Zeenat Phophalia, Esq
Of Counsel
Zeenat Phophalia is qualified to practice law in New York, United Kingdom and India. She practices in the area of U.S. immigration law with a focus on business immigration, and has represented corporate clients including large and medium sized companies and startups across sectors such as IT, consulting, consumer goods, manufacturing and telecommunications.
Zeenat holds a Master of Law degree from the University of Georgia, United States, and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Mumbai, India. Zeenat was awarded a full scholarship in the form of a graduate assistantship and tuition waiver from the University of Georgia. After graduating, Zeenat had volunteered at a not-for-profit - New York Legal Assistance Group Inc. - where she provided pro bono legal services to low-income immigrants.
Prior to joining the Firm, Zeenat was an Associate Partner at a leading immigration law firm in India where in addition to practicing US immigration law, she advised clients on Indian commercial and employment laws, and spearheaded the firm’s content creation process.
Experience
Zeenat has represented clients in business and employment immigration, permanent residence, consular matters, naturalization and waivers of inadmissibility. She has advised clients on nonimmigrant visa applications and petitions such as L1, H1B, F1 and O as well as EB1 cases and related immigration compliance.
As an immigrant herself and a naturalized US citizen, she possesses an in-depth understanding of the system and has helped several business and families navigate the many nuances and complexities of US immigration law.
Representative Clients
Zeenat works closely with multi-national companies and their employees to facilitate the transfer of key personnel and their dependents to the United States by advising on appropriate strategies and visa options, while ensuring strict immigration compliance. Zeenat has practiced exclusively in the field of immigration law since 2009. She’s worked with a variety of clients, from startups to individuals and has represented them before federal agencies such as the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services and consular posts.
Academics:
LL.M., University of Georgia, USA
LL.B., University of Mumbai, India
Languages:
English
Gujarati
Hindi
Marathi
Memberships:
New York State Bar Association
Law Society of England and Wales
Bar Council of Goa and Maharashtra (India)
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Insights
