Overview

Punam’s practice focuses on Business Immigration law and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.  On the immigration front, Punam works with U.S. employers of all sizes, from start-up to large multi-national organizations, seeking to hire non-resident foreign professionals who need to obtain temporary or permanent immigration status in the U.S., as well as visas in countries around the world for their global workforce.  Her clients are from a wide range of industries and activities, including: health care, information technology, telecommunications, biotechnology, electronic component technology, insurance, financial and management consulting, think-tanks, hospitality, general manufacturing, non-profits and education. 

Punam is acutely aware of how important key employees are to an enterprise.  That is why she works directly with her clients to design and implement immigration strategies that help them navigate through an ever changing, complex legal framework of immigration law.  Punam identifies and implements successful programs for U.S. employers seeking to hire and retain international personnel, including senior leadership and other critical professionals or key personnel.   

Punam also develops cost and time efficient strategies to pursue high volume processing of immigration petitions and applications for employers who have a large number of foreign national employees. In addition to overseeing the preparation of non-immigrant and immigrant visa petition filings of all types, Punam regularly provides employment-related immigration compliance training to human resources and legal staff for her clients. She also effectively counsels clients through government investigations and enforcement proceedings, including Department of Justice actions, IER investigations, Department of Labor LCA audits, and Department of Homeland Security Form I-9 and E-Verify audits, and USCIS site visits. And, often these days, Punam provides clients with Congressional advocacy advice for changes in the law, which includes regular travel to Washington, DC for meetings with elected representatives and government agencies.  

On the DEI front, Punam partners with employers—both large and small—to review, develop, and implement DEI programs that will enable each business to achieve maximum performance. She assists employers in strengthening morale among team members and building confidence with customers, vendors, and the public at large. Punam’s team has deep DEI auditing capabilities, and are able to pinpoint areas for improvement in organizations’ operations where diversity, equity, and inclusion can be utilized as a competitive advantage. Putting DEI initiatives in place does not only provide an opportunity to significantly decrease litigation exposure, it can also help provide an advantage over competitors to increase the perspective and performance of an organization’s most valuable asset—its employees.  

Punam is a frequent speaker on both immigration and DEI matters.  She has published a foray of articles both on immigration topics (including multinational transfers, compliance, cross-border issues, layoffs, and general visas strategies)and workplace diversity and well-being topics. 

Honors & Recognitions

  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Immigration Law (2023-2024)
  • Boston Magazine Top Lawyers™ - Immigration Law (2022-2023)

Professional & Civic Associations

  • Council on International Education Exchange (“CIEE”) 
    • Board of Directors, January 2022 to January 2028
  • Chief 
    • Member, December 2021 to present
  • Boston Bar Association Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Section 
    • Public Policy Chair, September 2020 to June 2021
    • Steering Committee, September 2019 to June 2021
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association National Committee
    • National Committee USCIS Case Assistance Committee: June 2021 to present

    • Customs Border Protection Committee Member, September 2020 to present
    • Business Committee Member, June 2013 to June 2015; September 2020-present
    • American Immigration Lawyers Association National Field Operations Committee Member
    • American Immigration Lawyers Association National Department of Labor (DOL) Committee Member, June 2007 to 2010
    • American Immigration Lawyers Association National United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Committee Member, June 2008 to 2009
    • New England Chapter of American Immigration Lawyers Association
      • Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair, September 2020 to present
      • Customs Border Protection Logan Airport Co-Chair, June 2007 to present
      • Rapid Raid Response Team for New England States (March 2017 to present)
      • Executive Office of Immigration Appeals ProBono Liaison Chair (June 2007 to June 2015)
      • Elected Executive Board Member, Immediate Past Chapter Chair-President (2007 to 2008)
      • Elected Chapter Chair-President (2006-2007)
      • Chair Elect (2005-2006)
      • Elected Board Member Vice Chair (2004-2005)
      • Elected Board Member, Treasurer (2003-2004)
      • Elected Board Member, Secretary (2002-2003)

News & Analysis

Client Presentations & Firm Publications

Speaking Engagements & Industry Publications

  • American Bar Association 16th Annual Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference, November 2022, Panelist on "Beyond Compliance: What Are the Interests Competing with DEI Compliance and Initiatives –  and Can They Co-Exist?"
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) National Conference, June 2022, Speaker on “Operating a Law Firm That Is Socially Aware”
  • Annual Labor & Employment Workshop “Riding the New Wave of Employment Law”- Speaker “How to initiate a meaningful DEI Program,” Tampa Convention Center– February 16, 2022
  • Speaker at ACC's 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting,"Things Every In-house Counsel Needs to Know about Business Immigration Under the Biden Administration," October 2021
  • AILA New England, Panelist, Covid and Travel Issues, March 2021
  • Panelist at the Women in Legal & Corporate Leadership Summit: "Promoting Diversity & Inclusion in Law Firms & Corporations: Disrupting Old Models & Lowering Attrition," October 2020
  • "How Does the New H-1B Cap Rule Impact This Year’s Filings?," February 2019
  • "USCIS Proposed Changes to the H-1B Cap Filing Process: What You Need to Know,"December 2018
  • "The Changing Tides of the H-1B Visa Adjudication,"July 2018
  • "H-1B Compliance: What to Do When You Terminate Your H-1B Employee," July 2018"
  • Speaker at the American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference in New Orleans on “Business Immigration 101,” June 2017
  • Speaker/Moderator at the AILA New England Immigration Chapter Meeting on “CBP Panel Discussion,” January 2017
  • Speaker at the American Immigration Lawyers Association 2016 Annual Conference in Las Vegas on “Playing Russian Roulette in the Newly Defined Domain of L Visas,” June 2016
  • Speaker at the American Immigration Lawyers Association New England Immigration Spring Conference, on CBP Issues, March 2016
  • Speaker at the American Immigration Lawyers Association 2015 Annual Conference in Washington DC on “Other Employment Based Options,” June 2015
  • Speaker at the American Immigration Lawyers Association New England Immigration Spring Conference on “How does the President Obama’s Executive Actions Affect our Clients?,” March 2015
  • Speaker at the American Immigration Lawyers Association 2014 Annual Conference in Boston, MA on “PERM Fundamentals,” June 2014
  • Speaker at the American Immigration Lawyers Association 2013 Annual Conference in San Francisco on “Employment Based Permanent Residence categories,” June 2013
  • Speaker/Moderator at the AILA New England Chapter, “CBP Issues,” April 2013
  • "H-1B Specialty Occupations-Practical Issues in Qualifying For and Obtaining H-1B Status," 3rd Annual AILA New England Immigration Law Symposium, April 2006

Blogs, Videos & Podcasts

Blog Posts

  • "So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune."
  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Education

Seton Hall University School of Law

  • J.D., 1997

Douglass College, Rutgers University

  • B.A. in Economics and Psychology, 1993

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Massachusetts

Languages

  • Hindi
  • Spanish
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