Practice Areas
General Counsel Services
Our team has substantial experience advising clients regarding general corporate matters including conflicts of interest, bylaws and procedures, document retention and voluntary compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley guidelines. We also provide corporate governance counseling for directors and officers and other fiduciaries faced with increased public and private scrutiny and enhanced standards of accountability.
Employment Audits
Employment audits, or assessments as they are frequently called, whether targeting private or public sector entities, are critical to the efficient and effective functioning of the human resources functions of both private and public sector entities. Properly implemented, they provide valuable information regarding the effectiveness human resources and diversity functions within organizations as well as critical analyses regarding compliance with the federal, state and local laws and regulations. They benefit the operational knowledge base, efficiency and effectiveness of organizations of any size and in any industry.
Risk assessments are undertaken to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the entity’s operations and to target functions or components of Human Resource functions that can be improved. Audits are an examination of an organization’s policies, procedures, practices and administrative structure and processes that produces critical information.
Send Email Inquiry —
General Corporate
Securities
SEC Compliance
Cooke Cleveland advises companies, officers, directors, and investors on compliance with federal and state securities laws, including the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and applicable SEC rules and regulations. Our practice covers private placements and exempt offerings, disclosure and reporting obligations, insider trading policies, FCPA compliance for companies with international operations, and the development of internal compliance programs. For startups and emerging growth companies, we advise on structuring capital raises to meet exemption requirements. When clients face SEC inquiries, investigations, or enforcement actions, we provide experienced counsel through every stage of the process.
Send Email Inquiry —
Immigration & Naturalization
U.S. immigration law is one of the most complex and consequential areas of legal practice. Cooke Cleveland provides comprehensive immigration representation to individuals, families, entrepreneurs, and corporate clients — from initial visa strategy through naturalization and, when necessary, removal defense. Our attorneys combine deep knowledge of immigration statutes and USCIS procedure with practical litigation experience, giving clients effective counsel at every stage of the immigration process.
Whether you are building a career, reuniting a family, growing a business, or fighting to stay in the country you call home — Cooke Cleveland is here.
Send Email Inquiry —
Rule of Law & Governance
Laws mean little without institutions capable of upholding them. Governance means little without accountability. Cooke Cleveland advises governments, international organizations, NGOs, development institutions, and private sector clients on the full spectrum of governance and rule of law challenges — bringing legal training, international field experience, and practical judgment to work that demands all three.
Our attorneys have worked at the highest levels of international governance, including senior advisory roles at the United Nations and USAID across West, North, and Southern Africa. That is not background reading. It is direct experience with the institutions, political dynamics, and implementation realities that define whether governance reforms succeed or fail. We bring that experience to every engagement.
Good governance is not just a development objective. It is the foundation on which everything else — investment, rights, stability, and growth — depends.
Send Email Inquiry —
Labor and Employment Law
—Diversity Advice and Counsel
—Diversity Assessments (Audits)
Corporate Governance
Send Email Inquiry —
Immigration & Naturalization
(continued)
Employment-Based Immigration
We advise employers and foreign nationals on the full spectrum of employment-based permanent residency, from initial petition through adjustment of status.
- EB-1A — Extraordinary Ability: for individuals who have risen to the top of their field in science, arts, education, business, or athletics
- EB-1B — Outstanding Professors and Researchers: for academics with international recognition
- EB-1C — Multinational Managers and Executives: for senior corporate transferees seeking permanent residence
- EB-2 — Advanced Degree Professionals and Exceptional Ability, including the National Interest Waiver (NIW): for entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators whose work benefits the United States at a national level
- EB-3 — Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers, supported by PERM Labor Certification where required
- EB-4 — Special Immigrants
- EB-5 — Investor Visas: for foreign nationals seeking to invest capital and create jobs in the U.S. economy
Nonimmigrant & Temporary Work Visas
We provide end-to-end support for nonimmigrant visa petitions for professionals, executives, artists, and international workers.
- H-1B — Specialty Occupation Workers, including cap-subject filings, cap-exempt petitions, and extensions
- L-1A and L-1B — Intracompany Transferees: for multinational companies transferring managers, executives, and specialized knowledge employees
- O-1A and O-1B — Extraordinary Ability: for individuals of exceptional achievement in business, science, technology, arts, and entertainment
- E-1 and E-2 — Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor Visas: for nationals of treaty countries engaged in substantial trade or investment in the United States
- TN Visas — for Canadian and Mexican professionals under the USMCA
- P Visas — for athletes, artists, and entertainers
- J-1, F-1, and OPT/STEM OPT — supporting international students, exchange visitors, and academic institutions
Startup & Investor Immigration
We have developed a focused practice advising startup founders, venture-backed entrepreneurs, and foreign investors on immigration strategies tailored to the U.S. business environment. We counsel clients on the O-1A, EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, and E-2 pathways, helping founders structure their professional narratives and evidentiary records to meet USCIS standards as affirmed in landmark decisions including Matter of Dhanasar (NIW) and Matter of Kazarian (extraordinary ability).
Family-Based Immigration
We represent petitioners and beneficiaries across all family-based immigration categories, guiding families through the process from petition to entry.
- Immediate relative petitions (IR-1, IR-2, IR-5, CR-1)
- Family preference categories (F1 through F4)
- Fiancé(e) visas (K-1 and K-3)
- Consular processing and adjustment of status
Naturalization & Citizenship
We guide lawful permanent residents through the naturalization process and handle complex citizenship matters, including claims to citizenship through parentage under INA § 301 and § 320 and renunciation proceedings. We advise on eligibility requirements, continuous residence and physical presence standards, good moral character determinations, and preparation for the civics and English examination.
Removal Defense & Immigration Court Proceedings
We represent clients in removal proceedings before the Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), providing experienced advocacy at every stage.
- Cancellation of removal for lawful permanent residents and non-permanent residents
- Asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT)
- Voluntary departure and prosecutorial discretion requests
- Appeals and motions to reopen or reconsider
Humanitarian & Special Immigration Programs
Our humanitarian practice serves individuals and families facing extraordinary circumstances, providing compassionate and skilled representation across protective immigration categories.
- Asylum and refugee admissions
- Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)
- Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitions
- U visas and T visas for crime victims and trafficking survivors
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Action filings
Corporate Immigration Compliance
We advise employers on building and maintaining immigration compliance programs that withstand government scrutiny, working proactively with HR teams and in-house counsel to mitigate liability.
Rule of Law & Governance
(continued)
Governance & Institutional Assessment
Effective governance requires understanding how institutions actually function — not just how they are supposed to function. The gap between formal rules and informal practice is where accountability breaks down, where reform efforts stall, and where risks go unmanaged.
We conduct governance and institutional assessments for governments, donors, and organizations seeking to understand that gap and act on it. Our assessments examine:
- Formal structures, mandates, and legal frameworks
- Informal power dynamics, incentive structures, and political economy
- Accountability gaps — where authority exists without consequence
- Capacity constraints — where institutional mandate exceeds real capability
- Governance risks for specific programs, partnerships, or investments
Deliverables include governance risk assessments, institutional capacity diagnostics, political economy analyses, risk registers, and reform sequencing roadmaps.
Rule of Law & Human Rights Compliance
Rule of law consulting focuses on the gap between legal commitments and lived reality — and on building accountability mechanisms that can credibly close that gap in real political contexts. We advise organizations on aligning laws, institutions, programs, and practices with applicable human rights and rule of law standards, with a focus on what is practically achievable rather than theoretically ideal.
Our work in this area includes:
- Compliance and alignment reviews against international, regional, and domestic legal standards
- Accountability framework design and assessment
- Analysis of enforcement mechanisms — their independence, capacity, and track record
- Human rights risk assessments for programs, investments, and partnerships
- Monitoring, reporting, and oversight guidance
- Risk-informed accountability strategies for complex political environments
Conflict, Fragility & Political Risk
Legal and governance work does not happen in a vacuum. For organizations operating in fragile or conflict-affected environments, understanding the political and security landscape is essential to making sound decisions and managing risk. We provide conflict and political risk analysis that is grounded in deep regional knowledge and focused on practical decision support.
Our analysis covers:
- Baseline context assessment — political stability, security dynamics, economic drivers, and social tensions
- Power actor mapping — who can influence stability, what they want, and how they are likely to behave
- Driver and trigger analysis — what causes instability to emerge or escalate
- Scenario development — base case, downside, and contingency planning
- Risk registers and heat maps prioritized by likelihood and impact
- Mitigation options and decision guidance for go, pause, or exit decisions
We have particular depth of experience in West, North, and Southern Africa, and work across the range of environments where governance, conflict, and legal systems intersect.
Policy Design, Drafting & Strategy
Sound policy begins with clarity — about what problem is being solved, who is affected, what constraints exist, and what success looks like. We assist governments, NGOs, and international organizations in designing and drafting policies, strategies, and legal frameworks that are grounded in evidence, politically viable, and built for implementation.
Our policy work includes:
- Policy analysis and options assessment
- Legislative and regulatory drafting
- Strategy frameworks and white papers
- Position papers and concept notes for donor and institutional audiences
- Implementation planning and sequencing
- Risk and constraint mapping
Who We Serve
Our rule of law and governance practice serves a range of clients whose work requires this combination of legal training, institutional knowledge, and international experience:
- Governments and public institutions seeking governance assessments, policy support, and legal reform counsel
- International organizations and multilateral institutions operating in fragile or complex environments
- Development banks, bilateral donors, and foundations funding governance and rule of law programs
- NGOs and civil society organizations working on accountability, human rights, and justice
- Private sector clients with operations or investments in politically complex or fragile environments
Governance work requires more than technical knowledge. It requires judgment, experience, and the ability to read institutions and politics honestly. That is what we bring.