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Dinse Attorney Leigh Cole Joins California-Based Firm as Immigration Counsel

Leigh Cole, Esq., a director and shareholder at Vermont-based Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C. and Chair of the firm’s Immigration Group, also will serve as immigration counsel to Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP, a California-based employment law firm. “The Employment Law Alliance, and Hirschfeld Kraemer and Dinse in particular, have always been forward-thinking, innovative organizations. I am excited to extend my practice and synergistically combine Dinse’s resources with HK’s via this transcontinental partnership,” said Cole. “Strengthening ties between our member firms is a shared objective and one that will no doubt prove beneficial to clients on both sides of the country.”

Cole, chair of Dinse’s Immigration Group, has extensive experience with employment-based immigration matters and advises on immigration compliance, best practices, audits and self-audits, applications for immigration benefits and international student and scholar services for educational institutions. Her clients include general counsels, human resources directors, international education advisors, recruiters and others responsible for immigration compliance for institutions, organizations and businesses.

“This unique partnership with Leigh is made possible through the Employment Law Alliance and enables Hirschfeld Kraemer to provide top-drawer and seamless assistance to its clients with all aspects of immigration and global migration law,” said Stephen J. Hirschfeld, co-managing partner of Hirschfeld Kraemer. “As immigration law is a federal domain, the firm was able to be geographically agnostic in looking to bolster its resources in this area.” Hirschfeld added, “Given the close working relationship between our firms as both of us are members of the ELA, this strategic relationship seemed to be a natural fit for us.”

Active in the legal community, Cole frequently speaks before groups including the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) and as part of the annual University of Vermont Legal Issues in Higher Education Conference. Notably, she has previously co-presented two courses on immigration law for NACUA. In addition to an active conference schedule, Cole is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and has served as editor of that organization’s Immigration and Nationality Law Handbook since 1999.

About Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.

Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C. is a Vermont-based law firm with extensive experience in employment law and education law. Dinse is the exclusive Vermont member of the Employment Law Alliance. Dinse lawyers represent employers and human resource professionals with employment law issues for management, and colleges and universities, private secondary schools and public school systems in the legal issues affecting educational institutions. Dinse prepares a monthly newsletter, The Vermont Employment Law Letter, published for each state by M. Lee Smith Publishers. The firm serves as select counsel in Vermont to United Educators Risk Retention Group.

About Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP

Hirschfeld Kraemer is a California-based labor and employment firm with offices in Northern and Southern California and Reno, Nevada. It is the exclusive California and Northern Nevada member of the Employment Law Alliance – the world’s largest network of labor and employment lawyers. The firm’s clients include cities, counties and institutions of higher education in addition to Fortune 500 companies. In higher education alone, the firm represents more than 140 colleges and universities, both in the United States and abroad. The firm’s driving principle is to deliver practical, no-nonsense employment and labor counsel. On the Web at: www.HKemploymentlaw.com.