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I.S. Law Firm · Northern Virginia
One Firm for Your U.S. Business
Law and Immigration, Integrated.
Entity formation, employment agreements, employer-sponsored visas, and I-9 compliance; handled together, not piecemeal.
CONFIDENTIAL ONE-ON-ONE STRATEGY SESSION
This Practice Is Built for You If…
01
You're an HR Director or General Counsel managing H-1B, L-1, TN, or O-1 employees and need outside counsel who speaks both business and immigration.
02
You're an immigrant entrepreneur who owns or is acquiring a U.S. business and needs legal structure, compliance, and immigration strategy aligned.
03
You're a growing startup hiring your first international employee and need to understand your sponsorship obligations before you make the offer.
The Cost of Splitting Your Business Law and Immigration Counsel
A single compliance failure can lead to severe civil fines and disrupt your international hiring pipeline.
I-9 audit penalties
Violations run $281–$2,789 each. Most companies don't know their exposure until ICE is at the door.
Misaligned operating agreements
A document that doesn't account for visa status can disqualify a founder from their own E-2 or L-1 petition.
Late H-1B amendments
Filed incorrectly, they create unlawful presence for your employee — and liability for you.
M&A transactions
Key employees can lose work authorization mid-deal when immigration due diligence is skipped.
What We Handle
Corporate Formation & Structuring
Establishing compliant U.S. entities, operating agreements, and corporate governance.
H-1B Recruitment & Cap Registrations
Managing lottery petitions, transfers, amendments, and wage compliance protocols.
PERM Labor Certification Management
Structuring recruitment audits, wage approvals, and green card filings.
L-1 Intra-Company Visas for Global Executives
Facilitating transfer filings for overseas executives, managers, and key specialists.
Employer Compliance & I-9 Audits
Conducting internal audits, HR training, and civil fines mitigation.
M&A Immigration Due Diligence
Reviewing employee statuses and compliance exposure during major corporate acquisitions.
Why Businesses Choose I.S. Law Firm
Integrated Counsel
Your business attorney and immigration attorney are in the same firm. Documents align. Strategy aligns. Billing is cleaner.
Employer-First Perspective
We represent the company's interests and structure compliance that scales with your growth, not just the current hire.
NoVA Market Knowledge
We understand federal contractor environments, clearance considerations, and the workforce dynamics of the Northern Virginia tech corridor.
Your Counsel
Ismail Shahtakhtinski, Esq.
Founder & Managing Attorney
Over 19 years of combined business and immigration advocacy, including representing Washington, D.C.-area businesses and multinational corporations before the Department of Labor and USCIS. His team has helped employers maintain audit-ready I-9 and prevailing-wage compliance while scaling their international hiring.
Virginia State Bar
New York State Bar
AILA Member
Proven Results
“They defended our Department of Labor prevailing-wage audit and saved us roughly $120,000 in potential penalties. We haven't used another firm since.”
— HR Director, Healthcare Provider, Northern Virginia
“We needed one firm that understood both our cap-table and our visa pipeline. That's exactly what we got.”
— Founder, NoVA-based Tech Startup
“Clear, responsive, and they actually explain the 'why' behind every compliance step.”
— General Counsel, 200-person Government Contractor
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the H-1B cap lottery process work?
USCIS runs an annual electronic registration period followed by a random selection. We manage your registration, selection strategy, and the full petition if you're selected.
What is our company's liability during a Form I-9 audit?
Civil penalties currently range from $281 to $2,789 per violation, with higher penalties for knowing violations. We help you prepare proactively, before an audit ever arrives.
How do we handle immigration during corporate restructuring or M&A?
Immigration due diligence should happen alongside financial and legal due diligence; we review every visa holder's status before the deal closes, not after.
What does it cost to sponsor an international employee?
Costs vary by visa type and company size. We walk through a clear cost breakdown — filing fees, legal fees, and PERM recruitment costs — during your consultation.
Do you only work with companies that already sponsor visas?
No; we frequently advise growing companies on their very first international hire, including sponsorship obligations before an offer is made.
Secure Your International Talent and Protect Your Business
One consultation. Your entity structure and your immigration exposure, reviewed together.
Prefer to call or message? (703) 527-1779 · WhatsApp · law@islawfirm.com
We respond within 1 business day.
Your information is protected by attorney-client privilege. No chatbots; you'll speak with a real attorney.
I.S. Law Firm · Northern Virginia