cheese Factory Workers to CTOs,” In Business, September 2006.
- Quoted, “It’s Not Easy to Import Talent; Lots of Employers Would Like to Hire Skilled Professionals from Abroad, but There are Plenty of Obstacles,” Wisconsin State Journal, September 11, 2006.
- Presenter, “The New Dynamics of Immigration - Finding the Way Between Getting Tough and Getting Employees,” Society of Human Resources Managers, November 8, 2006.
- Presenter, “Advanced Immigration Solutions for Small Business and Entrepreneurs,” American Immigration Lawyers Association New England Chapter, October 29, 2004.
Grant speaks on expert panels organized by various legal associations, including state and local bar associations and chapters of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
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