Elise Fialkowski is the Co-Chair of Klasko Immigration Law Partners’ Corporate Immigration Practice and has been providing immigration assistance and solutions to leading universities, research institutions, multinational corporations, startups, entrepreneurs, and individuals for over 25 years. Elise also leads the firm’s worksite compliance group and regularly advises clients regarding I-9, E-Verify, and H-1B Labor Condition Application (LCA) compliance. She has long been active in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and currently serves on AILA’s Department of State Liaison Committee. She has led many other committees at the local and national levels, including serving as Chair of the Philadelphia CBP Liaison Committee, the Philadelphia USCIS Liaison Committee and AILA’s Philadelphia Chapter. Elise also serves as a Board Member of the John F. Peto Studio Museum. Elise was named 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America© and has been included annually in Best Lawyers in America©, the International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers, and the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Elise received her law degree from the Villanova University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1991).

Keith Armstrong joined the ACLU of Pennsylvania in October 2023. Prior to joining the ACLU-PA, he spent two years working on the litigation team at RAICES, a Texas-based immigrant rights organization, where he handled a varied docket of cases including a wrongful death tort suit, FOIA litigation, petitions for review before appellate courts, and FTCA cases. Keith graduated from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law with a JD and an LL.M. in International Human Rights, and holds a BA in English/International Studies from Macalester College. When he is not fighting for the civil and human rights of noncitizens, he enjoys birdwatching and photography.

Kathleen Campbell Walker is internationally recognized as a thought leader and for the breadth of her experience in immigration law and policy. She is a problem solver for complex and difficult immigration challenges in business immigration, compliance, audits, cross-border issues, admissions, waivers, worksite enforcement, and consular processing. Her industry related experience includes: manufacturing, healthcare, food and drink producers, academic institutions, technology, financial services, entertainment, investors, mining, pharmaceuticals, retail, sports, transportation, government, agriculture, physicians, equestrians, and utilities. Ms. Walker is a former national president and general counsel of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) as well as a member of its Board of Governors. She has served as a national chairperson of a variety of AILA committees, including for the Department of State, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service worksite compliance, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. She has also testified on immigration law and policy before U.S. congressional committees and state legislative committees.

Rosanna is the Co-Founding Partner of LTF and has extensive experience advising domestic and multinational companies, including Fortune 500 companies, with respect to short- and long-term immigration strategies and programs. She advises clients with respect to the full range of worksite compliance issues including Form I-9 compliance, E-Verify registration and compliance, Public Access Files, and government site visits. Rosanna also advises foreign entrepreneurs and investors in all aspects of starting a business in the United States with a focus on immigration strategy and planning. Rosanna is an Elected Director on the AILA Board of Governors and a member of the I-9 Verification and Documentation Liaison Committee. Rosanna previously served as Chair of the AILA New York Chapter. She has been individually ranked by Chambers USA since 2020 and is a frequent speaker on a range of immigration-related topics.

Mr. McKenrick is an attorney for Penn State Student Legal Services, representing students in various criminal and civil matters arising out of Centre County. Before working at Penn State, Mr. McKenrick served as an assistant district attorney for several years. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Margherita Patti Worthington in Monroe County immediately after graduating from law school. Mr. McKenrick currently serves on the Conference of County Bar Leaders Executive Committee. He is a Past President of the Centre County Bar Association. Dan graduated cum laude from Widener University School of Law. While there, Dan served on the Widener Law Journal. Dan graduated from Penn State with high distinction (B.A., Crime, Law, and Justice; B.A., Political Science).

From 1991 to 2000, Adrian focused on litigation involving a mix of business and individual clients. In 2000, Adrian joined with two partners to form Watkins, Dulac & Roe P.C. At that firm, Adrian continued to represent business clients in areas such as aviation and natural resources and non-competes but also represented individuals in a variety of contexts to include plaintiffs’ class actions, civil rights, immigration litigation, and criminal defense. Adrian formed his own firm Adrian N. Roe P.C. in 2009 and then formed Roe & Simon LLC in 2015. Adrian served as co-lead counsel in several class actions in various substantive areas including fair housing and wage and hour. For example, Roe participated in several “collective actions” alleging de facto policies against overtime. Adrian served as co-lead counsel in a class action brought under the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law in relation to the sale of title insurance in connection with residential refinancing transactions. Adrian filed the complaint and participated in all phases of the litigation which lasted for approximately (17) seventeen years prior to settlement. Adrian thereafter represented consumers in proposed class action and two arbitrations alleging violations of the federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act. In addition working in the area of class and representative litigation, Adrian has substantial experience representing parties in civil actions brought in state or federal court. Over time, in civil litigation Adrian has tended to represent individuals and closely held businesses as opposed to publicly traded companies. For example, Adrian has represented numerous executives in connection with employment separations and the related issues of defending against threatened legal action by the former employer. Adrian also has substantial experience representing home and business owners in coverage disputes with insurance companies. Adrian’s practice has covered a wide range of substantive areas in a variety of contexts. As examples, he has tried multiple civil and criminal cases to verdict in federal district court. He has argued appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third and Ninth Circuits. He has tried multiple cases before federal immigration courts and has presented oral argument in the Board of Immigration Appeals. Beginning in April 2023, Adrian served for one year as a U.S. Immigration Judge in Boston, Massachusetts. After one year of commuting between Pittsburgh and Boston, Roe resigned to return to private practice. In 2023 Adrian was admitted to practice in Florida. Adrian represents clients in both Pennsylvania and Florida.

Wendy Castor Hess, a Partner in the Immigration law firm of Landau, Hess, Simon, Choi & Doebley (LHSCD), has been practicing Immigration & Nationality Law exclusively for over 43 years. She offers strategic and practical non-immigrant and immigrant immigration law solutions to businesses and individuals – particularly in the medical, university, pharmaceutical and IT communities – including in I-9 related compliance matters, as well as in family immigration matters. Fluent in Spanish, Wendy serves as trusted counsel to the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia. A frequent national/local speaker and author on immigration matters and a long-time member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”), where she has served in numerous leadership roles, including as a Chair of AILA Philadelphia and National AILA committees, Wendy has also served in leadership roles locally within both the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations as a member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association, as Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Immigration Committee and as Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Immigration Committee. She is a past President and current Board member of HIAS Pennsylvania, and recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s President’s Award, the Pennsylvania Bar Association Immigration Law Pro Bono Award, the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Special Achievement Award, and the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Bar Association award for exceptional service through “Take Action Philly Immigration Clinics”. A graduate of SUNY Binghamton, with a B.A. in History, and a J.D. from George Washington University, Wendy has continually been listed in Super Lawyers,in Best (Immigration) Lawyers inAmerica (including in 2024, 2018 and 2014 as Best Lawyer of the Year), and in The International Who’s Who of Corporate (Immigration) Lawyers. LHSCD is listed in Chambers USA.

Daniel Cortes is a lawyer whose work focuses on the intersectionality of immigration and social justice. Cortes was born in Colombia and migrated to the United States at a young age with his family. His personal experience as an immigrant has shaped his passion in advocating for an equitable immigration system. His legal career has focused on a holistic centered approach and community empowerment. He is passionate about advocating for creative and systemic solutions to immigration issues. Cortes directs the Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services (CARES), where he teaches the clinic seminar and supervises student advocates working on asylees and their families. Prior to clinical teaching, Cortes was an immigration rights attorney at Community Justice Project, specializing in the intersectionality of immigration and collateral civil issues ranging from housing, public benefits, licensing, employment and administrative law. His practice focused on a holistic legal aid model, aimed at educating and meeting multiple client needs. Prior to Community Justice Project, Cortes was a staff attorney at Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, focusing on expungements, housing, unemployment and community education. He is a graduate with honors from Florida International University College of Law, where he was the Student Bar Association president. Prior to law school, Cortes was a 6th grade math teacher under Teach for America in North Miami, Florida.

Ms. Martinez founded JBM Legal, LLC, a full-service law firm dedicated to providing legal representation to the Pittsburgh immigrant community . Currently, JBM Legal, LLC has offices in Pittsburgh, PA, Whittier, CA, and Venice, FL. Ms. Martinez is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She obtained her Juris Doctorate from the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University. Prior to establishing JBM Legal, LLC, Ms. Martinez was in-house counsel to a large International IT company, where she gained extensive experience in employment-based immigration and global immigration. Ms. Martinez’s currently is the managing partner, and her practice focuses on business immigration, family immigration and removal proceedings. JBM Legal, LLC attorneys also provide legal services to the immigrant community in the areas of criminal law, family custody and support law, small business law and litigation-general practice. Ms. Martinez has been asked to present at AILA National Meetings, PBI panels and webinars, Sole and Small Firm Conference, Civil Litigation Conference-PBA, PBA Annual Meeting. Ms. Martinez currently serves/served on various boards: PBA Board of Governors- Secretary of the PBA, Zone 12 Governor, Minority Governor at large, Pennsylvania Industrial Development Board, CASA-Court Appointed Special Advocate Board, ACLU-Pittsburgh Chapter Board, and the ACBA-Allegheny County Bar Association Board. Ms. Martinez, currently serves as the chair of the Pittsburgh Chapter of AILA, and the AILA National Board of Governors 2005-2006, 2022-2023, 2023-2024. Committees: AILA National Membership Committee, Waivers Committee, Hispanic Interest Law Group, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 AILA National Conference Planning Committee, Current Vice-chair Bylaws-PBA, Vice-chair of Immigration Law Committee-PBA, chair of the Diversity Team-PBA, and chair of the Minority Bar Committee- PBA. Ms. Martinez founded the John Alan Meehan Citizenship Institute under the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, which provides pro bono legal representation to applicants for U.S. Citizenship and sponsors a fellow for summer work in a public-interest entity.

Amy Coco is a shareholder in the Pittsburgh firm of DiBella Weinheimer. For 30 years, she has focused her practice on Professional Responsibility. She represents lawyers, judges and law students; including in civil litigation matters, ethics, professional licensure and professional responsibility representation and counseling; risk management and law practice management counseling. She is the President Elect for the Allegheny County Bar Association and served six years as a Governor on the ACBA Board. She is the current chair of the ACBA’s Nominating Committee. She is a past Chair of the ACBA’s By-Law’s Committee for many years and was a past Chair of and is currently a Duty Officer for the ACBA’s Professional Ethics Committee. She also served on Council for the Solo and Small Firm Section and chaired subcommittees for Women in the Law Division. From May 2021 to May 2024, she served as the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Woman At Large Governor and from 2022 to 2024 she was Chair of the PBA’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Team. She is Vice Chair of the PBA’s Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee. She is the Director of Pitt Law School’s Incubator program helping lawyers set up solo practices. She is also a Washington County and Philadelphia County Bar Association member and a member of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. She frequently lectures and writes on issues related to lawyer’s professional liability, DEI and lawyer’s ethical responsibility and licensure matters. Ms. Coco is named in The Best Lawyers in America® for Professional Responsibility and Ethics. Ms. Coco has been named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer annually since 2018 and was named a Top 50 Lawyer in Pittsburgh in 2022. She received her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, magna cum laude, in 1994 and her B.A. in Journalism from Indiana University Bloomington, IN in 1989.

Mr. Byrne is a member of the Professional Liability Department at Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, P.C. and Chair of the Disciplinary Board Practice where he concentrates his practice on representing and defending professionals in a variety of professional liability matters. Mr. Byrne regularly represents attorneys in legal malpractice, wrongful use of civil proceedings and disciplinary matters. He also represents many other types of professionals in the federal and state courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and before disciplinary boards. Mr. Byrne has devoted his legal career to the protection of professionals and is highly regarded in this arena throughout the state. He is the Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Professional Liability Committee, Co-Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Professional Responsibility Committee, former Co-Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Professional Guidance Committee, and is an active member of Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Ethics Committee. He is also a Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Amicus Brief Committee. Mr. Byrne is a former Hearing Committee Member serving the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He serves as a Zone One delegate to the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s House of Delegates and as a Judge Pro Temp for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. A prolific writer, Mr. Byrne publishes extensively on malpractice avoidance and authors a recurring column in The Legal Intelligencer on professional liability topics. He frequently presents to legal and business organizations throughout Pennsylvania on professional liability themes. Mr. Byrne graduated with a dual major in Political Science and Japanese Studies From Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. After college, he worked for two years as a coordinator for international relations in Chiba, Japan. He then obtained his juris doctor from Rutgers University School of Law. He is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for professional competence