Robert L. Brown (Bob)

Attorney and Managing Partner Robert L. Brown received his Juris Doctorate from the Cleveland Marshall College of Law and admitted to practice law in the State of Ohio and Washington, D.C. He is also accepted to practice before the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Federal Court for the District of Columbia and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. As Managing Partner, Robert oversees all of the firm's practice areas, including employment-based immigration, family-based immigration, removal defense and compliance work. Spanning five decades of experience in the immigration field, including over twenty-five years of employment as Director with the legacy Immigration and Naturalization Service ("INS"), Robert's extensive background embodies our mission statement of having "Confidence in Experience."

Robert received his undergraduate degree from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. During his experience with the INS, Robert held varying leadership positions, including Deputy Chief of Investigations, Cleveland Deputy District Director and Acting Regional Commissioner. He also served as Chair of the Immigration Director's Association. His served under Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton.

Area of Practice

US Immigration and Nationality Law

Bar Admissions

Ohio, 1992 & District of Columbia, Washington D.C.

Education

Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, Ohio - 1991
Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York - 1970

Seminars/Expert Testimony

Guest Lecturer numerous venues including Law schools of Case Western Reserve, Cleveland-Marshall, Akron University, Capital University, University of Cincinnati, Ohio State Bar Association, Cleveland Bar Association, Cuyahoga Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, American Corporate Counsel Association (ACCA) and various religious and community groups.
Expert Testimony before US Congress and in various civil and criminal matters

Honors and Awards

AV Preeminent Peer Rated by Lexis/Martindale-Hubbell, listed in "The Top Rated Lawyers Guide to Immigration" for Corporate Counsel and The American Lawyer, named each year Leading Lawyer by Inside Business magazine
The Immigration Commissioner's Award for Distinguished Career Service
Special Achievements for Vietnamese Refugee Processing
INS Outstanding Achievement Awards, 1975 - 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991 – 1999

Professional Associations and Memberships

Federal Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, International Chiefs of Police, Metropolitan Crime Bureau, Fraternal Order of Retired Border Patrol Officers

Past Employment Positions

Special Agent, INS, New York, New York
Deputy Chief, Investigations, INS, Washington, D.C 1978-1982
Deputy District Director, INS, Ohio 1982-1986
District Director, INS, Ohio 1986-1999
Regional director, action, INS Burlington, Vermont 1997
McLaughlin & McCaffrey, Cleveland, Ohio 1999
Thompson Hine LLP, Cleveland, Ohio, Of Counsel, 1999 - 2000
Frantz Ward LLP, Cleveland, Ohio, Partner, 2000 – 2002
Robert Brown LLC 2002 – present

Footnote: – As Employer Sanction coordinator for INS implementation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 designed, developed and implemented the first I-9 now in standard use throughout the US