Geetha Adinata leads FordHarrison's Business Immigration practice group. 

She concentrates her practice on all facets of business immigration and I-9 and E-Verify compliance.  With respect to business immigration, she works with local, national, and multinational companies to develop strategies to meet their short-term and long-term needs for foreign workers. Geetha works closely with management to evaluate temporary and permanent work options for foreign workers, develops streamlined processes for companies to bring in foreign workers, and develops proactive strategies for overcoming potential issues and risks before they arise, and advises management on corporate legal obligations arising in this context to ensure their compliance.  More specifically, she handles the full spectrum of temporary work visa options (e.g. H-1B, L-1, E-2, TN, etc.) and permanent visa options (i.e. green card process) for foreign workers, and offers clients high-level strategic advice on immigration-related issues arising in the context of corporate mergers and acquisitions, and responds to Immigration Service Requests for Evidence.
 
With respect to I-9 and E-Verify compliance, Geetha identifies and evaluates deficiencies in corporate I-9 practices and procedures and advises clients about the legal issues involved in government I-9 audits and develops legal strategies to ensure corporate compliance mitigate exposure.  To this end, she provides a range of services including consultations to evaluate risk, preparation of comprehensive I-9 policies and practices, and I-9 training for management and HR personnel.  She regularly advises clients on state and federal E-Verify requirements.  In addition, she manages legal aspects of workforce enforcement actions, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) I-9 Audits and ICE raids, and successfully negotiates reduced fines and mitigated penalties through ICE.  Further, she advises clients on procedures for responding to Social Security No Match letters.

Prior to attending law school, she served as a Research Assistant for Political Research Associates, a public policy think tank in Boston, where she performed research on a range of political topics.

Honors & Awards
  • "2024 Asian Leadership Award," Profiles in Diversity Journal magazine
  • "100 Leading Immigration Lawyers," Lawdragon (2023) 
  • "2021 Women Worth Watching," Profiles in Diversity Journal magazine
  • "500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers," Lawdragon (2020-2024)
  • The Legal 500 United States, Recommended attorney in Labor & Employment - Immigration (2020, 2021)
  • "40 Up and Comers in Corporate Employment Law for 2019," Lawdragon
  • "Georgia's Legal Elite" by Georgia Trend Magazine
  • Named to Lawyers of Color's "2014 Hot List" for the Southern Region 
  • Advised hospitals nationwide on the legal issues related to federal and state "J-1 waiver programs" and H-1B visa program to recruit and retain foreign physicians committed to serve in medically underserved communities. Facilitated intra-governmental coordination to expedite H-1B work authorization application for International Medical Graduates facing visa expiration.
  • Strategically employed internal government liaisons where necessary to expedite work permit applications through USCIS in the face of protracted processing periods.
  • Registered both start-up and established companies with complex investment structures as E-2 Treaty Investors at various US Consulates around the world to bring their essential workface to launch and expand US operations in Georgia and beyond.
  • Obtained retroactive H-1B approval and reinstatement of lawful immigration status for H-1B worker who overstayed authorized H-1B period.
  • Successfully collaborated with globally-ranked video game production companies to staff game production projects with top foreign talent and retain BAFTA award-winning producers through both temporary visas and "Aliens of Extraordinary Ability" green card status.
  • Conducted comprehensive internal I-9 audits and developed compliant I-9 policies and practices for large corporate clients.
  • Developed comprehensive E-Verify strategies for clients to ensure legal compliance with relevant state and federal requirements.
  • Successfully responded to complex Notices of Intent to Deny ("NOID") and Requests for Evidence ("RFE") issued by the Immigration Service on filed cases.
  • Successfully developed streamlined immigration strategy for large multinational company during large corporate acquisition.
  • Successfully filed necessary immigration documents to rehabilitate client under DHS investigation.
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Education
  • University of Florida College of Law
    J.D., cum laude, 2005
  • Northwestern University
    B.A., 1998
Memberships
  • American Bar Association
  • State Bar of Georgia
  • Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association
  • Past Board Member of Peachtree Park Civic Association
Bar Admissions
  • Georgia
Court Admissions
  • Supreme Court of Georgia

Geetha is not licensed to practice law in California but is licensed to practice in the State of Georgia and is authorized by federal law to represent persons before the Board of Immigration Appeals or the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.