Howard D. Shapiro - Attorneys - Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP ~ Full service entertainment law firm

Legal Expertise

Immigration and nationality law representing employers in administrative petitions and applications to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Departments of Labor and State, and state employment agencies.

Representative Matters

Consulted with major video game development studio to structure provisions of the corporate divestiture agreement with former parent company and publisher in order to optimize immigration benefits for retained foreign employees.
Advised leading apparel manufacturer regarding audit and enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, resulting in highly favorable agreement with ICE.
Structured visa issues for relocation of motion picture visual effects team from Germany to the United States.
Obtained permanent resident status for seminal rock musician based upon unique interpretation of federal criminal law provisions.
Overcame significant union and government opposition to temporary employment visa for Latin musician/television host.

Partner - Los Angeles

Email Howard D. Shapiro

Phone:

(310) 312-3252

Fax:

(310) 231-8452

Practice Area

Immigration

Industry Focus

Entertainment and video game industries, including developers, publishers, and recruiters; computer hardware, software, and new media; sports organizations, medical research; multi-national corporations.

Education

Lewis & Clark Law School, J.D., 1992
International Business Law Fellowship; Cornelius Honor Society; Davis Wright Tremaine International Writing Award
Rice University, B.A., 1989; with Honors

Court Admissions

California, 1992

Professional Recognition

AV® Preeminent™ Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

Publications and Presentations

Frequent speaker at industry conferences, including Game Developers Conference, PIHRA, Sterling Education, and at local, statewide, and national professional association conferences.
Speaker, U.S. Immigration Law Update, 2013 MS&K Employers' Legal Update (January 2013)
Speaker, U.S. Immigration Law Update, MS&K Employers’ Legal Update (January 2012)
Speaker, Department of Homeland Security Regulatory Update: Latest Issues for Import/Export Compliance Professionals (September 2011)
Speaker, 2010 U.S. Immigration Law Update, Western Region TAGLaw Conference (March 2011)
Speaker, Immigration Issues for Entertainment Lawyers, Beverly Hills Bar Association (November 2010)
Fraud Reduction Efforts in "Green Card" Processing Will Increase Costs For Employers, MS&K Immigration Alert (August 2007)
Risks and Benefits of Hiring Foreign Talent, MS&K Immigration Legal Update (March 2007)
O's and P's - The Entertainment and Sports Visas, MS&K Immigration Legal Update (March 2007)

Professional, Business, and Civic Affiliations

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Other Career Experience

Law clerk to U.S. Immigration Judges in Seattle, San Diego, and El Paso through United States Attorney General's Honors Program

Languages

Mandarin (Beijing Languages Institute and University of Shanghai School of Literary Arts)